Tuckahoe Outlaw Days - Article Submitted by Linley Beckner, VA

Tuckahoe Outlaw Days held on Saturday and Sunday, September 9-10,2006 in Queen Anne, Maryland were a blast! The event took place at the Tuckahoe Equestrian Center. The facility was great, including main arena as well as some smaller show areas. Clinicians included everyone from hunter jumper trainers to Kenny Harlow.

Historical skits played out in a wild west town set up with shoot-outs and horses running through. There were fun and informative equine demonstrations all day, good food, and fabulous company. Stage coaches and wagons traveled around the grounds with passengers, sometimes running into hold-ups. Kids could ride around on a train constructed of barrels with saddles and wooden horse heads on them. Many people camped out over the weekend to participate in the many activities and exhibitions.

Barb Thelen, ISSO Board member from Stevensville, MD and Jeannie Whited ISSO J/I and Regional Representative from Centreville, VA rode aside both days in parades, breed demos, and the sidesaddle demo. Barb Thelen rode her horse Beau, and Jeannie rode Max, a Tennessee Walking horse on Saturday and Mikey, a thoroughbred on Sunday. Both wore historical green habits, coordinating beautifully! Tom Thelen (Barb’s husband) also rode in breed demos and participated in skits, wearing traditional garb, and riding his beautiful Walker, Max. My Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse cross, Blade, and I joined them on Sunday for the Sidesaddle Demo.
Tom and Barb Thelen at Tuckahoe Outlaw Days Tom and Barb Thelen at Tuckahoe Outlaw Days
The script detailed the highlights of sidesaddle history, details about riding aside, and much information about ISSO. We gave the audience quite a show, including some wild west inspired galloping. We hung around after the demonstration to answer questions from the curious crowd.

One woman, who has ridden astride all of her life, loves making reproduction riding habits, and doing reenactments, was extremely interested; she said she had wanted to learn how to ride sidesaddle forever. We told everyone to go to the ISSO website and find ISSO certified trainers in their area that could help get them started. Hopefully we will get some new ISSO members from the event!

The demonstration was a grand success, and quite fun! We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Thank you Barb, for planning this wonderful demonstration, and for inviting us! We can’t wait till next year! Thank you to the hosts of this event, it was a great weekend!

Tuckahoe Outlaw Days is held annually on the weekend after Labor Day. For more information or to join ISSO at the event, please contact Barb Thelen. We'd LOVE to have you join us for the fun!

Contact
ISSO
P.O. Box 161
Stevensville, MD
21666-0161
USA
Phone 918 685-0072
FAX 410 643-1497