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Featured Article (July 2007)POSTCARD: Emigrant, Montana Wild West Women Weekend
If any of you remember Miss Margaret, the legendary head of the riding program at Fox Croft School in Middleburg, Virginia, you will remember her often admonishing her students "to get out of the ring and ride!
Three years ago, Mountain Sky
Guest Ranch had decided to offer a Wild West Women’s four day session
the first week in May. It is the off-season of course and the weather
could run the gamut from cold and snowing to warm and beautiful. Each
year this "women only session" has grown exponentially. This year there
was such a demand that the decision was made to offer a choice of two
sessions.
I had decided that I would go even if I went by myself. Having lived in Aspen, Colorado for 12 years I knew what to expect of the weather and knew that since the ranch was in Paradise Valley there was a 50/50 chance for good weather. My good friend and horse show cohort, Rachel Hammes, decided she would go with me. On May 4, 2007 we were off to Bozeman, Montana where we would meet our fellow "wild west women." As this was my third visit to Mountain Sky I had a good idea what to expect; beautiful rustic accommodations, fantastic food, a warm welcoming staff and a string of horses who were saints. I had no idea what to expect in terms of the other attendees except that they would all be women. (Continued below)
Rachel and I were driven to the ranch on a rather cold snowy Saturday with a group of women who all rode at the same barn in Cape Cod, Mass. This was a dressage group and they were joined by their trainer and their vet. Our driver, Yancey was the new general manager who was in the process of filling the incredibly enormous shoes of the retiring GM, Shirley Arsenault who had become an institution at the Mountain Sky. (If we all had her people skills and ability to interview prospective employees, we would live in a perfect world). After lunch we were assigned to our cabins and prepared to meet our horses for our first ride. Our wrangler looked like something out of the "Horse Whisperer" and was a horseman in the true sense. He grew up on a horse helping his family with the ranch. He loved and respected his equine colleague. We were broken into groups by ability and set off into the mountains. Of course "ability" was somewhat relative term. One woman who had ridden and shown her horses for years almost fainted when the time came to turn around and descend into the valley floor. Her wrangler impressed me with his kindness and got her safely back to the ranch. (Continued below)
At dinner we had the opportunity to meet the 47 women who had made the journey for this session. There were women from all over the US, Great Britain and Denmark. Everyone had come to participate in the riding, hiking, fly-fishing activities and enjoy each other’s company.
Sunday the weather gods smiled on us with sparkling blue skies and warm sunshine. Rachel and I rode in the morning returning in time for our 12:00 p.m. massage. (It was probably one of the best massages I ever had in my life). We were both so relaxed that we decided we would have lunch, go for an easy hike and just hang out in the Jacuzzi. I opted for the 4:30 p.m. yoga class and then it was time for a glass of wine and dinner. Our horses, General and Rasp were probably thrilled to have a free afternoon. Another group had also decided to take a hike and relax with their tequila on a big rock in the middle of the river that flowed by the ranch. (Continued below)
The cocktail and dinner hour were when everyone came together. It was amazing to get to know these women with their diverse interests and careers. Nancy, the dermatologist, gave us the low down on skin creams and I got a "behind the scenes" look at the world of figure skating from a former member of the Canadian pair’s team. There were the lawyers who were doing the balancing act of career home and children as is Rachel, and the Brits and the Dane (all investment bankers) who had never been in the western part of the US and were stunned with the majesty of Montana. There was a group from McLean, Virginia who had bought second homes in Montana and wanted to get comfortable with "the horse thing." There really was no need for structured evening entertainment because (being women) there was always so much to talk about with everyone.
One night before our pre-dinner cocktail hayride (where you could drive the Belgian team if you wanted) we were offered a roping session. We were instructed on how to swing the lariat (it’s in the wrist) and throw the rope, hoping to land the loop over a saw horse with horns. Never underestimate the difficulty of roping a moving target while riding a horse!
Tuesday and Wednesday we had an all day ride each to a different site for lunch. The weather was even more beautiful framing the snow covered peaks of the Gallatin Range. We galloped through alpine meadows, forded streams and rode on trails that left little room for error if there was a misstep. The last night the ranch had a fantastic band and the wranglers taught us "the Texas two step." Everyone danced! This trip reinforced why we ride. Also, for me, it emphasized another important aspect of my life - the importance of our women friends. Whether you went riding, hiking, fly-fishing or just sat in the sun, everyone was interested to know about each other’s day.
Mountain Sky is still tinkering with the various aspects of the 4 day session. They are so responsive to their guests (a 90% repeat rate during the summer months) that it will be interesting to see how these sessions evolve. The dynamics with all women were certainly quite different from the summer sessions where it is all couples with families. At the Upperville Colt & Horse Show as Rachel and I approached the warm up ring, a look of anxiety crossed Rachel’s face. "Rachel, I said, we are preparing to ride in a show ring where there will be no moose behind the trees and we don’t have to worry about falling off the side of a mountain. Let’s go in and have fun." For me it was one of the best Upperville’s ever and Rachel rode great! Happy Trails!!
P.S. For more pictures and information, check out Mountain Sky’s website: www.mtnsky.com |
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