Laura Maynard...

Please send me an e-mail with your mailing address and information to get your give away prizes!

juliesize@yahoo.com

The Ladies' Race

1927. Both first and second place winners in this race rode aside! Great footage!!

THE LADIES' RACE

1920's Ladies Steeplechase Video

Click to play!

Second place winner rode sidesaddle!

LADIES STEEPLECHASE

...and the WINNER is...

Number 11. Laura Maynard:
I've been riding 17 years with only a few months of break when I first started college. In that time I've ridden Hunters, Eventers, Dressage, Foxhunters, Steeplechasers, and even driven Unicorn and Four-in-Hand. My current horse is a 2003 15.3hh solid bay Selle Francais mare who loves to jump and always tries hard to do her best. Your blog has inspired me to find a way to ride aside and I think I have a good lead to try it out! My goal is to eventually show in a Ladies Aside class on both the flat and over fences. Once I get home tonight I'll dig up a couple photos although my profile picture is from our show in November.








You just won:
1.A Sidesaddle Canvas Art Print
IMAGE SIZE IS 12" X 16" - CANVAS SIZE IS 15" X 18"

"canvas art prints" utilizes state of the art digital technologies to "print" the image directly onto the canvas surface. The process is automated and therefore results with reproductions offering the rich appearance of canvas that paper prints cannot provide.
and.
















2. A $25.00 credit to an Etsy store called Tiny Art Jewelry. This is a shop that specializes in individually hand made fashion jewelry. She has many pieces along with several sidesaddle themed items. I added photos below of a coupld of her items. She also promised to make up a few more just for this contest. I will post them as soon as she sends me the pictures. You can pick anything you want off her sight up to $25.00 on me.

***She can also take one of your own pictures and make a custom piece from it!!!***

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tinyartjewelry

37. Maggie Taylor

I've done a little bit of everything. I grew up riding saddle seat. The awesome bay I'm on in the saddleseat picture is America's Success Symbol. That was after a lesson winter of 1999 or so. He wasn't mine, but was one of the big show horses I got to exercise.

The white Percheron is Fergie, a mare I sometimes drive at work downtown. She's a doll.

The bay I'm on in the western saddle is my husband's flag horse, Bert. That's a picture his dad took just after we got engaged.

The chestnut is my old polo pony, Candy. I lost him in 2005 to colic and still miss him to this day. My dad took that picture in 2004. He was 18 in that picture.

The little Arab is my current horse, Mika. He's 5 now. We're conditioning for our first endurance ride and learning some basic dressage. Later this summer I plan to teach him to jump. At some point, when he figures out his balance at speed I'm going to teach him the barrel and pole patterns. Mostly to prove wrong all the QH people my husband shows with that told me Arabs are insane and stupid. I'm also going to teach him to play polo at some point. One of these days I'm planning to get a sidesaddle for him.

Deadline!

Don't forget.. tonight at midnight is the deadline for the give away. If your picture and info is not posted below - then you are not yet entered! Send your e-mail entry to:
Juliesize@yahoo.com

36. Michelle Chauncey

My name is Michelle Chauncey. I have been riding sidesaddle for almost a year now. Before that I've shown gaited horses, rodeo'd, done the hunter jumper thing, some mock foxhunts and am now a certified english coach. I live in Alberta, Canada and had wanted to ride aside for the longest time but I couldn't seem to find anyone that could teach me and finding a saddle in usable condition seemed even harder. I finally found a wonderful group of ladies that taught me to ride aside and I've been absolutely hooked since then! I bought my first sidesaddle last fall from a really nice lady in Virginia. I ride my 17 year old Westphalian mare sidesaddle, currently we're learning to jump aside. I love the costumes, elegance and uniqueness of riding aside! I have to say, I've met more wonderful people from all over the place since I started my sideways adventures! I'm doing my best to get a sidesaddle group going up here in Canada, so watch for us!

Here's a video of us doing a demonstration at the Mane Event Horse Expo this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waPopXRF4hk I was so proud of our flying changes

35. Brenda Carlson

I had to ask Brita for a photo and she came up with this and the comment made me laugh! I ride only in my dreams anymore but "aside" from being the horse show Mom all these years, I rode many miles on a sheep skin pad that was large enough to reach behind the "child saddle" and give me a "behind" the saddle ride with my then, little horse girls. I never tried side saddle but I enjoy the beauty and the adventure you share on your wonderful blog!

34. Connelly Klein

My husband and I both ride Thoroughbreds. This picture was taken after a hunt on one of our exracehorses. We enjoy being outdoors and trail ride often. Always have admired old hunt scenes, including the elegance of riding aside to hounds. Never ridden sidesaddle, but would like to someday!
Connelly Klein

33. Danielle Briese

My name is Danielle and I have been riding sidesaddle since September of 2008 when I found out that they were still being used. I thought they were just in museum. I do not have my own horse yet. But I have a few friends that let me barrow their horses. :D I do own two sidesaddle though. One is an old catalog saddle and one is for toy horses that I have had since I was about 10 years old. Whats funny is I never realized what it was till I unpack it some time last year. I enclosed a picture of me riding in a fun show, my first ever horse show. I had a blast!! And got sun burned real bad. The pic is my costume for the costume class. I also enclosed a picture of my 2 sidesaddles. Your blog is a vary good idea. Thanks for sharing.

32. Dani-Jolly Blacket

I have attached a photo of my daughter Dani Jolly-Blacket riding aside our home bred mare Wynara Touch of Bronze at Adelaide Royal 2009. the mare has taken to side saddle like a duck to water and placed 2nd in the hack class and Dani placed 3rd in the rider after ony riding side saddle for 3 months.
love your blog too!
Kind regards Lia Blacket

31. Anita Wallace

my name is Anita and I live in the South Island of New Zealand - Lord of the Rings country!
I have ridden off and on for about 15 years now. I started riding sidesaddle about 2 years ago. I have a mixed breed 8 yr old mare called "Molly" who is such a gem and will have a go at anything with me. Sidesaddles are very rare in New Zealand and hard to find. But with luck I found an old one that fitted Molly (who takes a wide gullet). Once I had a go I was well and truly bitten by the sidesaddle bug, so I passed my old sidesaddle onto a friend to get her started and ordered a brand new one from Wendy Tidbold in Australia. Our goal is to show aside and also to ride dressage sidesaddle. I have attached two pictures of us. The one in the dusty arena is our very first sidesaddle lesson 2 years ago. The pik in front of the barn is me trying out my new sidesaddle the day it arrived. I think I had it on Molly before the mailman had left our driveway! lol

30. Claire Perrin

I'm French, so please forgive my english.

I rode astride from 11-years old. I have riden side-saddle once when I was a teenager, and for years, I have not have the luck to try again. So, I continue to ride astride, but have become afraid of jumping. Finally, in 2006, I attempt a side-saddle clinic and loved it. My instructor was a really good one, and she leads me to be more self-confident and have learned me to enjoy jumping again, in the secure of a side-saddle. Now I have my own side-saddle and do dressage and jumping as well, as you can see on the attached pictures. This would not been be possible astride.
In the future, I hope to be able to have my own horse and enjoy riding side-saddle as often as possible.

Thanks for reading this.
Best regards,

--
Claire PERRIN

29. Ruth Riegel

I have been riding sidesaddle since early 1987, when I attended one of the first sidesaddle clinics held by the Texas Ladies Aside, a group still going strong in central Texas. This group is a drill team that rides only Peruvian Horses sidesaddle (in performance!). With that group, I have been lucky enough to perform at the National Horse Show in Lima, to ride in the Pasadena Rose Parade twice, in the San Antonio Battle of Flowers Parade many times, at the Calgary Stampede Equidance, and in other parades, drill exhibitions, and competitions around the country. I wa also lucky enough to ride in the 2009 Obama Inaugural Parade sidesaddle with the Southern Ohio Ladies Aside, and in the Milwaukee Circus Parade with the Elegant Equestriennes. I'm trying to get a tiny gaited drill team (or at least a parade unit!) going here in central Illinois where I now live, but progress, for various reasons, has been slow. But a fun goal to reach for.
The picture is from a few years ago (maybe 1993?) on my old gelding Mesada after winning a parade class at a show in Texas. Sadly, he departed last October, nearly making it to age 29.

28. Janice Grinyer

"Hello, my name is Janice and I am a equuaholic. I have been an equuaholic since I was ten...." In my past life I went to school for Animal Science with a minor in Equine studies, but I realized I dont like eating raman noodles for a lifetime so I wised up and am now in Forestry. We have not combined the two careers yet, but once I convince my business partner (and DH!) that it is easier looking at trees from a higher advantage point, I'll be there with boots on..sorry, i digress...

In order to make Julie (whose on her pony when she was a lil' scooter - now thats cute!) not feel like the odd one out, my photo is in black and white also. It also is cropped to protect the innocent...I wanted to have a photo taken esp. for all of you, but today in Wisconsin its supposed to be in the 90's (in May?! regional warming, ack!) and so we dont want to ride and take pictures. Unless one of me laying face down on the ground eating arena sand, passed out from heat prostration would be suitable...

Baby and I would like to pursue sidesaddle because we think it will make both of us look slimmer.
:)

27. Debi Royer

Hi my name is Debi Royer, I have been riding since I was two. I have ridden in gymkhanas in my youth, shown hunter/jumper and evented in my teens and participate in the Pony Express re-ride every year - but, mostly I ride for the pleasure of it. I have 3 horses, a 30 year old arab gelding (that is teaching my boyfriend to ride the right way), a 25 year old arab gelding that still acts like a 3 year old and my 11 year old home bred 1/4 horse cross mare that I am returning to showing english this year with (after a long hiatus of just pleasure riding)- and I can't wait to learn to ride her aside, she has such a gentle, brave spirit!
The picture is of my mare - A Paint She Aint at our first dressage show this year.

26. Hosanna Blanchard

My name is Hosanna, and this is me riding my horse, "F Major", an
ex-racehorse (OTTB), in an eventing clinic in 2009. I bought Major
straight off a racetrack in 2008 as a three year old. His trainer
decided he was a failure, and didn't want him anymore. But I wanted
him! Major was talented and smart; sweet and endearing. I lost Major a
few months ago to a horrible bout of colic. My heart was, and still
is, broken over it. I have three other OTTBs, and 9 other horses as
well.
My dream is to ride sidesaddle on my TB-Percheron cross, as soon as I
can find, and afford, a sidesaddle! I love the old fashioned romance
of it. :)

25. Angelina Fuoco

I lost all the digital pictures of me on a horse when my computer crashed, so I sent you some pictures of saddles. I have been riding horses my entire life. My mom rode sidesaddle first in a drill team here in Grand Junction Colorado and now I also ride with them. I began showing sidesaddle (western) when I was about 12. After college I moved back home, so I joined the drill team for fun. They all ride western sidesaddles and perform in the grand entries at rodeos as a tribute to women of the frontier. Not to be confused with the escaramuza competition in Mexican rodeos. The first picture is of my mom's old saddle it is an all original SC Gallup from about the 1890s. The lady she bought it from used it on their cattle ranch. We quit riding it because I became paranoid about something happening to it at a rodeo or horse show. The second picture is of a catalogue saddle that is probably from the 1890s that I just picked up for myself. It is also western just not as pretty as the Gallup. One big difference is the Gallup has a purse on the off side and the catalogue saddle has a parcel hook. I love riding aside and anything sidesaddle so I have a bad habit of buying any old sidesaddle I can get my hands on. I have never ridden an English sidesaddle but my next goal is to find one because I would like to be daring enough to jump aside someday.

24. Madison Burns

Hi, I'm Madison Burns

This screenshot of me is the closest thing I have to a picture of myself riding. It's blurry, but it's the best I've got.

I've been riding for the past 8, almost 9 years. I don't have my own horse, but I do take lessons. I'll ride any horse someone will let me ride. I've ridden hunters and eventers, and a little western.

23. Beth

I don't have a photo of me riding. After a bit of a lay off, I have recently started riding again. I fell off this big girl last fall. Abby is a 17hh Percheron cross. I have been riding haffie at a local farm and having a blast. I am hoping to drive Abby and maybe ride her again too. I have never ridden aside, but I have always been armored with it. I would love to ride at some point. Last year I went to the Clydesdale's World Show and a young lady was riding aside on a Clyde. It was pretty amazing.

22. Diane Iversen

I don't even know if this qualifies for your may contest.......nor do I ride sidesaddle. I don't show, or breed......I just *dink*. I currently have 2 arabs (27 year old mare and 10 year old gelding) and a 10 year old TWH mare.
Since I turned 64 this year, that means I have been riding for 61 years!!!

This was my first horse......Squirrelly, a retired army mare my grandfather bought when the Army phased out it's cavalry. He bought her and the tack for a whopping $25 (it was a mcClelland saddle) in 1949.
I was around 6 in this picture (one of my favorites).

21. Jane Augenstein

I got my first horse at 9 years old, had to ride bareback because the saddle was too heavy for me to lift up on Trigger’s back. Had him for 10 years. Got my second horse at 23 and had her for 11 years, then was horseless for 20 years.

Gilly was a rescue horse I got 6 years ago. I have only ridden sidesaddle, pretend, as a kid when I just hooked my leg over the saddle horn on a western saddle! It didn’t work too well either! LOL I wouldn’t try it now for nothing because my balance is such that I would probably hit the ground when the horse took one step! But I do ride Gilly bareback sometimes when feeling brave. Here’s are some pix…..

Do You Know What's Going On?

Did you come to visit the blog and wonder what in the world was going on? Well, if you page down ... or go to:

http://ridingaside.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-contest-give-away.html

you will find out that not only are we having a blog give away, but in order to be in the drawing, I asked my readers to e-mail me (juliesize@yahoo.com) a picture of them either 1. riding sidesaddle or 2. riding any horse any way or 3. find something sidesaddle related that I have not put on this blog and send it to me!

I am loving this give away, because for the first time I get a peek into your lives, get to see your beloved horses and hear about your experiences!! I do hope lots more enter the challenge. For those of you who have already entered....THANK YOU!

20. Anna Mitchell

I attached a shot of me and my mare during one of the crazy blizzards we had over the winter. She was digging the first storm, but by the 3rd time, she refused to step in the snow.

http://aafke-art.com/2009/10/
This girl has a pretty picture of a side saddle horse doing air above grounds type stuff.

http://www.raynadisabledrider.co.uk/pix/Queen%20Marguerite%20of%20Spain.jpg
I saw the picture, good lord that must of have been hot to ride in! All that fabric, pretty tho.

Anna Mitchell
My mare's name is Revs Go Go Dancer, or Lilly at the barn.

19. Anna Larson

Attached are two photos of me and a few memebers of the B-Troop 4th Ceremonial Cavalry unit from Ft. Huachuca, Az. We were all preparing for a ride in the Super Bowl Parade in Phoeniz Az in 1997 I think. At the time I was the first woman allowed to ride with the B-troop Ladies Axuillary since 1977.
Anna Larson
New Mexico

18. Joy Hohenshelt

My name is Joy I have had a sidesaddle and ridden on and off for the past 10 years or so. I have never shown sidesaddle but plan on doing some in the future. My sidesaddle horse is Lucky a 20 year old paint gelding I have had since he was 6. This picture is of me and Lucky jumping at a sidesaddle clinis in GA a few months back.

17. Jennifer

My name is Jennifer and I have been riding for as long as I can remember. My horse's name is Neptune and he is an 8 year old, 16.1h TB/Connemara pony cross who I have had since he was 1 1/2. We compete in hunters local level hunter/jumper shows with the goal to move to jumpers exclusively in the next couple of years. I do not ride aside yet because I haven't had any luck finding any instructors in my area. If anyone knows of an instructor in western Oregon (Portland Metro)...?

16. Diana Kocunik

I have been riding sidesaddle for 2 years now. I love it! Quest my Shire cross has been a great for parades. I currently own 2 sidesaddles and hope to show dressage and jumping aside one day.
The pictures are of Quest and I in 2 different parades

15. Jenny Jespersen

My name is Jenny and I have been riding for over 25 years. Currently, I do not own my own horse but I am lucky enough to be able to ride my former trainer's Morgans as well as my mom's QH mare Lady on a regular basis. I still attend some small shows even and can't wait to have my own horse again, soon.

14. Paula

I am Paula, I started riding aside when I was 15 years old. I had an instructor that used to show aside. Our farm was hosting a recognized show with a sidesaddle division. At the time 6 riders were needed for points to count, and there were only 5 ladies who sent in their entries. This stable had quite a few aside riders, but for some reason only 5 sent their entries. My instructor asked if I wanted to ride aside. I said YES! she gave me 3 lessons before the show, I borrowed a saddle, a habit, and went in the ladies class. I got reserve champion behind her. I was hooked! my parents bought me a sidesaddle for Christmas, and from there I continued riding, and learning.
This is Bandito, the horse I learned on.

13. Natalie Herman

I am a barefoot hoofcare provider and have been riding horses for 20 yrs almost and was even born in the 'Year of the Horse'...so I think it is not just a passing phase (which my parents were always convinced it would be!). I learned riding english while living in Germany, and had a short stint as a teen, during which I wanted to be a Cowgirl and rode and "lived" western, LOL. I am an avid trail rider at heart (though I still love dressage and wish I had easy arena access) and am now totally obsessed with endurance riding. I reallllllyyy want to get a good side saddle (but endurance sucks up all my disposable funds right now) and think it would be totally awesome to be the "first" (at least that I have heard of) to ride a 50mile endurance ride aside. I am currently conditioning and getting ready to campaign my Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse stallion, Firestorm, (follow us on www.stallionadventures.blogspot.com) and he'd be perfect (due to his great nature and smooth gaits) for that wild fantasy... Here is a "sidesaddle" picture of us...it was this year's Holiday Card and I got on him bareback aside for the shots :) I also have 3 other horses and take care of and ride a fourth.

12. Rachael Beardsley

I'm Rachael and, wow, this month's contest is right up my alley! Not because I'm a super photogenic rider-I'm a complete noob with no photos to show for myself-but because I love drawing, especially sidesaddle riders. I didn't so much as find the picture I'm sending, but drew it for an online game called Horse-Art RPG, on deviantART.

HA-RPG is a lot like the other horse sims out there, but we get the added benefit of improving our drawing skills, too! The link shows one of my horses (a palomino Morgan) showing off her moves at a show run by another game member.

http://saffron-gryphon.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2a07if

It's not quite as nice as having my own fuzzbutt to ride, but it is a great way to meet people and learn a little bit in the process.

11. Laura Maynard

I've been riding 17 years with only a few months of break when I first started college. In that time I've ridden Hunters, Eventers, Dressage, Foxhunters, Steeplechasers, and even driven Unicorn and Four-in-Hand. My current horse is a 2003 15.3hh solid bay Selle Francais mare who loves to jump and always tries hard to do her best. Your blog has inspired me to find a way to ride aside and I think I have a good lead to try it out! My goal is to eventually show in a Ladies Aside class on both the flat and over fences. Once I get home tonight I'll dig up a couple photos although my profile picture is from our show in November.

10. Valerie Thelander

I dont have any photos of me riding :( I do however have a self portrait of me and my favorite mare. We normally just call her the Filly or Little Robin. But her registered name is Almost a Dancer. She is a bay with Dun points (dorsal stripe, tiger striping) Paso Fino mare.
I have been riding for 14 + years. I have done a little of dressage, jumping, western, barrel racing, trail, "practical" horsemanship. I have never actually tried riding aside (except for trying in a regular saddle being a dufus and almost falling off hehehe) due to the fact that I doubt I have the balance for it.

9. Jeni Questa

My name is Jeni - from SuperSizeMyCob.blobspot.com. I have literally been
riding horses since I could sit up and hold on. My grandma has pictures of
me sitting in front of my mom in the saddle when I was about 2 yrs old.

My grampa gave me a pony when I was 7. Brownie was the meanest, most
stubborn, plow broke pony ever. Grampa said "When you can make this pony
walk, trot and gallop when you want, you can have a horse"

Took me half a summer but... I did it. Grampa true to his word bought me a
Morgan/QH mare to show in 4-h and a 2 year old Arabian mare to train as my
own.

Now I have Rosie and Bonnie. Rosie is a Percheron/Belgian cross, and Bonnie
is a breeding stock paint. As opposite as can be, but I love them both. I
ride them both Dressage and Western. Bonnie has been doing some eventing
too.

Attached is a picture of this past winter after a Dressage lesson on Rosie.