Can you believe that we’re already approaching the halfway point of 2022?! Time is certainly flying. We have had a great crew of participants this spring and each day we leave with our hearts filled. We also recently wrapped up the 3rd annual Swiftsure Derby, a virtual horserace to raise critical funds to care for our herd and for the ranch.
If you aren’t already in the know, the 31st Annual Cowboy Ball is just around the corner, mark your calendars for Thursday, July 14th and get ready to channel your best John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, or Calamity Jane. “Western Movies” is the theme, so dig deep and pull out your very best duds for an Old West evening complete with line dancing, online and silent auctions and some boot-stomping, barn-romping, true-grit times!
Finally, we’re taking a look back at some of our spring highlights as well as what we’re looking forward to in the coming months.
Spring Lessons:
Spring lessons wrapped up on May 27th and as we noted above, it was a great group of participants and we’re already looking forward to our summer sessions ramping back up at the end of the month. In the meantime, we are taking the next month to have our biannual vet checks for our herd and give our hardworking horses a little R&R.
Water Status:
If you recall, last year the Wood River Valley was in an extreme drought situation, and our water was shut off very early in June. While it was projected that 2022 was also going to be a drought year, we’ve had a pretty wet spring and hopefully, the water supply outlook will be much better than we had originally thought. Last year we invested in our waterlines to make our watering more efficient and allow us to grow more feed for our herd. The wheel lines that we’re now using are working very well, and the ranch crew has planted more drought-resistant grass seed.
May Highlights:
It was a wet month, but that didn’t slow us down! We had a great time out on the sensory trail when the weather allowed. We also closed out the 3rd annual Swiftsure Derby – the race for strength, freedom, and connection. A big thank you to all who donated and made the event a success raising $25,000.
Henry Retires:
We had a unique opportunity present itself that has allowed Henry to retire. Henry has been at the ranch for the past 10 years and we are so grateful for all he gave to us and to our participants. You can now find Henry in Eagle, Idaho, enjoying his retired life in green pastures with a new pasture mate, and extra love. He has sure earned it!
What’s on the Horizon:
We kick off our summer lessons on June 20th – no doubt that we’ll be spending the summer days on the sensory trail and enjoying the extra amounts of Vitamin D. Our all- abilities summer camps were a huge success last year and we have a waitlist this year, but if you have a kiddo interested in riding and learning more, we encourage you to join the wait list by clicking here.
The 31st Annual Cowboy Ball is quite possibly the community’s favorite fundraising event and it’s back in full swing this year. The gates will open for over 400 in-person guests and unlimited online viewers on Thursday, July 14th to celebrate those served and support their future. This year’s event will boast Old Western toasts, line dancing, online and silent auctions and much more. It’s sure to be one for the books so don’t dilly dally—be sure to get your tickets now. Head over to swiftsureranch.org/cb2022 to purchase tickets and for more information on how to watch virtually and browse auction items.
Here’s to a great summer ahead! If you have any questions about upcoming events, our programs, or the ranch, please give us a call at 208-578-9111
