Learning the Ropes of Miniature Horse Jumping: The Last Word

The Crawford County Fair has been over for almost a week. However, great memories of the fair live on for many people. That includes me. News reporters always have fun at the Crawford County Fair. We've been invited over the years to try our hand at milking cows or participating in an eating contest. I was invited to try something a little different this year.

I was invited to try my hand at miniature horse jumping. I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into. I needed to do some research. So, I watched the participants in the actual mini horse jumping competition at the fair. It seems easy. You don’t ride the horse. You just have to lead the horse over some hurdles by holding its reins.

I sought out Taylor Creacraft, 16, a longtime competitor in the Mini Horse Jumping event.  I asked her what might go wrong with horses as they are asked to jump over a hurdle. 

“Things that could go wrong is they could not willingly go through it and they would refuse. And that's pretty much that,” she said. “They're minis. They have a mind of their own."

The W.C. Fields quote about working with children and animals immediately popped into my head.  Anyway, I needed more advice. I talked with a judge, Julie Hobson, about what she is looking for during the competition.

"Just a clean run so that they go through the pattern correctly,” she said. “Do not knock down any of the jumps so that they don't have to make an extra circle. If they do there's certain point deductions for each thing."

Taylor, my teenaged mentor, just won two ribbons in the competition. Now it's my turn on the course.  I'll be with one of Taylor's horses named Taco Bell.  I ask Taylor for any final advice.

"Try to stay on two feet,” she said. “Don't fall. And try to get some momentum behind it. Try to get running a little bit."

We took off.  Taco Bell cleared the first three hurdles with ease. Then came a dreaded refusal. It was my fault. I didn’t lead Taco Bell on a straight line to the hurdle. There was also human error on the fifth hurdle. My microphone cord fell off just before the jump. That ruined Taco Bell’s momentum. One last hurdle. One more chance at a perfect jump. We did it!!!  It was another wonderful memory at the Crawford County Fair.

The Light Horse and Pony Committee at the Crawford County Fair hosted 100 classes of competition during the fair. The committee is currently raising money for new portable stalls at the fairgrounds. A gun raffle will be held September 28 at the Horse Show Building to help raise money for that project.