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• New horse re-inspires Centennial High equestrian

  New horse re-inspires Centennial High equestrian

  Every Olympic dream starts somewhere.

  For Centennial High School sophomore Sadie Lahey, those gold medal aspirations took her across the Atlantic Ocean to a country known for tulips and windmills.

  Lahey, an avid competitive rider for nearly a decade, visited Holland in November with her family to choose a new horse for competition.

• Lyle Lovett's passions extend beyond music

  Lyle Lovett's passions extend beyond music

  Lyle Lovett sounded as giddy as the character in his "If I Had a Boat" song who envisions "me upon my pony on my boat."

  The giddiness was because Lovett was talking about horses. Whether he's on his ranch outside Houston, competing in Make-A-Wish's Celebrity Slide in Oklahoma or in concert, he loves to go riding. Specifically, he's into a competitive event called reining.

  "Reining is like a Western version of dressage. It demonstrates the willingness and athletic ability that a horse needs to be able to work a cow," the Texas troubadour explained. "But it's cow-work athleticism without a cow. Reining is more of a Midwest, Pennsylvania and Ohio event because of the more limited access to cattle in those places."

• Snake River Stampede and Dayz

  Snake River Stampede and Dayz

  There's almost more cowboy fun than you can handle at Nampa's Snake River Stampede and Snake River Dayz. Although put on by different organizers, the two events have paired up for more than a decade as a 10-day community festival.

  The Stampede is growing, adding more events such as a new, three-day Rope and Run pre-rodeo event - a barrel racing and team roping competition July 16 through 18 at the Idaho Horse Park, 16200 Idaho Center Blvd., Nampa.

  Snake River Dayz also opens July 16 with the Rotary Club Round Up golf tournament at the Ridgecrest Golf Club.

• Cowboys brave storm to take titles at Caldwell Night Rodeo

  Cowboys brave storm to take titles at Caldwell Night Rodeo

  CALDWELL - The sky was black long before sundown Saturday, but 83 top competitors and a capacity crowd braved it for the championship round of the Caldwell Night Rodeo. In the end, the action was top-notch and the CNR crowned its 2010 champions. Here's how it all shook out:

  SADDLE BRONC RIDING

  The broncs stole the show as the CNR record fell not once, but twice. First, Utah cowboy Cody Wright posted a record 90 points aboard Friendly Fire. But Wright's mark didn't last long as North Dakota rider Shaun Stroh scored 91 points on Lynx Mountain. Stroh won the title by a point over Wright with a two-horse score of 174. "I'll tell you, I watched Cody go out there and just make an outstanding bronc ride," said Stroh, who also won the CNR in 2004. "That set the bar high, but I knew I had a great horse, so I just went out there and tried to stay on."

• Idaho Stampede rodeo: Defending champ pulls triple duty

  Idaho Stampede rodeo: Defending champ pulls triple duty

  NAMPA - Trell Etbauer wrestled his steer in 5.6 seconds Wednesday and tipped his hat as the Idaho Center crowd cheered its approval. Etbauer then trotted out of the arena and joined his fellow steer wrestlers, most of whom were done competing for the night.

  Not Etbauer. The 25-year-old Oklahoma cowboy still had two events to come at the Snake River Stampede, where he is the defending all-around champion. Etbauer went on to get bucked by Painted Dynamite in the saddle bronc competition, but he bounced back with an 8.1-second time in tie-down roping, putting him in fifth place in the event and capping another busy night on the rodeo circuit.

  "There are times when it gets tiring," Etbauer said. "But it works to my advantage because I always have three chances to win. One week I'll be riding broncs good, then the next week I'm terrible in bronc riding, but my bulldogging or calf roping picks up."

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