Checking out the UTVs During the Halloween Horse Show at Murieta Equestrian Center

| October 27, 2009 | 1 Comment

David and Clover at the Murieta Equestrian Center

Over the last year I gave in to my family’s wishes (I was outvoted 3 to 1 and could only take the hounding for so long) and bought a horse for my daughter Katelyn. One thing led to another and soon my son got into riding as well and they both started hitting the horse show circuit around the Sacramento Valley this last year.

David has a pony now named Clover and recently showed at the Let’s Show Halloween Celebration at Murieta Equestrian Center near Sacramento California. This was a pretty big show, and David was going for championship points for the year.

Katelyn was out with a fractured toe and sitting on the sidelines during the show is driving her crazy.

Golf Cart at the Murieta Equestrian Center

David and Clover had entered several flat classes in equitation competition (walk/trot). They did great over the weekend and pulled in three seconds and a reserve champion in the costume show on Saturday night. Sunday they got a first and also got first in the walk/trot open division championship!

While at the show this weekend I took notice of how people got around. Just like at different off-road races, golf carts have been a popular “pit vehicle” with people that go to these shows for quite some time now. The different arenas can be quite a distance from the stalls so it is nice to have vehicle to carry people and gear back and forth.

Honda Big Red MUV

But since I have started going to these shows, I have started to see more and more UTVs being used. I think people are catching on to a UTVs ability to not only deliver people and supplies around at a horse show, but they are more effective tools back home working at the ranch. And then when you are done with horse shows and chores, you can hit the trails with a UTV and go exploring, hunting or camping. UTVs are truly a very versatile machine! At the show I noticed a Honda Big Red, Yamaha Rhino and a Polaris RANGER XP right in there with the rest of the golf carts.

Bobcat Toolcat 5600

Ranches and equestrian centers are also a common place for tractors since there is always arenas to be groomed, holes to be dug and dirt to be moved. The Murieta Equestrian Center has a Bobcat Toolcat 5600 in addition to some of the normal stuff you see around the stables. The Toolcat 5600 is called a utility work machine because of its versatile attachment lineup. There are more than 38 attachments available, including mowers, snow blades and blowers, augers, angle brooms, buckets, tillers and pallet forks to name a few. Not only is the selection vast, but attachments can also be mounted in the front, giving the operator excellent visibility of the work area.

With an automotive-style cab, tilt-steering wheel, air conditioning and a stereo, the Toolcat 5600 looks like a very comfortable and versatile work machine.