Here's a headline I'm pretty sure you won't see every day.......

[marmar]

Horse herpes outbreak forces rodeo queens to ride stick ponies

May 26th, 2011 @ 9:53pm
By ksl.com


FARMINGTON -- While the state has yet to officially cancel any events involving horses that might have been exposed to a local recent equine herpes outbreak, owners and arenas are taking precautions.

Because of the outbreak, contestants at the Davis County Sheriff's Mounted Posse Junior Queen Contest had to cowgirl up Thursday night without their mares.

Instead of competing on horses, as is typically the case, contestants were asked to trot around the arena with stick horses as their show ponies.

"It's kind of weird, but you can't really help that the disease is going around," said former queen Savanna Steed. She said the stick horses will test the riders' knowledge of whether they know the routine, rather than letting the horse do all the work. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=15716018&autostart=y