Duane Rose and his wife Judy Keefe live on 40 acres near Barneveld, Wisconsin. They have the two horses and four dogs. Duane works at the VA Hospital in Madison, Wi. When I spoke to him he informed me that he had gotten stuck coming home from work at midnight and spent 45 minutes digging out. I was impressed that he was willing to talk to me after such an ordeal! It turns out that his drive reaches across two 40 acre parcels, so he was looking forward to some major snow plowing!

Beauty and Blaze are full brother and sister with a year difference in age. One is 8 (Beauty?) and the other 9. Although Duane has had horses for about 15 years he obtained these from an Amish farmer just 3 years ago. He mentioned that his first horse had kind of spoiled him in that it was one of those relatively unflappable, very trusting types that he had from the age of 2. This pair has proven to be more of a challenge in gaining their trust.

Duane’s introduction to distance driving was at our April Clinic last year. In his enthusiasm he signed on for 12 miles, but discovered that the varied terrain and especially the sand were too stressful for his team and he pulled after 6. This experience might have soured some, but it simply whetted Duane’s appetite for the sport!

In July he returned to participate in our Fun Day and completed the 6 miles, gaining a 1^st place in the pairs.

In his own words "It’s a blast!"

Duane attended the Dairyland Driving Club annual meeting in January and presented his very enthusiastic view of distance driving. Neither of us can recall the exact words but among the points expressed were:

Distance driving is a relatively inexpensive sport where money cannot buy success. It is not a ‘spit & polish’ activity, but it does stress safety for both the horse and driver. (Duane actually wears a ‘flack’ jacket for added safety, "you never know when the unexpected will happen and this is just an added measure of security … after all we are dealing with living creatures that have a mind of their own.") It’s just plain FUN, driving new trails, where you just don’t know what lies around the next bend. One of the things that Duane stressed was how distance driving both allows and forces you to learn more about your horse. It’s not simply handling the reins, but learning when to push and when to back off. Working with the horses’ mind to finish in the time window while having your horse capable of meeting the requirements for pulse, respiration and overall condition. The vet checks are a valuable learning experience.

Unfortunately, Judy is allergic to horses! Duane’s biggest problem in participating with a pair is finding the necessary groom to work with him. Anyone who is willing and/or able to assist should get in contact with Duane. His enthusiasm is contagious!