Tag Archives: El Campo Ricebirds

Weekend Scoreboard

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Short post tonight-busy time of year for all, I am sure! 

First, El Campo Ricebirds went down fighting-Stephenville was a tougher, bigger team and they dominated the scoreboard.  Still what a thrill it was to be at Cowboy Stadium-reportedly some 7500 strong (that’s a major percentage of the town!).  The boys of fall got all the way to the state championship and hopefully will continue to build a strong program in the future.  I am so glad that I encouraged Lauren to go with Jo Etta and Blake.  There are things you look back on in life and remember fondly and this will be one of those for Lauren.

Jordyn came down yesterday and helped me out around the barn with the chores.  I swear she could probably walk Ally through our routine of the cleaning, watering, feeding (including which horse eats what, how much and with what supplements) if we ever needed to call on them in an emergency. 

We got rain Saturday but we let Bruno just go out, get wet and get muddy.  Being a race horse most of his life he has not gotten to be “just a horse”.  We take him to Texas A&M for surgery Tuesday so he will not be getting out and muddy again for a long time.  He absolutely raced the wind from the far back of the arena to the barn, over and over, joyously running for the pure pleasure of the romp.  Little Mimi was a hundred yards behind him and would turn when he was half way back from the run down to the barn and catch him for a few yards before he lost her again in a blaze of speed.  Oh, I wish I would have seen him run on the track!

Today, Lauren was supposed to take Feather to Dev’s for a lesson and Jordyn would get to ride her beloved Snowney Pony. But a torrential downpour nixxed that plan, right after Lauren got Feather successfully loaded in the trailer (so that was good!).

Our gift to Dev-thanks Amy!!

Our gift to Dev-thanks Amy!!

We had Amy McCaffery make Dev a rosewood mounting block to       take to the horse shows.  It turned out beautifully and we were thrilled to give it to him at his Christmas party today.  It is kind of a selfish gift as Lauren needs it at the shows and will be glad to have there in the future.  It is always nice to have a step up when mounting your horse, but if we ever get big Bruno going, it will be a necessity.

I will spare you the Jordyn went to the nursing home with me story, except to say, Lauren, Jordyn, mom and I walked the halls last night to look at the decorated doorways of the residents.  By the time we made it around, several of the residents were in tow.  Jordyn was holding the hand of Miss Lou who had yelled for us to slow down and Lauren was hearing the tale of Christmas past from Miss Bernice.  The best part (okay, I am telling you the story) was having Miss Bernice show Jo how to Texas Two Step. 

I am thankful for the nice weekend. 

 

GO Ricebirds!

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header_1384206505_Who/What are the Ricebirds?  Lauren graduated El Campo High School-home of the Ricebirds in 2010. Although our post office is Wharton, Texas, we are districted to El Campo, Texas.  When you live in the country, you spend some time on the bus getting to and from school. It is a little over 15 miles one way to El Campo.  But pride in Texas is with your high school and El Campo is our school.   At just over 11,000 in population, it is the largest city in Wharton County.

Wikipedi Defines Ricebird as follows:

Ricebird is a name for a number of different birds, especially those that feed on paddy fields or on various grains (not necessarily just rice).

I don’t know the history of the decision to name the team after the birds that fly over and live off the plentiful rice fields of our south Texas land, but I can tell you from experience these birds, while small, are persistent, stubborn and determined to get what they want.  And so I hope is our Ricebird Football team tomorrow night when they take the field at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas to play for the state title-Division I-3A championship for the first time in 45 years.  The 14-0 (yeah baby, totally undefeated) Ricebird squad will take on the Stephenville Yellow Jackets (12-1).  Stephenville has made the trip to state championship game a few times in the last several years.  The Ricebirds have not. 

This great ‘youtube’ video was put together by Molly Kresta and I think the music by Kenny Chesney and the still photos portray a poignant scene. (As an aside, if you think nothing great comes from these little rural high schools, Molly’s son, Eli, is on scholarship at Harvard University.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi_eNh3t6_8

Lauren, Blake, his mother Jo Etta and many, many other dedicated fans from our little town of El Campo will make the pilgrimage to the big lights of the Cowboy Stadium.  I am sure the players, coaches and cheerleaders, along with all the fans will be a little overwhelmed with the huge, beautiful stadium.  But once that kick-off ensues, it will be Texas high school football, just played out in a big arena.  The El Campo team boasts three 1000-yard rushers which will at least give the Stephenville team pause when trying to determine coverage.  The one thing that El Campo has successfully done in each of its game this year is to win. And if they can manage to pull that off one more time, it will fulfill a lot of small town dreams. 

I won’t be with them physically but I will be watching the night sky to the northwest and thinking of them playing under the big lights.  I know I will pause and think I can hear the roar of the crowd on the light wind that will surround my farm.  I wish them success and hope they return home triumphant!  I will keep you posted. 

GO RICEBIRDS!!