Grandpa Leigh was a Real Cowboy

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Grandpa Leigh was a Real Cowboy

JOURNAL: (sorry its a long one if you choose to read it) Grandpa Leigh was a true horseman - taking part in racing and rodeo competitions (bareback and bronco riding), guiding tours to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, teaching children riding, and breeding Appaloosas on his ranch. He participated in a re-enactment of a pony express run from Salt Lake City to Richfield, Utah. He took 2nd place on his 16 year old blue roan mare, Velda. The men rode 250 miles in 36 hours for an average speed of five miles per hour. Grandpa joked that he should have paid more attention, not realizing that it was a competition at the time. He had an honorary life membership in The Utah Appaloosa Club as well as a life membership with The Iron Rangers, a trail riding organization of Utah and a member of The National Appaloosa Club. Grandpa was friends with such legendary greats as Butch Cassidy (whose real name was Robert Leroy Parker) and original cowboy and movie star, Tom Mix, who was known for quick action and dare devil stunts. He met them in Milford at the horse races. Butch took a liking to Grandpa and when he was in Cedar they would spend time together at Butch's winter camp in St. George gorge. Grandpa Leigh can trace more than a century of Appaloosa ownership back to the first Appaloosa in his family to 1847 when his grandfather who was heading west to the gold strike region began the family trend by trading a mule for an Indian-owned blue roan Appaloosa that caught his eye. Leigh family reflects the adventures of hardy folk. Grandpa's mother, my great grandmother, was born in a wagon box with a foot of snow on the ground and lived to see 91 years. The one thing I remember most about my grandfather was his love for his Appaloosas, which is where I got my love for horses so much so that as a child I longed to be a jockey, but realized that dream would never happen when at the age of 11 or so I was already reaching 5 feet tall. I always looked forward to visiting him, knowing that the visit wouldn't be complete without having a ride on his horse. I loved watching his kind and gentle nature towards these magnificent creatures. PRODUCTS: Bazzill Cardstock, Cowboy Patterned Paper & Stickers-Karen Foster Designs, Legacy embellishment-Sonnets Poem Stone, other background items were scanned & printed on cardstock. Thanks for looking!