Muscular Arabian Bronze Horse Statue

WestWorld of Scottsdale is where the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is held.  Also, the Parada Del Sol Rodeo and annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction are held at this equestrian center and convention complex.  

The magnificent bronze horse statue greets you at the entrance to the complex.  These horses are life-size and show splendid movement and speed.   I unfortunately could not determine the identity of the artist who created these excellent bronze horse statues. 

The second photo shows the entrance area and the WestWorld signage, along with cactus and blue sky. This statue is right next to a major freeway and busy road so it is not that easy to get photos while dodging cars.

Arabian Horses, Suits and the Arena

The 54th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show had over 300 events and lasted 11 days.  There were over 2,300 horses competing in the events, and about 250,000 people attended.

I watched this particular event and called it "Arabian Horse and Suits."  That is not the real name though. The real name of this event is called Arabian Breeding/Halter two-year-old Fillies.
As you can see in the first photo, the horses are young, spirited, and spooked. Before these horses ran into the arena with their trainer who wore a suit, the horse waited outside the arena.

Next, there are two guys who have big plastic garbage bags blown up with air and they start waving them at the young horse and hitting the bag loudly to spook the horse. The idea is that the horse will look more alive with fury in its eyes as it enters the arena if it is spooked.

Look at the gorgeous color of the mane on the horse in the second photo. This horse mane could be an ad for shampoo.

You can see in the third photo, a trainer wearing a suit showing off the horse and having the horse be judged by many. This event allows people to get a good look at new horses and decide whether to buy them. A big part of the Arabian Horse shows is selling stud fees, which generally range from $4,000 to $30,000.

The last photo shows the Wendell Arena at WestWorld. You can see how the horses are brought into the arena for this event and they walk or trot around the arena so people attending can look at the horse and evaluate it. This is the world's largest Arabian horse show and people drive and fly in from all over and they bring their horses by planes, trains, and automobiles.

Tomorrow I will show the magnificent bronze Arabian horse statues at the entrance to WestWorld, then I am moving on to blue skies, cactus, more Chihuly Glass art, and a photo series on Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West. The Arabian Horse photo series will ride off into the desert sunset. I hope you have enjoyed the photos of this world-class event.

Power and Fury

One of the things I loved about the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show was the power exhibited by the horses. The horses have so much energy and cannot hold still.  They long to run and cannot wait to get in the practice arena to run around as fast as they can before competitions.

These horses are majestic to watch. Their eyes project that untamed wild look.  Arabian horses clearly are majestic, strong, and full of power and spirit. 

Elegant Arabian Costume and Horse

The passion of the entire Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show can be felt in the Equidome at Westworld when the Arabian Mounted Native Costume event occurs.  

Just look at the elegance of this horse and rider.  The connection between the rider and horse is present, the beauty of the colors and costume with veil are excellent, and the white horse with the flowing white mane is stunning.  This horse could hardly hold still.  

Click here to learn more about the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

Native Arabian Red, Black and Gold Costume

Here is a close-up of the magnificent native Arabian costumes worn during this competition at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse show at Westworld.

This particular horse and rider won the Arabian Mounted Native costume competition. They were the most spirited pair in the arena. They never stopped galloping, just like they would have been doing across the sands in Arabia, which is the point of this particular competition.

Native Arabic Costume and Arabian Horse

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show at Westworld has a competition called the Arabian Mounted Native Costume.  When this event was founded 54 years ago, the event started with competitions of native Arabic costumes and Arabian horses.

This particular competition was a highlight.  The Arabian horses were spirited and energetic, there was hooting and hollering from the riders, the costumes were stunning, and the entire scene changed dramatically when these riders entered the Equidome.  

It was truly spectacular to see this particular competition.  I will show you  a few more photos of native costumes and Arabian horses in the days to come as they were very different, exciting and unique.

Thank you to Pak from Chorzow, Poland for the Kreativ Blogger award as it is fun and much appreciated recognition for my Scottsdale Daily Photo Web site. I am enjoying taking photos and sharing them with others and meeting so many interesting people around the world who share a love of photography and travel. Pak's website has great photos of winter and shows life in a place very different from the desert in Scottsdale. Click here to see Chorzow Daily Photo

The White Mystical Arabian Horse

This white horse with its long flowing white mane looks magical.  It looks like to came right out of a storybook.  

This horse is competing in the Arabian Hunter Pleasure Championship at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show at Westworld.  This horse did not win, but it was pretty to look at as it reminded me of a unicorn.

I have tickets to see the Cavalia show at the end of this week and I am very excited to see it.  The show was created by the cofounder of Cirque du Soleil whose name is Normand Latourelle, and is set up in very large white circus tents.  I imagine it will have many of these white mystical Arabian horses with acrobatics and spectacular visual effects.  I will hopefully be able to post photos from Cavalia next week.    

The Winner is . . .

Look at the horse and rider who won the Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian Western Pleasure Championship.   The rider is very excited after receiving her ribbon. 

Notice the Championship belt buckle that she is wearing in the photo.  She has been in the winner's circle before.  You can also see the details of her fancy Western wear and the happy expression in her face.

 

The second photo shows the beautiful lines and golden-brown coloring of another magnificent horse. Look at the reddish-brown color of the mane, the alert eyes, and the muscular structure and lines of this horse.

The rider and horse had to execute various skills throughout the competition. The judges walked around the middle of the arena at the Equidome and made their notes and observations.

The third photo shows the winner's circle where ribbons were presented. You can see the pride of the owners of the horse and the smile of the rider. Ribbons for everyone! The horse, the rider, and the owners.

Arabian Hunter Pleasure Championship

Look at this beautiful Arabian Horse. The horse and rider are competing in the Arabian Hunter Pleasure Championship at the 2009 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show at Westworld.

Notice the delicately braided horse mane and the wonderful coloring. The horse exudes a regal look.

Also, this horse has the Nike "Just Do It" swoosh as the light in its eyes when you blow up the photo.  

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

Welcome to the 2009 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show at Westworld. This photo is taken at the Equidome during the competition of the Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian Western Pleasure Championship.  

The horses are magnificent.  They are quite spirited, sleek, and muscular. The fancy Western costume wear was brilliant and dazzling to the eye.  

Over the next few days I will share some of the photos from this event, which had quite a diversity of different types of competitions, including a native costume event, and by Native, I mean Arabian.  The Arabian Horse Show runs through February 22.

The Judge and Hoop Dancers

Well, this is the last in the series for the 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Dancers at the Heard Museum. 

I hope you have enjoyed the energy, creativity, colors, and culture of the Native American Hoop Festival.   Tomorrow,  I am moving on to a photo series on Scottsdale's Arabian Horse Show held last weekend at Westworld.  

As you can see from the first photo, this young dancer is concentrating and practicing for his competition.  It is great to see young people have goals, skills, and determination to participate in this traditional event.

The second photo reflects the complexity of the manipulation of the hoops around the dancer's body to create the image of an eagle or other type of animal.  You can see the number of hoops this dancer is using for this one image.  Dancers create numerous images for the judges and audience to experience.   

        
Now, let's talk about the judges in these competitions.

Just look at the third photo and you can clearly see who the judge is. Look at his stern, intent character. The judge in this photo clearly stands out in any crowd as a strong person.  You can also see him sitting at the edge of the second photo.

Tension Mounts for Hoop Dancer

You can feel the tension from this competitor as she prepares to compete in the ring at the 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance at the Heard Museum.  She is even biting her lip in anticipation.

This close-up provides details of the type of make-up, the style of jewelry and hair accessories, the hair style with tight, perfect braids, the brightly colored dance costume, and hoops.   

She unfortunately did not win.  Most of the dancers were experienced competitors and have practiced long and hard to reach this moment to compete. Some also have a lot of fun competing though.  

Often times I try to go to the back where the dancers are talking, practicing, and trying to relax before the competition.  I sometimes find I can get photos that show the character and personality of the person.

The second photo provides more detail regarding the costume and includes the highly stylized native belt.

Hoop Dance Festival

The 19th Annual Heard Museum World Championship Hoop Dance Contest at the Heard Museum was overflowing with people, culture, and energy from the contestants who have worked so hard to be at this major event. Contestants must have poise, athleticism, agility, extreme coordination, rhythm, and be excellent dancers. 

In the first photo, I was able to capture a relaxed moment of this handsome dancer who has a captivating smile. He just has that look. His jewelry, native designs and symbols, long dark braids, overall contentment, and in-control demeanor really stood out.

The second photo shows hoops stacked against a tree. The dancers use many hoops in their dances, from 1 to 50 hoops. Contestants use the hoops to create images of being a butterfly, riding a horse, and they make boxes and images of the world out of these magical hoops-- all while dancing to the drums and chants.

Contestants also have vibrant costumes with native bling. These were not the outfits I used to see at Indian Festivals when I was growing up in rural Arizona.

The outfits today are captivating and really complement the hoop dances being performed at the festival. Hoop dancing has truly evolved and it is great to see so many young men and women competing.

If you want to see some excellent modern interpretations of native fashion, check out Virgil Ortiz, who is a truly creative native designer from Cochiti Pueblo. click here for a video of Virgil Ortiz's fusion of native and modern fashions at last year's Scottsdale Fashion Week
I was able to attend Scottsdale Fashion Week at the Waterfront last year and actually saw Virgil Ortiz's debut of native fashion and it was awesome. I especially liked the native violinist model who you can see in the video. Ortiz's use of feathers, blindfolds, and masks on his models is a very unique way to highlight his designs. The men's jean designs were very cool. Dancing and fashion ties right into the Hoop Dancers.

The third photo shows one of the dancers performing for the audience and judges. You can see one of the poses made during a hoop dance. Next year I will have to try to make a video and upload it onto my website so you can really feel and see a hoop dance.

Colorful Arizona Sunset

An Arizona sunset taken from my kitchen window looking west towards Camelback Mountain.   The color was magnificent and I liked the profile of my palm tree, mesquite tree, and Camelback Mountain.  The clouds were feathery and it looked like a watercolor.  The two lines in the photo are actually the trunks of the  very tall palm trees.  Palm trees grow to heights of 40 to 50 feet. 

Many of the Arizona daily photo site websites are joining in a monthly theme day on the 15th of each month. Today's theme is sunsets.   Please visit the other Arizona participants.

Happy Valentine's Day from Chihuly

The Chihuly art installation called "Tiger Lillies" at the Desert Botanical Gardens provided this intimate, romantic shot in front of a Saguaro cactus that seems to say Happy Valentine's to you and yours.  

Here are some factoids about Arizona and Valentine's Day.  Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912.  Arizona was a territory for 49 years before being admitted into the Union as the 48th state.  Arizona was the last state in the contiguous United States to be admitted.  

Waiting to Compete

Here is a dancer holding his hoops and waiting to compete in the Heard Museum's 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Contest.   The photo below shows him competing.

The competition involves athleticism, agility, speed, creativity, and lots of practice to use the hoops and dance in a large dirt circle arena with hundreds of people sitting around watching the performances.  

The competition is divided into Tiny Tots, Youth, Teen, Adult, and Senior.  Contestants dance with hoops (1 to 50), and they create various images from riding a horse to being a butterfly. The hoop or circle is symbolic to Native people and represents the Circle of Life.  

The drummers and singers are excellent. The adult dancers perform for seven minutes and never stop moving or manipulating the hoops. Dancers come from all over the United States and Canada.

The photo below shows one of the Duncan brothers (Tony Duncan?) Arizona in action. You can see him off the ground with three hoops displayed behind his back while dancing to the rhythms of the drums and the chanting of the elders.

Hip Hoop Dancer

The Heard Museum's 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest was held this past weekend.  As you can see in this photo, the contestants are athletic, determined, and just plain cool.  Too cool to photograph really as I had to quickly take this photo as he got off the phone and had very limited time before he disappeared into the crowd.  

The costumes are vibrant, and if you look closely, this dancer is holding a Pittsburgh Steelers cord in his right hand so he is definitely a football fan.  Don't you just love those shaggy moccasin boots?  Gorgeous! And moccasins are so comfortable to wear. 

I love the sound of rattles that are sewn on some Native American clothing and used in other items.  The types of rattles worn by dancers consist of goat hoofs, silver bells, and more.  I have several varieties of these rattles in my house and find the sound very calming and familiar having grown up hearing these rattles at many Indian pow wows, rodeos, and Native American festivals.

I will show a few photos of this special Native American event over the next few days and include information about the event and activities.  

Chiostro di Sant Apollonia Chandelier

My infatuation with Chihuly: the Nature of Glass continues.  This art exhibition at the Desert Botanical Gardens is fabulous day or night, and different day and night.  

This photo is of Chihuly's Chiostro di Sant Apollonia Chandelier.  It looks so beautiful, feathery, and fragile.  It is located in one of the cactus garden houses, where Chihuly installed several glass chandeliers.  This one is the most elegant. 

I hope you find that these Chihuly photos are like a bouquet of flowers that help you start your day right.  I will continue to drop in this type of eye candy over time.    

Barrel Cactus with Sunlight

As you can see in the photo, the sun at the end of the day filtering through the cactus spines creates a golden glow above the green flesh and ribs of the cactus.  The shapes and sizes are pleasing to the eye.  

Golden barrel cactus are one of my favorite types of cacti.  I continue to plant many in my own yard, and currently have 20 of them.

Barrel cactus actually do better with some filtering or shade from the sun. When walking through the desert, you will often find them growing under trees or bushes.  Cacti have a very shallow root system so they are easy to dig up and replant.  

Because it is easy to dig up their shallow roots, we have a problem with poachers or cactus rustlers, who steal cacti from our desert and people's yards, usually to sell and plant the cactus in someone's yard.  People have woken up in the morning to sadly discover that some of their beloved cactus in their front yards have been stolen.

Cactus: Up Close and Personal

You can reach out and touch it, and yes, the spines are sharp. This is a close-up of  a rib of a saguaro cactus so you can see the areole much better.  The areole is the cushion that produces spines and sometimes flowers.  In this photo, you can see the central spine coming directly out from the areole, along with radial spines protruding from the cushion. Cacti do look like they come from another planet.  

While growing up in the Arizona desert, I have been stuck by many, many cactus needles.  Sometimes the spines are long and hard; other times they are tiny, fiber-like spines. Some spines are actually called fishhook spines, and they are really shaped like fishhooks so that you do not want to pull them straight out.  Jumping cholla was the regular culprit for most of my trouble.  Sometimes when I was young, I would walk barefoot on desert paths and in my yard, so it is no wonder that I would get stuck.

The long, hard spines, like the one in the photo, are easy to find and pull out with tweezers.  The micro fiber spines, such as from the pads of prickly pears, however, are actually very hard to see and difficult to pull out of your skin. Sometimes they stay in my skin for days and are rather annoying. My methods to remove cactus spines have included tweezers, scissors, knives, and tape.  You really should wear leather gloves when moving or planting cactus.  

Spine of Barrel Cactus

This photo was taken as a close-up looking down at a large barrel cactus.  I like the texture and look of this photo.  Cacti have a central spine and a radial spine.  Cacti generally also have an areole, which produce spines and sometimes flowers.  The spines are arranged around the areole like the spokes of a wheel.  I will show you a close up of an areole tomorrow. Cacti are some of my favorite items, and I have many in my yard.  I love to photograph a variety of cactus so you will see many examples over time, from lithops or living stones to Saguaro and cholla.  

White Belugas and Cactus

There are many variations of glass art in the Chihuly: The Nature of Glass exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  This one is called White Belugas.  It was difficult to photograph and the angles directly in front of the exhibit did not give a beautiful or unique view of this installation.  I think this angle is the best perspective.  It has the shadows and light at the end of the day, it has color and texture from the wall, it has cactus, and the glass shapes take the form of art from this particular angle.  It is whimsical but also has a Southwest feel also.   I hope you enjoy it.   

The Mission's Bar

The Mission's Bar has style.  The lit candles and glass make for a hip, trendy, Spanish ambiance. My Spanish-speaking friends in Latin America would say "Tiene mas nivel," which means it has more level or it is high level or high class.

The bowl at the bar in the top photo is holding fresh lemons and limes. What a great place to have them displayed and quite functional for the bartender. The candle in the photo below with the wax dripping down creates quite a sculpture.

The Mission is a nice location in Old Town Scottsdale to have a drink at before going to a play at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, or to have dinner at after a stroll through the Scottsdale Mall after viewing the LOVE sculpture and listening to live music, or to visit for a cup of hot tea after seeing modern art exhibits at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.  All of these art venues are within very close walking distance of the Mission.   

The Mission has smooth margaritas, especially the Mission or Palmarita margarita, but it also has great tea.  I always judge a restaurant by their attention to detail, including their selection of tea and whether they offer brown sugar.  I once had tea at a restaurant called Nikki's in Vienna, Austria on Christmas Day and they served six types of sugar.  What a presentation of sugar to go with our tea.  There was white granular and brown granular sugar, white and brown sugar cubes, and white and brown sugar rock crystals.    

Most restaurants can have good ambiance, unique menu, but then they serve two types: English Breakfast tea or chamomile and that is it.  Uggh!  I prefer a choice of at least a few teas. The Mission serves "two leaves and a bud" tea  www.twoleavesandabud.com. The tea has nice flavors and is served  in a see through clear bag and uses whole, not crushed, leaves and buds.  I had Jasmine Petal, a green tea.  A good cup of tea is a very nice ending to a delicious meal.      

Crystal Crosses for Bottle Stops

The Mission restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale has a gorgeous bar with great color and glass.  On the left of the bar are these beautiful crystal cross bottle stops, right next to lemons and limes.  A nice combination of color and freshness at the bar.  

We are very lucky to live within about one mile from Old Town Scottsdale. We regularly take walks and check out different restaurants so we can try and convince ourselves we live in an urban environment, even though the Valley of the Sun is the lowest density major metropolitan area in the United States.

Old Town Scottsdale has over ninety restaurants to choose from, and for locals, we all have our favorites.  We tend to stay away from the purely tourist-oriented restaurants and instead primarily enjoy dining experiences at locally owned restaurants with great chefs.  The Mission is locally owned, has a great chef, good ambiance, and has the beginnings of becoming  a local and tourist favorite.  Now, go have a drink at that bar!

Candle and Cross

The new Mission restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale is full of crystal chandeliers, candles, and crosses. There are real burning candles both inside and out on the patio, which really makes for a nice ambience.  I captured this candle and cross on the door going from the patio inside the restaurant.

As I already wrote about our great dinner yesterday, today I will tell you what I will eat next time I go: table side guacamole (can't live without it); Almejas al vapor consisting of clams, rock shrimp, chorizo, roasted corn, pan de yucca, and aji amarillo; hearts of palm salad with swordfish bunuelos; pork shoulder, pumpkin bread pudding, and fried bananas with dulce de leche.

The Mission is a great addition to Old Town Scottsdale and is located at 3815 N. Brown Avenue. Reservations can be made by calling 480.636.5005. 

The Mission Restaurant

A new restaurant called "The Mission" just opened in Old Town Scottsdale.  It has a Southwest feel and some great architectural elements, which I will share with you over the next few days.  No, the sign is not out-of-focus; the shadow from the bright Arizona sun gives that appearance.

This is not one of Arizona's traditional Mexican food restaurants. The Mission has complex Latin food with a French influence. Some dishes have zing, which is perfect for me.  I love the variety of chilies that Chef Matt Carter works into his inventive dishes. Matt Carter was the chef at Zinc Bistro, another great location in Scottsdale.

We had the table side guacamole as I am a guacamole connoisseur.  I deem it excellent in both presentation and taste and and I am very picky. Great tortilla chips also.  The grilled meats were very flavorful and melted in our mouths.  My Mom had the Uruguayan rib eye with chimichurri sauce and a side of green chilaquiles, which consists of layered tortillas, eggs, pulled pork and red chili sauce.  I had the Chorizo Pachetta with a side of white bean puree that just rocked!  Both items were superb and unique.  

Tourists and locals will love the food and atmosphere.  There is an outdoor fireplace that you can sit and enjoy the Mission margaritas with salt (highly recommended!).  Because I am a foodie and always eat out, I hope to introduce or highlight many of our local restaurants to both tourists and locals.  

Live Music, Desert and Cactus

We are fortunate to have a lot of live music in the Scottsdale area. One of my favorite venues is to go to daytime concerts among the cacti at the Desert Botanical Gardens, or attend evening concerts under the moon and stars.  A glorious thing to do.  

Yesterday I grooved with the group, "Novo Mundo," which is Brazilian World music. click here to listen to this group. Great rhythms and good wine. Two weekends ago  I listened to "Try Me Bicycle," a folk alternative rock band.  click here to listen to this group.

The food is also delicious and included chicken crepes, veggie focaccia, roast beef and gorgonzola sandwich, butternut squash soup, berry crepes and fudge brownies, along with Prickly Pear iced tea (and yes that is made from the "tunas" on real prickly pear cactus). Fabulous Food  Fine Catering Events provided the delicious options.

When I attend the Sunday afternoon concerts, I grab a table and bring my magazines so I can read and recycle them by leaving them in public places for others to read.  I leave a lot of magazines in airplanes and airports because I cannot bear to throw them away.  Unlike others who shall remain nameless, I can identify the magazines I regularly read: The Economist, Newsweek, Architectural Digest, Sunset, Phoenix, National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, More, and Santa Barbara.  Ok, now what magazines do you read?   

The Desert Path Looks Inviting

This desert path invites you to take a stroll to enjoy the trees, sun, and cactus.  The path takes you by an arroyo.  An arroyo is the Spanish word for an intermittently dry creek.  We have many arroyos in Arizona.

Enjoy the serenity and beauty of the Desert and make sure to catch the vibrant red sunset over the mountains.  Drink lots of water for desert hikes. This path is in the Desert Botanical Gardens, a great place to visit!  

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants