365 Day Project | Day 47 | Ocala Photographer
Saturday was the annual Rotary Discovery Fest Cracker Cattle Drive and Cowboy Round Up here in Ocala. It’s a fun event where the day starts with about a dozen cowboys driving 20 cattle from one end of town to the other. The cowboys and cattle land at Tuscawilla Park where they have all sorts of activities to occupy your day. I tried talking my boys into going in the morning, but they wouldn’t have it? I ended up going later in the afternoon to see what it was all about. I watched a perfectly campy Wild West Show, listened to some live country music and witnessed a crowd cheering on a cow to poop on their square. Yup, they had a grid mapped out on the ground of a square pen and a coordinating grid on paper where patrons could purchase one or a few for a couple of dollars each. If the cow pooped on your square, you won! Talk about pressure!
This pretty cracker horse was standing with his buddy as we all showed some love with a pat or two. Doesn’t he look so grateful for the touch? And that’s a pretty hand, right? Not mine, that’s for sure. I would like to have had the horse’s whole head in the frame, but none that I captured had the emotion of this one. I have to admit that horses frighten me a little. They’re so powerful and strong. I suppose when you don’t spend time around them it’s hard to read into their behavior. I think they’re absolutely gorgeous though and I wouldn’t mind finding some to take more photos of one day.
