While the rest of us non-horse types were quietly going about our business this past Saturday night, 21-year-old Melissa Silpe, of Parrish, was busy deftly maneuvering her American Paint horse around a series of barrels at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse Open Show.
It’s a race with riders competing for the best times in their age divisions, which range from pee-wee to senior. Experienced riders can usually clock in around 16 seconds or better, but Silpe took 17.6 seconds. “It was a little deep out there,” she says with a chuckle, referring to the weighty sand that fills the arena.
Silpe, a Manatee County native and Palmetto High graduate who now works at Triple L Equine in Palmetto, has been riding since she was 11 and owes her love of horses to her grandfather, Aubrey Suggs, who passed away a couple of years back. The memory of grandpa Aubrey is not lost on Melissa, who has “papa” tattooed on her left shoulder and still rides the same blue-eyed horse, Ghost, whom Aubrey lovingly referred to as, “the horse with glass eyes.”
It happens on the second Saturday of every month, just as the sun starts to sink in the western sky, and is likely one of the best-kept secrets around for alcohol-free family entertainment. After all, what kid doesn’t love a horse? And it’s free! For less than five bucks, you can nab a burger and a hot dog with money left over, and there’s lease to wander around and check out the horses and meet the riders, who come from all walks of life.
Oh, and if you’re a city dweller and don’t happen to have a horse, you can bring your dog, but just don’t try to throw a saddle on your pooch to blend in ... people might think you’re weird.
Email Story
Printer Friendly 
Quick Job Search
@Nyx.replyAnswerText@