Fair ponies
The Ride
I was six years old, my brother was ten
One July day came running in,
seen a ferris wheel at the edge of town
So, of course, we headed on down
Well it took us an hour to walk that far
Carrying our fortune in a Mason jar
It was all pretty sad, a cheap county fair
With a few old rides but there was ponies there
Well, the ponies stunk and the air was still
In that dusty circle behind the ferris wheel
This old guy smelling of smoke and rum
Swung me up and sat me down on one
Well I’d never rode a horse but I’d seen it done
Cowboy movies made it look like fun
This old man whispered a few soft words
It was the best advice I’ve ever heard
He said “Sit tall in the saddle, Hold your head up high
Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky
And live like you ain’t afraid to die
And don’t be scared, just enjoy your ride”
I went up a kid with shaking hands
And I came down a full grown man
It was like he’d cast some Voodoo spell
Things were different for me now, I could tell
‘Cos whenever troubles come wandering in
His rhyme would pop in my head again
And somehow I rode through the needles and nails
Brambles and thorns that life entails
“Sit tall in the saddle, Hold your head up high
Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky
And live like you ain’t afraid to die
And don’t be scared, just enjoy your ride”
Well I know some day farther down the road
I’ll come to the edge of the great unknown
There’ll stand a black horse riderless
And I wonder if I’m ready for this
So I’ll saddle him up and he’ll switch his tail
And I’ll tip my hat and bid fairwell
And lift my song into the air
That I learned at that dusty fair
“Sit tall in the saddle, Hold your head up high
Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky
And live like you ain’t afraid to die
And don’t be scared, just enjoy your ride
Written by: Sony Tillis and Sam Weedman
Sung by: Chris LeDoux
Top photo:
Canon EOS 7D
Date: 8/21/10
Time: 2:28 PM.
Shutter: 1/400
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure: Av
ISO: 125
Focal length: 123mm
Bottom Photo:
Canon EOS 7D
Date: 8/21/10
Time: 2:25 PM.
Shutter: 1/800
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure: Av
ISO: 125
Focal length: 70mm
CurTales 
aww…now to me those fair ponies always looked soooo very tired, but they are so wonderfully tolerant and the kids expressions make up for it!!! I remember the first time we took our kids to see your horses…they were sooo excited!!
August 27, 2010 at 7:38 AM
As a kid our barn ran pony rides at the local church fair using ponies and well mannered small horses donated by the man who owned the barn where my horse was boarded. It was always a fun time, and we got paid with free fair food. Mmmmm, I sit love the smell of fried dough in the Fall!
August 27, 2010 at 8:16 AM
When I was a young I pestered my parents silly to let me ride the fair ponies. I didn’t see tired, aged, or worn-out nags, I saw beautiful, humble friends. Around and around and around I’d go, retuning so many times that the carnie handler usually gave up and let me ride for free.
I don’t know what it was about those ponies that drew me to them, and continue to draw me now. Most of the ponies accept their work with little fuss, but after I read Black Beauty I struggled to believe that any pony in it’s right mind would want to trudge hour after hour, around and around in a tiny circle. Still, it seems like some ponies don’t mind providing that first ride … or the fiftieth. Which is good, because I’m pretty sure there are plenty of cowgirls and cowboys who got their very first ride atop a lowly, but noble fair pony.
If you have the time to read up about Chris LeDoux (Google) or listen to this song, please don’t pass it by. A few years ago Aldo and I were on our way somewhere and he put this CD on. When this song started playing it grabbed me right away, but after the second verse I was starting to tear up. I tried to hide it, but by the end of the song I was almost sobbing. When I looked over, there was a small tear running down Aldo’s cheek.
August 27, 2010 at 9:09 AM