05/24/06 Horse Bandstand

Horse Bandstand Horses can have some unique uses. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute to tell you about one. Horses are so versatile and we utilize that versatility for all kinds of work and play. But horses graciously lend themselves to other more unique endeavors such as providing therapy for handicapped persons and providing a steadying influence for troubled young people. Now Bryne Donaldson has come up with the idea to use his horse as a bandstand. As a youth, Bryne had always played the saxophone and had always rode horses so it was only natural to finally combine two of the favorite things in his life. When I think of musical instruments and horses, the first image I have is of a bugle player in the cavalry. In a picture of Bryne sitting on his horse, the saxophone he is holding somehow looks out of place. Apparently, Bryne's ten-year-old horse thought it was out of place and unnatural also since it took Bryne about six weeks to be able to perform songs from the back of his four-footed stage. Bryne starts colts for the track at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona and he had to use those teaching skills to keep his horse from running into the next state when he first showed him the saxophone. But Bryne persevered and now he plays the "Star Spangled Banner" and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" horseback to open rodeos and horse race meets. You know, I'd like to see that unique performance and hear Bryne's rendition of our national anthem. I'm Jeff Keane. America's Horse November-December 2005