Get some of that good ol’ California Gold Fever! First stop on our Tour Day will be the Kennedy Mine in Jackson, California. Famous for being one of the deepest gold mines in the world at 5,912 feet, the Kennedy demonstrates how gold changed an entire way of life in California.

From there, we will proceed just a little further up the hill to Ironstone Vineyards. A state-of-the-art wine production facility, built in the style of a 19-century gold stamp mill, the facility and grounds alike are peppered throughout with antiques and artifacts from days gone by, including the artfully restored Alhambra Theatre Pipe Organ. (We’ll see if we can convince them to "fire it up" while we are enjoying our lunch produced out of the Culinary Exhibition Center). Also on the grounds are wine aging caverns, spectacular lakeside gardens, The Heritage Museum and Jewelry Shoppe in which is housed (and carefully guarded) the rare, one-of-a-kind 44-pound crystalline gold leaf nugget, the largest in the world! Owners John & Gail Kautz are life-long horse folks, and even keep a pair of Belgians working around the place!

We’ll make a short stop on our way back into Sacramento to meet our keynote speaker, Jerry Tindell, who will spend a little while getting us all geared up for his presentation on Friday morning.

Now … down to business! Some of our speakers will be:

Jerry Tindell, whose School for Horses & Mules (and Humans) specializes in helping horsemen become more effective, safe, and confident through teaching softness and control. Jerry developed, and for many years, headed up the Los Angeles Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit, among many other accomplishments in his lifetime with horses.

Chris Hawthorne, Sergeant with the California Highway Patrol, will share the benefit of his years in the Commercial Enforcement Section in teaching us trailer and tow vehicle safety, and other related topics.

Michael Muir, great-grandson of Naturalist John Muir, will be with us to share his life with horses and how, even 40 years after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he credits his continuing to stay active with his horses for keeping him strong. In 2001, he led an international group of horsemen and horsewomen with disabilities on a remarkable 3,000-mile, 10-month Journey Across America, driving wheelchair accessible horse drawn carriages from the Mission San Diego in California all the way to Washington, DC, to raise awareness for the United States Driving for the Disabled Organization. He now heads the Access Adventure Program which he founded in 2005. The headquarters is in Fairfield, California and provides wilderness access to mobility-challenged people in many states and abroad. He is eager to talk to us about how you can start a program in your area, too. Some of our Sacramento-area CONA members volunteer with Michael’s program.

There will be plenty of time for networking with people in your industry. Get tips on marketing your business, where to buy the best priced commercial carriage driving equipment, and develop lifelong contacts and resources by attending convention and meeting others in the same business.

Now it’s time for some FUN!

On Saturday night, do we have a treat in store for you all! It’s a dose of real Ten-Gallon Fun with Sourdough Slim! Swingin’ tunes! Cowboy crooning! Award-winning yodeling! Laughs galore! Need I say more? Okay. With a repertoire of classic western songs and an exuberant, animated, crowd-pleasing delivery, Sourdough Slim has become one of the most popular cowboy entertainers of our time. There. Now you have it!

SO … saddle up with us for the CONA CONVENTION SACRAMENTO 2009 and leave your schedules and your stress behind. You’ll be glad you did!