RIDE-A-CRITTERS
FROM THE CRITTER CORRAL
In 1979 Sandy’s first Granddaughter was a year old in Nov. Her first birthday she got 3 dolls from all 3 grandmas and all 3 were exactly alike. Determined that she would give her something that the others wouldn’t be buying she designed a riding toy. Now this Granny is too lazy to crawl around with a baby on her back or bend over and push. She designed
the frame to allow her to sit with the baby long before baby’s feet reached floor. While making it a friend came to visit and ordered 5. She got 3 in time for Christmas (Sandy didn’t get much sleep) and has since gotten 4 others. Sandy designed the wooden frame for grandchildren with the thought of how destructive their parents were. She must have done something right because 32 years later the first one is still going. What was made for granddaughter great granddaughter is now riding. In 1981 Sandy started making a variety of animals but the Brahma bull is by far the safest for the small children. The hump keeps the critter moving with them instead of allowing them to get on the neck. (You sit on any animal’s neck it will buck; I don’t care if it is real or a toy.) 1983 was the first custom made animal from the registration papers of a Holstein. Since then there have been many and so far no one has been unhappy with their critter. Sandy has sold critters at shows and rodeos, (starting at the Old Timers Rodeo in Hyannis NE, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Black Hills Stock Show, Houston Livestock show Ft Worth Stock Show and the NFR to name a few) down thru the years. She tried wholesaling for a couple years but was having to turn down retail orders to fill her wholesale orders. Besides the wholesaler was to keep track of where each one went and didn’t so there are some blank spots in her Registry Book. Some get filled in at shows where people come up and say “I have and give a name. There are critters in 49 states (none in Vermont) 7 provinces of Canada, England, Germany, Italy, South Africa and Australia. There were a few years Sandy tried to retire because of health reasons, (her husband was fighting Lung cancer) and Sandy’s hands were bothering her. He lost his battle in 2003 and she did the NFR in 2004 but her Suburban burnt on the way home. She had her hands operated on in 2005 and is back at Critters. She has been doing NCHA Shows but has decided that the 2011 Dec show will be her last. She has planned for years that there would be 2000 Critters, God willing. She just finished Critter 1715 at this show. Each animal is named and numbered both by critters and by breed. Each is an original. Sandy doesn’t make any 2 alike. They are guaranteed and cost to the customer for repairs is getting the Critter back to her. Her cost is repairing it and getting it back to the owner. In 2008 Sandy found a new partner and with Dick helping they have made critters together but now they are going to take time to smell the roses. Custom made orders will be taken from May to Sept. Then the shop will be closed and when the critters shown are gone that will be all until June.
