We entered Watonga around 10 a.m. on a Friday morning. It was a strange time to stage the 42nd Annual Cheese Festival, but, in Oklahoma, anything goes at these small-town celebrations, including a startling array of miniature horses that were out and about, just begging for a wannabe horse whisperer like me to befriend and, ultimately, love.
As we parked the car on the edge of the festival, past the Extreme Survivor inflatable bounce, standing in the morning shade of their trailer was about five or six of the specially-bred horses; were we supposed to be messing with these unguarded behooved treasures? Probably not, but after ten minutes of hanging with these little guys, the town of Watonga had already won me over.