Spotlight

Cowboy capers

DJ gets the chance to horse around down on the farm

By Suwitcha Chaiyong, Photographs courtesy of 88 PEAK FM/Bangkok Post

Did You Know : Evidence has shown that horses were used for riding as early as 6,000 years ago.

Some people have big ambitions. Real big ambitions, like bringing about world peace, inventing something revolutionary or simply being a successful politician. But not DJ M (Suepsakul Thaweepon). DJ M�s big dream in life has always been to ride a horse.

Good news for M, then, that 88 Peak FM � where he works � runs a project called DJ Wants, where DJs get to live out their ambitions, along with their fans, all paid for by the radio station. So it�s kind of lucky for 88 Peak FM, that M didn�t always want to be an astronaut.

ROUGH RIDER

Of course, in order to ride a horse, you need a horse, so it was off for a no-expense-spared trip to Chokchai Farm in Saraburi for DJ M. Giving the horses a miss to start with, M first tried his hands at riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). With advice from the experts to stay calm and not put his legs down, lose balance and risk an accident, M was off.

�At first, I just enjoyed the great views and weather, but when we moved onto rough terrain, I was very excited. There were big hills and rocky roads, and I rode through water until I was completely wet. It was great fun,� M said.

TRUSTY STEED

Next stop on his all-expenses-paid once-in-a-lifetime trip, M tried his hands at milking a cow. But it was all a lead-up to the main event, where M finally got to dress up as a cowboy and ride a horse.

�I�ve been dreaming about riding a horse since I was young and my dream finally came true � I was really excited,� M said.

Sure enough, M kitted himself out as a cowboy and mounted his steed, although an instructor was on hand in case anything went wrong.

�I learned how to control a horse � when you want it to stop, you have to pull back the reins. I was in a cool cowboy dress and on a cool horse,� DJ M said, happy that he had finally realised his dream.

Having fulfilled his lifelong ambition, DJ M wound down the rest of the day watching dog shows, feeding a baby bull and generally finding out what life was like on a real-life farm.

�It was a great trip,� M said after the events. �I�ve been trying to lose weight and riding an ATV and a horse helped me get some exercise. The two rides were really challenging and if anyone ever gets a chance to visit the farm, I guarantee that you won�t be disappointed.�.

Vocabulary

ambition (n): something that you want to do or achieve very much
astronaut (n): a person whose job involves travelling and working in a spacecraft
terrain (n): used to refer to an area of land when you are mentioning its natural features, for example, if it is rough, flat, etc.
steed (n): a horse to ride on
milk (v): to take milk from a cow, goat, etc.
rein (n): a long, narrow, leather band that is fastened around a horse�s neck and is held by the rider in order to control the horse.