Horse tries valiantly to aid pasture mate

On the last day of my Colorado getaway two weeks ago, I witnessed an incredible act of compassion by a young horse named Skids.

The drama unfolded as a reddish sunset ran the length of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Skids, a black 2-year-old quarterhorse, saw his pasture mate collapse on the Roberts ranch near Westcliffe.

While Hank, a 26-year-old retired saddle horse, appeared to be giving up, Skids gave his all to save his friend.

Skids tried everything, from lifting Hank by the ears and his mane to biting Hank's lips and the side of his face.

Hank responded several times by getting up on his knees. That's when Skids lowered his head and tried to bulldoze the old horse to his feet, only to see him flop back down in the grass.

The most touching scene was followed by the most jarring: Skids tenderly pawed Hank's side, consoling him. Then came loud whacking sounds. With a hoof, Skids was tapping Hank's head, trying to keep him from slipping away.

But nothing worked. Soon the owner and 9-year-old son arrived and the vet was called to put Hank down. An agitated Skids was led to a pen, where he repeatedly bucked in frustration and raced in circles.

He fought for his friend to the end.

Hank was buried the next day near the barn.

Check my video here: lvrj.com/multimedia.

DOCUMENTARY NO CARNIVAL

Organizers of the "Electric Daisy Carnival Experience" film say the show will go on despite the move by Regal and AMC theaters to back out.

Regal and AMC dropped the documentary, scheduled for nationwide screenings Thursday in more than 500 theaters, including four in Las Vegas, after a melee erupted outside the film premiere in Hollywood.

There were indications Saturday that the plug-pulling movement was spreading to Las Vegas. At least one of the four Las Vegas theaters, Century 16 at South Point, suspended ticket sales and was awaiting a decision from Cinemark's corporate office.

Sante Fe 16 was selling tickets Saturday but might move the time from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m., an employee said. Orleans 18 and Sam's Town 18 could not be reached.

The riot broke out after approximately 800 music fans rushed to see DJ Kaskade, a Las Vegas headliner, who tweeted he was on his way to perform at a block party concert near Grauman's Chinese Theater.

"Let's see if the magic of social networking will work today," he tweeted.

Minutes later, he added, "News choppers overhead. The man trying to shut us down. Hang on I am coming!!! This is crazy."

DJ Kaskade, whose real name is Ryan Raddon, has headliner deals with Marquee at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Encore Beach Club.

He had a permit to play a free show, according to reports. He appears in the documentary, which includes footage of the Electric Daisy Carnival last month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first in Southern Nevada. The three-day party, the largest music event in Las Vegas history, sold about 230,000 tickets.

Insomniac, the company that owns EDC, distanced itself from the block party in a statement and said efforts are under way to add more theater screenings.

"It is extremely disheartening that some theaters wrongly associated an unaffiliated 'block party' and its disorderly crowd with the private screening of the film," the statement read. "The individuals who caused problems outside of our movie premiere were not the same audience, which wants to buy tickets to the film, just as the same people that cause disturbances after a sporting event do not represent all fans of that team."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Former Las Vegas TV personality Lorraine Blanco is exploring opportunities in public relations after 18 months of a commuter marriage. She had been a weekend anchor at Sacramento's ABC affiliate KXTV-TV since her March 2010 marriage to ESPN 1100 program director Mitch Moss of the "Gridlock" afternoon show. "I'm ready to try a new career," said Blanco, who was a weekend anchor/reporter at KVVU-TV, Channel 5.

SIGHTINGS

At Chateau nightclub (Paris Resort) on Friday: UFC personalities Chuck Liddell, Cain Velasquez, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, filming Velasquez's 29th birthday party. Also there: Jeremy Jackson of "Baywatch" and Katrina Law of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." ... DeShawn Stevenson of the Dallas Mavericks, with friends Friday night at Tao (Venetian).

THE PUNCH LINE

"Hollywood police used 'non-lethal bean bags' to control a crowd that was rioting. Is there such a thing as lethal bean bags? If the riot escalated, they were authorized to switch to Marshmallow Peeps." -- Jimmy Kimmel on the DJ Kaskade-related disturbance.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.