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What a great day!  This was by far our best outing yet.  I remembered all three of our patterns and I was really confident about them.   I don't know what happened, but I think someone stole my pony and replaced him with a clone that lacks Junior's ability to be a total prick when he gets annoyed about something.  It was like it finally clicked:  "Okay, I get cleaned up, go someplace, get messed with, ride around under my best behavior, get to eat hay ALL day, and then go home?  Yeah, I got this."

Example #1: He was cooperative during his bath.  HE LET ME HOSE HIS FORELOCK.  He didn't jump all over the place every time I turned the hose on.  He did step on the hose a few times, but he moved when I told him OFF.  Normally he tries continuously to get away from the water.

Example #2: He let me clip the INSIDE of his ears.  I did shove my sheepskin earplugs in first, but still, I've never been able to do it before.  AND he practically fell asleep when he was being braided.

Example #3: He loaded like a champ into a strange trailer with only minimal snorting.

Example #4: He didn't whinny AT ALL at the show... at least that I witnessed.  Not even once from the time he went on the trailer, to the time we unloaded back at home.

Example #5: He stood like a statue and let me polish his hooves and spray paint his legs and only moved a leg once.  Then stood on the concrete to dry with my BF while I changed clothes.  He didn't even try to move towards the grass.

Example #6: He was a ROCKSTAR in the show ring!!!!

AND we won Adult Hight Point!!!  I didn't find out until this morning when I found a voicemail from the show staff.  A check's in the mail!  :)

English Halter: 5th out of 14.  We'd NEVER done a halter class but I figured heck, why not.  Maybe he'll get his jitters out during that and be okay for showmanship.  He was great.  Moved around a bit in the line-up, but he did as he was told.  There didn't seem to be any jitters to get out.

Adult Hunter Showmanship: 1st out of 4.  He was a tiny bit crooked and took too long at the set up, but he nailed the pattern.

Adult Hunter Under Saddle: 4th out of 8.  There were definitely three nice horses above me so I have no complaints about the white ribbon.  He was VERY good.  There were 2 or 3 horses in that class that were a bit terrifying.  I know it's a small open show, people, but have some humility and leave the fugly-crazies at home.... sorry that was mean, but really.  Taking a horse that's learning is fine, taking a horse that looks so out of control you make the other riders/horses nervous is just rude.  Take it from the girl who once did THIS.  But look at how far away I kept from ALL the other horses.

We had a long break between classes so I untacked him, hoping he'd pee.  He was dropped but he really doesn't like to pee at a show.  By the time I had to tack him up again he was pissy and didn't want me to tighten the girth, but he only warned me with head swinging and stopped when I smacked him.  I didn't need to tie him or anything.  By the time we got outside and mounted up he seemed cheerful again.

Open Hunter Under Saddle Walk/Trot: Top 12 of 30+.  This was a HUGE class with 3 splits.  I don't usually do this class because it's huge.  I entered assuming I wouldn't place, there are too many nice horses in the youth divisions (nearly all the youth classes had to have splits) and pretty much everyone who does any of the English classes does this WT class.  We were in the 2nd split and got called back for the finals.  I have no issues with his performance.  They only placed to 5 so I'm not sure if we were 6 or 12.  It was a true  Open class with little kids, adults, QH's, hunters, a couple of Arabs, ponies, you name it, and the 5 places went to not only the QH's!

Adult English Equitation: 1st out of 4.  I was on the wrong diagonal - apparently I don't understand what right and left diagonals mean, but the other 3 messed the pattern up worse.  I was really pleased with the pattern and think we look pretty clean, or at least cleaner than we ever have.  He absolutely despises the counter canter so I was surprised he kept it as long as he did.  Just wish he would switch cleanly if he insists on doing a flying change.

Just after Equitation.

Adult Western Showmanship: 1st out of 5.  He had finally peed by this time so he was in a much better mood.  I gave him a touch-up grooming, and since it was our last class went over his whole body with Vetrolin Shine and a goat-hair brush.  I cleaned his legs again but didn't re-polish his hooves.  He was great in the pattern. I walked confidently out to start the class.  I was sure I wouldn't win because there was a guy who has beaten me before when he had a different horse.  Thankfully this horse was in training and did NOT want to back in a U shape.  He was very chatty in the line up like he was last time.

Junior gets to eat Victory Grass in his fancy halter.

SO.  What's next?

A: Learning what Right and Left Diagonals mean. And yes, I'm embarrassed that I don't know.
B: Working on keeping a relaxed and balanced frame during downward transitions.
C: Are my legs too far back?  I don't seem to have a very nice ankle angle.  I never have.  I blame learning to walk on my toes.  I've never had good stretch in that joint.  But they look funny.  Do they look funny?
D: Taking a little time off to recover.  My back was unhappy the night before and all day during the show.  Today it's not so bad, and hopefully tomorrow won't take a turn for the worse.