Show Report... and a Teaser!!!

We had a fun horse show at my barn this weekend.  I failed you because I have zero photos or video of the day.  Boo. Sorry.

Junior was quite good all day, even when he was visibly tired and quite simply over the whole thing, especially because we showed five classes, Junior's OP did three, and one of the little lesson kids requested Junior for the walk/trot ground poles. I don't offer him to the lesson kids for the show because between me and his OPs he gets plenty to do, but we weren't doing anything before class 11 and the ground poles was class 3 so I said she could use him if she wanted to.  She was a.dor.a.ble and super excited she was allowed to use him.  He was very sweet for her that morning, but by the after noon he was in several classes in a row or nearly in a row with JOP and I swapping back and forth.

Our first class was the Timed Trail. We were 1st out of 6.  I didn't see all the other runs because I had showmanship right afterwards and had to do a tack change and take my spurs off.  It was an interesting pattern and it was really fun to do.  There were no gaits specified and the path was crooked so I enjoyed trying to figure out where I had to go slow for accuracy and where we could speed up for time.  We were able to practice most of the course ahead of time so of course that really helped.  Junior trotted nicely between two tight barrels, over the tarp and up to the cone where the horse had to knock an apple off a cone.  Then we trotted over the bridge, but he missed one foot so we had to do it again.  Then I walked him through the logs since they were 1/2 raised and he's so excellent at knocking things over.  We got to the barrel and grabbed the squirt gun to shoot the balloons, but the trigger had fallen out of the gun so I just had to fake it and yell "gun broke! Look at me I'm shooting the balloons!" Then we trotted to the small crossrail but Junior when ahead and cantered it so I rolled with it. We don't jump, remember?  Then we trotted through weaving cones, dismounted, grabbed the stuffed lizard, remounted, and finally kicked a yoga ball.  It was the most fun I've had on a trail course!  Junior was really responsive and did everything I asked.

Showmanship was just us so I got first and last place.  The Judge was someone I've worked with before so she changed the 90 pivot at the end to a 450 pivot.  She scored us at a 16.5 which is pretty much where we usually are.

We got 2nd in the Command Class out of I think 5.  We were neck-n-neck with one of the good boarder kids when Junior tried to walk out of the Halt and we conceded gracefully and claimed our red.

We were 2nd out of 4 in the WTC Eq. pattern.  Our circles were laughably uneven but he took his cues really well.

Then we were brave and went in the WTC Flat Eq. class against 5 other good lesson kids and adults.  My equitation is not polished, but it is better after taking some lessons with the BO.  I was surprised and very pleased with our 3rd place finish.

By the time we were done I had to peel my breeches off - so thankful I thought of bringing shorts to change into - and hosed my sweaty/hungry/tired horse off and put him away with his fan and his dinner.  I love being able to spend 8+ hours at the barn (I did the morning feeding/turnout before the show) but it can be rather exhausting!

To make up for the lack of show photos, here is a teaser of something we've been working on.....stay tuned....