My First Horse Show
Who can forget her first horse show?
Especially when it involves FOUR horses, count 'em 1, 2, 3, 4 horses!
And each horse was performing at a different level! It was my first
horse show for the Shadow Acres show barn in Tryon, North Carolina.
It was a Combined Training show at FENCE and sponsored by the Foothills
Dressage and Combined Training Club. Sardion, a beautiful blood bay
Sweedish Warmblood was at the advanced level, Cajun Magic, a chestnut
Quarter Horse was at the intermediate level, Chantilly Lace, a dapple
gray Australian Pony was at preliminary, and Sebastian, a flea-bitten
gray Arabian was at beginner. The classes fell in increasing order of
level, making my dressage ride on Sebastian come first, at 8:20 in the
morning. He was prepped and ready, his coat as white as can be. His
braids were perfect, they'd better have been, I spent an hour and a half
braiding each horse's manes and tails! Everything was perfect. Until
we entered the warm up ring. Sebastian walked in the ring with his
typical raised head and nervously pricked ears. He skittered in the
entrance, which is to be expected in the spooky Arabian. He exploded
across the large ring, galloping and bucking the whole way. I was slightly
miffed, and gave him a good check with the reins and a light tap with our
dressage whip. He settled down and dropped into his beautiful round frame
that he has when he feels like it. Our warm up was great. His canter
circles were perfectly round! So we get ready to go in the show ring.
When we got to the ring to warm up outside of it, he was fine. We trotted
and cantered around the ring once and trotted to the entrance. As we
round the corner to enter, he drops his head, hunches his back, and totally
freaks out at the small pile of chain by the entrance. He wheels around to
gallop away from the offending chain. I snatch him back around and make him
sniff it, eat it, do ANYTHING but spook at it! We finally get past the
really scary chain and enter the ring. His composure is gone. Mine is
following close behind! Our ride was HORRIBLE. He went around the whole
time with his head up and bent uncomfortably at the poll. When we saluted,
he put down his head to scratch against his leg. It looked as if he was
bowing! I was mortified! I quickly and with as much composure as I could
muster, I pulled his head up and saluted the judge. He saluted back with a smile
on his face for a poor, mortified 11 year old. I scooted out of the ring to
prepare for my ride on Chantilly.
The little gray horse was waiting for me at the barn. I gladly relinquished
Sebastian's reins to Marianne and went to the sweet mare. I mounted her and walked her
to the warm up ring. She went around like the lady she is, strutting her stuff]
for all the good looking geldings and stallions. Her steps were lively and eye-catching,
and hopefully she'd keep this good composure and show off for the judge.
I moved her out of her extended walk into a trot. She gave a little push and instantly
bounded into her bouncy trot. I sighed in relief as I sat back and let her convey me across the
ring. It was like floating. I cued for a canter and she took off, making perfectly round circles
in the soft dirt of the ring. I let her relax before we are called to the ring to perform.
Finally, we are called. I give her a loose rein and we go to take our warm-up walk, trot,
and canter around the ring before entering. Chantilly glanced at the chain at the entrance too,
but she didn't freak out. She just gave it a lady-like stare and continued on her merry way. We
swung right and entered the ring. Bam, halt at X like she was made of stone there. Her head was
in textbook FEI form, her feet boxy square. I saluted sharply, so as to impress the judge with a
better performance. He nodded for me to begin. I gave Chantilly a good squeeze and a little spur. She spurted
off into a beautiful trot for me. We came around the corner at C and continued on. Our test was perfect.
I had never known anybody to get a 10 in dressage...maybe I'd be the first I ever knew. As it turned out,
Chantilly got many high scores...including two 10's on her halts.
I'll add more later! --Mel
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