My adventure into the world of a Dressage schooling show!
On June 5th, 1999 I entered my first real horse show! It was an awseom expiriance and maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to show again if I find a horse! This spring, I was offered the chance to show a cute little four year old gelding named Crook. Last summer I took 2 lessons on him and thought he was a sweetie, but I quickly ran out of money, so the lessons had to stop. This spring, I found out Erin's mother was organizing a schooling show at Hilltop and Lacey was planning on entering her new horse Bogus. She the old owner offered to let me come ride him, take some lessons and show him. My parents agreed and I started working him.
About a month or so later the show day was here. The day before Lacey and I stayed home from school and went to the barn to get our steads ready. We spent hours bathing, cleaning and freaking out. The next morning, I braided both horses and we got them ready to load. Crookers, of course, walked calmly onto the trailer.... Bogus on the other hand... She wasn't too happy, so my terrific braid job went to waste as we hauled the trailer out, less one horse. I arrived at Hilltop with Jeff and I was 15 mintues before my first ride time. I ran up, registered and changed into my show clothes. I got Crook saddled and found Lacey a horse to ride. Scottie of course was hauled out of the pasture and tacked up for her.
I got warmed up in 5 mintues and Crook wasn't moving out, but I had to go in the ring like that, ready or not. *L* So we went in, and of course, I was so nervous it wasn't funny, but we got going. Half way through my test, he broke, I was so caught up on trying to get him to move out, I said something (there's 2 points gone.. *L*) then I heard my caller say M and K, so I figured diagonal (I wasn't really listening, I was concentrating) and well, there goes another two points for off course! *L* But I survived and that's all that mattered to me! I ended up with a third place, yes only out of three people, but I'm contented. I had a 51.1% and got some really good comments! :-)
After that, I had to hand him off to his owner, Donna Lee, who also rode him in the Starter test. She got first, and he was a little better, but not much. After her ride, I popped back on and warmed him up to get ready for my canter test. I heard the bell and did my best, he acually cantered though! I just couldn't sit his trot... But I survived, and he didn't break! I ended up getting a 54.5%, doing better! I got another thrid, out of three people, but it didn't matter to me, as long as I did my best!
There's the highlights of my first ever horse show! I'm still alive and well, and maybe someday I'll get into anotehr one! :-)
