Going into the Finals Show this past weekend I wanted a
different experience than the one I took away from the Region 1 AQHA show in
August. I didn’t enjoy my rides at Region 1 and got really down on myself
during and after the show. It was a big part in my decision to not go to Vegas
this year for Novice Championships. I stand firmly by that decision and believe
that Grace and I are not yet ready for that level of competition. For the
Finals show I set a few goals ahead of time in hopes that I could keep my brain
working in the show ring and not tune out like I’ve done in the past at a
higher level shows. The goals were as follows:
1.
To not compare Grace or I to other
riders/horses. I was overwhelmed by the level of horses at Region 1 many of
which I believe don’t flick an ear without permission. The same cannot be said about
my horse and I honestly don’t think I want it to be. I also don’t ride like the
top equitation riders, I need some polish for sure but I think I will skip the
Toddlers and Tiaras Horsemanship Class. My goal was to stay in my personal
bubble in the warm up areas and in the show ring. What other riders and horses
were doing was none of my business.
2.
To be present on pattern, to work the stride I’m
currently on and not skip ahead to the lead change 10 strides away or the trail
obstacle that we haven’t gotten to yet. By riding each stride I am able to
arrive at that lead change or trail obstacle in a better position than when I
forgot to ride on the way there.
3.
To have fun! This sounds so simple but I was so
locked up in my head at Region 1 that I made myself miserable. I didn’t go out
of my way to talk to other competitors and I really missed out on the good time
that everyone else was having.
So, how did it go? I would say I hit all
three goals over the weekend and had one of the best shows I’ve been to. At one
point I said that from now I plan to haul to shows to hang out, wear pretty
clothes, have great schooling sessions on my horse and never set foot in the
show ring. I accomplished so much outside of main arena at this show that walking
into the pen was almost an afterthought.
When I stall with Sarah’s barn at shows we
usually stable close to another trainer. He and Sarah are good friends and we all
enjoy watching him and his students show. He helped Sarah school her futurity
horse and she suggested that I let him ride Grace and have him give me some
pointers. I jumped at the chance and was thrilled when after he rode Grace for
a few minutes he told me that “all the pieces are here, you just need to rate
her lope”. The trainer went on to show me some exercises to unlock Grace’s shoulder
and an exercise on the counter lope. He also worked with me on my Horsemanship
patterns giving me some great tips. It
has been years since anyone but Sarah or I have ridden Grace. The last male
trainer I had sit on her had nothing nice to say about my beloved horse. It made my day to have a trainer that I respected give me hope that my horse may
just be as possibly as great as I think she is.
My classes went well; I even placed in a
few of them. The trail pattern started off with a right hand gate followed by
lope overs. It took 3 classes before the lope work was where I wanted it, but the
jog work was the best it has ever been in Trail. There was a set of trot poles
in the Championship class that I was concerned about, but we executed them
without a hitch. Grace was the best she has ever been in my Horsemanship
classes. We were the 27th to go in my first class and 22nd
in the second class. In the past Grace hasn’t done well after sitting in the ring
all that time waiting for her go. She’s been stiff by the time we start our
pattern and often starts her lope by throwing her head and squealing. I made
sure to keep her engaged while we waited in line and was able to circle
before starting my pattern. The result was a quiet soft horse that executed the
pattern when I asked without argument. I walked out of the ring still liking my
horse. Showmanship also went well, I had practiced the patterns before the show
and for the first time in a long time I enjoyed the class. During the team competition
I saw a woman run a Showmanship pattern without a lead, her horse worked
entirely off her body commands. Grace and I are SO going to do that
Western Riding gets a paragraph of it’s
because it is by far my favorite class. My 3 classes were held first thing on
Sunday morning and if I had to do it over again I would have gone to bed before
midnight on Saturday night, maybe a little less of my #3 goal above. I only
gave myself 15 minutes to warm up and I was first in at 8:00am. I needed more
time, Grace was stiff as a board going into my first class and I felt like I was
communicating with a brick wall. This wasn’t what I wanted at this show because
I know what we are capable of and I didn’t want to go backwards at a show. I
had more time in-between the 2nd and 3rd class to work
with Sarah to unlock and soften Grace. There were 9 other riders in the class
but I didn’t watch any of their rides, I just had to focus on my own ride. My pattern
for the Championship was much better; we hit every lead change in the correct
spot, loped over the pole as opposed to jumping it and for the most part kept a
steady rhythm. I knew it could be better, but it was closer to the ride I was
looking for, I scored a 68 and a 70 on the ride. I assumed that I would place
at the bottom of the class so I was beyond pleased when they announced that I
had placed 3rd and 4th in the Championship class. I know
that we can go out there tomorrow and put together a nicer ride than that one
so with that in mind I am really looking forward to that class for next year.
Overall I had a great show and learned that there is
so much more value to the horse show experience than what happens in the pen.
Grace and I had some of the best schooling sessions by far which have continued
into the week after. I had a great time with new and old friends and caught up
with people I only see at shows. I am patiently
waiting for pictures so I can show you the Diane Olson Show Shirt I picked up
for $70 and the beautiful show halter I picked up for a steal! Got to look good
for hanging out in the warm up ring next year!
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