This message is from: Beverly Weston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi all,
I just wanted to add to Lori's email about the Finger Lakes Fjord Show. We have been attending the show for the last three years with my young guy Elexson and love it every year. It is a great small show where many fjord owners come to gather and catch up. There is always a great group of participants at this show and no matter how tough the competition is we always manage to enjoy ourselves. One very funny moment which sticks with me from the weekend was in the Novice Amateur Ridden (Walk/Trot) Classes. Gunnar Rogstad who brought along a half brother to my guy Elexson was riding in his first ever show class and this was only about the fifth time his horse had been ridden and that was only on the farm!!! He decided he would follow me and Lex into the ring for moral support and in case he ran into a problem...well, as fate would have it...I was the one who needed some help...the minute the judge asked for a trot and Gunnar behind me took off like a shot, my guy heard the squeaking and crackling of that western saddle and that was the only excuse he needed to start acting like a two year old!!!! Mind you the only reason we were back in Novice this year was because I have not had the time to devote to him this year riding wise and he was not ready for the canter. Well, at this point...Gunnar lost his hat and it looked like he was riding an Icelandic pony instead of a Fjord!!! To give you a picture Gunnar must be all of 6'2" and his gelding was a solid chunk but only about 13.2 hands and just trotted like there was no tomorrow...hence the Icelandic rendition...meanwhile, my guy was up on all four feet doing his Piaffe move and considering we haven't moved out of Intro. Tests in ridden dressage was a bit farther than I would have liked to go. Then of all things, they announce for all of us in the ring to CANTER!!!!!! I have never in my life seen such a scared looking bunch of riders all in one ring..you would have thought someone threatened to shoot us..we all had that deer in the headlights look but no one wanted to tell the judge that we weren't supposed to be cantering!! So we waited for them to correct it and they didn't right away while the judge was yelling at us to get going!! I finally was the one to speak up and tell her from a piaffing horse that this was only a Walk/Trot division!!!...She apologized and we went on with the class...well needless to say Gunnar and I came in 5th and 4th respectively!! We then went back to the rail for the second of the two classes only to have Gunnar behind me again and asking me whether this class is based on him and what is the difference between the equitation and pleasure classes anyways and was it based on him or the horse!!! By this time I was in hysterics riding around the arena being judged mind you....We again came out 5th (Gunnar) and 4th (me). Somehow I managed to pull off the Novice riding championship, I guess going in showmanship helped that out a bit but I have never had such a good time in the ring than I did that day even with my horse acting up it was just pure fun!! Later that afternoon, Lori Albrough put on a Fabulous Third Level Freestyle demo which was terrific...We all loved it and it is wonderful to see a fjord doing so well at the higher levels. Valebu is also a great guy and she had a wonderful show with him also. I am striving to look even a tiny bit as good as Lori is!! Sunday brought out the dressage tests and driving. I wasn't feeling well at all that morning so I scratched from my two intro tests that I was scheduled to show in but there were some great tests that I watched from the bleachers and everyone made it look easy. I did manage to hold it together long enough to do my driving classes and this is where my guy turned it on. He really did carry me around this time and we managed to squeak out two firsts in our pleasure class and reinsmanship class and then we went clean with the fastest time in the cones class to clench the Novice Driver Championship. I loved having Annette and Willow in the driving classes with me. I first saw Willow last year and she is just as pretty as they come, petite but just so elegant she makes me smile even just walking by the stall. She just has that presence about her. Pat Wolfe came and showed a very NICE BIG filly from Denmark and boy can this girl move....I am keeping my eye on her!!! Lori was well deserved winning the Julie Will Memorial trophy. I never had the honor of meeting Julie, I came into the fjord world after she had sadly left. Lori was very moved to have been chosen and I really don't think there was a dry eye in the house after Darryl presented the award to Lori...It is well deserved. Lori does the breed proud and shows the non-believers just what these little guys can really do!! I would also like to thank everyone from volunteers to participants to the fjord fans in the stands to the show committee for putting on a great little show and I can't wait until next year!!! I hope everyone gets a chance to come to this show and experience a great group of people and lots of fun. Beth Gerst President Northeast Fjord Horse Association
