This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 9/20/03 9:41:24 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> > Things that impressed me the most: > > Brian Jensen and Gayle Ware - you are both SO professional - (to the > fingertips, as we say in Norwegian), everything looks flawless and > fantastically well prepared. Many, many people did a great job of showing > their horses but you two really blew me away! I had already seen Gayle in > action but never in a "formal" setting, and this was my first time meeting > Brian (and Ursula). Very inspiring! > > Dagrun, thank you for the kind words. I 'feel the need' to respond, since > there has been a great deal of critical discussion lately on the Digest > regarding dress codes in the show ring. That old saying, 'When In Rome,' > indeed > does apply here. You hit the nail on the head when you said 'everything > looked > flawless and well prepared.' That's the way it should be. After all, when > you are in the ring for a show or an Evaluation, this is your 15 minutes of > fame. I wrote an article which appeared in the Herald a while back titled, > 'Components For Successfully Surviving an Evaluation.' Brian and Ursula have > included that article in handouts when they have done clinics. Here is a > brief excerpt: PROJECTING: Project a positive image. Showing your horse or doing an Evaluation is like being an actor in a movie. You and your horse are the STARS! This is your '15 minutes of fame.' You are here to put on an Academy Award Performance. Lift that chin and smile. This is what you've been working toward for so long.' In other words, look the part. That means you and your horse need to be well groomed and put together. That doesn't necessarily mean expensive. It means clean and appropriate attire. I happen to know that some folks do shop at Goodwill (as Jerry Friz attested to in an earlier Digest!) for their 'appropriate attire'. Nothing wrong with that. Yes, there are written guidelines for attire and there is a reason. Dagrun mentioned that she had seen me in action, but never in a 'formal' setting. Dagrun and Brigid had visited here at our ranch for a couple of days earlier this summer and both of them had lessons on Dusty. My informal barn attire is SWEATS. I am laughably known as the QUEEN OF SWEATS in my barn. Comfortable, loose, but not very attractive what with the baggy butt, etc.! Imagine, if you will, what kind of image that would project if I walked into the ring in sweats??!! Put together, appropriate - NOT! The first impression that would send to the judges/evaluators would be negative for sure. Now imagine an exhibitor entering the ring for Conformation, dressed in a CLEAN, crisp, white, plain, tuxedo shirt, accented with a Fjord brooch at the throat, clean, crisp, plain black pants accented by a black belt and Fjord belt buckle, clean, recently shaped, black western hat. That exhibitor is leading a clean, freshly trimmed, well behaved, fit Fjord that is sporting a clean, well fitting halter. Positive image projected to the judge - YOU BET! Did it cost a lot of money? No. Did it cost a lot of time invested to prepare properly - YOU BET! > > You western riders - Gayle and Sue - to see you ride through the utility > class making it look effortless, with one hand, was impressive. I mean, in > English riding, with two hands, you can do much more severe corrections and > "tell" the horse what to do even if they don't really want to. Don't get me > wrong, I don't say this is the way English riding should be, but in an > emergency it's handy. Riding one-handed, it seems like the corrections you > can make, if any at all, are very subtle, and the horse has to be obedient, > attentive and WANT to perform. Just to get a horse to navigate one-handed > through those trot cones - must take TONS of practise. Hat off to you! > > You hit that nail right on the head, Dagrun! I have often joked about > 'Western reining' being like doing Dressage at 90 miles an hour with only one > hand > on the reins for steering! Dusty gave Dagrun and Brigid a 'crash (not > literally! LOL!) course' on how much more difficult it is to finesse that > body > control with only one hand. It does, indeed, take a lot of practice, but the > practice does pay off. Sue and her gelding, Thomas, spent many hours > practicing with me and Majson, the stallion that I showed for Dan & Carol > Tripp of > Victor, MT. Those cones were definitely a challenge as was the jump! About > 4 > strides before the jump, Majson kept trying to tell me it would be easier to > go around! Convincing him that that was NOT an option for him, with only one > hand for steering, now that was a CHALLENGE! A LOT of leg and body language > convinced him that over was better than around. Not exactly in the middle, > for which he got dinged, but at least he complied. Jumping in a Western > saddle is a challenge in itself, especially when the horse LAUNCHES like > Majson > does. The one good thing about jumping in a Western saddle is that 'handle', > better known as a saddle horn, in front that you can grab! LOL! Anyway, practice and being prepared does pay off. Sue and Thomas garnered a very respectable 78 in Conformation and went on to receive their Silver Medallion for Intro. Western. Good on Sue! This was her very first show! Majson went on to receive a 79 in Conformation, a Silver (BLUE) Medallion for Intro. Western, and his Gold Medallion for Adv. Western. Thank you, Catherine, for your hard work on our behalf to make this Evaluation a success!! Gayle Ware Field of Dreams Eugene, OR www.fjordhorse.com
