This message is from: "Ron & Sherrie Dayton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Now to finish what I was working on when my computer accidentally sent my unfinished e-mail last night. The Libby show will never be an ultra high polished by the book show. The Libby organizers made that decision a long time ago. Will we always strive to improve, yes, we have along the way. Both Jim Havelhurst & Wayne Hipsley have said, "Don't change Libby" they enjoy it just the way it is. For those of you that saw Pamela's post about her helmet, yes she will be allowed to show with her helmet and I will instruct the Judge not to knock her down on points even though it may not be "Proper" by some rule books. Its a bigger issue then rules. Will we strive to provide a safe show, yes. Is it going to be perfect, NO. I'm one of those people that goes to other breed shows just because I love horses, I always make it a point to walk around and look around behind the scenes. You know what I see, I see horses trained and polished until they sparkle, I see girls with gorgeous outfits, beautifully put together, but you know what I DON'T see? Any SMILES, no one seems to be having any fun. If you watch the competitors at Libby before a class they're talking and smiling and laughing and visiting with one another. Even those like Gayle & Anne that compete at a very high level. I'd like to share my very first experience at Libby, we had just bought a nice mare from Ron & Robin Pearson, we got her about a week before Libby and on a whim we decided to show her at Halter. I'd never shown at halter so I didn't have a clue what to do. Nancy Lehnert was the next person in line behind me, she could see that I needed a little guidance, she very quietly and graciously walked me through that class, she explained exactly what I needed to do without making me feel stupid, she didn't talk down to me but shared with me the knowledge that she had gained from her years of showing. If it had been an "Ultra Professional" by the book show she'd have probably let me hang myself. I've always remembered that. I want everyone that comes to Libby to come away with that same feeling. Are we occasionally going to have horses there that maybe aren't in tip-top condition, probably, but they usually only come once, do we have inexperienced handlers, yes, how else are they to get experience. And occasionally we will have people that aren't dressed by the book. Maybe you should think of Libby as a Training Level show. The first posting that went out was my husbands, and he had tried to e-mail Carol directly, but instead it went out to the world. We've all made that mistake. Am I excusing him, no. He's entitled to his opinion the same as all of the rest of us. Carol & I and a whole lot of the Libby group will probably never agree on what the Libby show should be, but that's OK, we all have one area of common ground, and that is WE ALL LOVE THIS BREED. Restectfully, Sherrie Dayton
