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Hey Everyone!
Now that Patti Jo started about Blue Earth, it got me thinking and remembering
about all that I
saw, so…..where to begin….hr…..and warning-I wrote a lot…..
So I came back this year with my chunky buddy Ivan as my project, my Mom and
Dad were running
around showing their stallion Woods and a new mare to showing named Touren
owned by Bob Long. Mom
and Bob also showed Bob’s other mare named Penny. I also had the absolute
privilege of showing the
stallion Niklaus, but I’ll hit on that guy later
Well Ivan and I had an interesting show together. We started out driving, and
well….OOPS! See I
kinda worked him earlier in the day, then he had a few classes in the
afternoon, and he knew where
the out gate was, so we were kinda walking around in the ring during the show,
and he saw the out
gate, stopped and started backing (completely unlike him). I just could not get
him to go forward
and after he backed into the gate and the judge stopped the class and I am
TOTALLY embarrassed, I
got him to move in the right direction and we continued with the class…oops It
was neat though, at
other shows if that happened, people on the sidelines would be giving me this
look like “urgh, how
dare she bring in a horse like that” or “well she’ll get dead last for not
knowing how to control
her horse”. But you know what? NOT AT BLUE EARTH!! After I got him moving,
person after person
after person after person was giving me advice (mostly to calm me down) and
just simply being VERY
encouraging. And those who did not talk just had this smile/look on their face
as if saying “it’s
ok girl, you just keep going, you’re doing great”. I didn’t care how I placed
in that class or the
next one. In my book, seeing and hearing all of those people and by getting
through that class was
worth more to me than what any blue ribbon could have given. So thank you guys!!
But after that day, Ivan and I rallied-not sure how, but we did. We came back
later in the day to
place third in our log skid (no faults!), then second in single pleasure
driving women and third in
pick your route (also no faults!). We have NEVER placed that high in any
performance classes
before, and I was absolutely tickled pink.
Nik, Nik, Nik, Nik, Nik. If any of you have met this boy, then you know what
I’m talking about.
Nik is this BEAUTIFUL grey dun stallion with a heart of gold owned by Mike &
Susie Sadlon. I was
given the amazing opportunity to ride him at Blue Earth and I was extremely
excited. I rode him in
English pleasure and equitation, we didn’t place but he did a very nice job.
Being my first year
showing a stallion and in classes with mares, geldings and another stallion, I
never felt for one
moment that I was on an uncontrollable horse. He was absolutely excellent and
disposition wise he
is everything that one could dream of in a stallion. Before the show Nik was at
Patti Jo’s getting
some work done, and I caught wind that Nik jumped and I was showing him. Well
I’ve never really
jumped before and I really didn’t have the best horse to practice on (Ivan +
Jumping = Earthquakes
in China). At one point in practicing with Ivan, I did lose my balance and I
fell-not Ivan’s fault-
all mine. So going into Blue Earth and the hunter hack class, I have to say I
was worried. We took
our practice jumps at a trot and he did just fine, and then came time for the
real test. I know
that Nik knew that I was worried, and he took care of me better than any horse.
We took those jumps
perfectly. We went into them, jumped and I finished with the biggest smile I
could get. Good boy
Nik! Later on Eby Higdon took Nik in the Low Hunter of Fences and also Jumpers
Choice which she
totally blew everyone away in! Every jump they took we all cheered and it was
truly a sight to see.
Our show has become a lot of fun at the end with all of the gaming classes. One
imparticular class
that has been developed is the Team Farmers Race. Now this year we didn’t have
the two stone boats
and all the hay, so we had to improvise. We ended up having a guy & girl team
driving a team of
horses pulling a stone boat and weaving through cones. Sounds simple enough-but
it was FUN! I first
drove with Michael Kline and Birger & Ande both of us wound up winning our
divisions and the whole
class. I then drove with Mike Sadlon and Daymon & Tana, and well, oops again I
kinda hit a cone or
two, but was still fun and I had a blast. I’ve never really driven a team a lot
(once with Sadlons
at the Kentucky horse park!!) and so for both Mike & Mike to let me drive their
teams was very
generous and it is something that I will always remember-THANK YOU!
So now that I’ve talked about me and what I did, I need to get going on some
other people that made
the event extra memorable. So lets start with my wonderful mother. Mom as most
of you know is the
chair of the
