The pics are some additional ones a photographer took of me and baby Kat at the Monroe spring show...and one of me slouching in my new blouse!
Today:Headed down to ride tonight - by myself so I am hoping it won't take too long. I am just going to focus on some western stuff with Stretch - some Horsemanship maneuvers and a little bit of pleasure. I am going to do a little bit today - and if we don't get it I am going to move on to something else and not get all frustrated.
I will ask if Joe will ride Pat - but he doesn't have to. I am going to take the opportunity to sit with him and talk about Pat's future. If he is not going to be ready for me to show this year I am going to see if I can bring him home for a break and take him back in like November. Give him some more "grow-up" time and give our budget a break. Also I have no intention on hauling him to the next show unless is able to be shown. Fuel costs are just too much and the last time I had both horses at a show together my budget was smarting for a month...
Another issue I want to address is Stretch. I just can't be a two horse person and as nice as Stretch is, in order for me to give Patty a chance I need to sell Stretch. My parents decided they didn't want to keep him for my niece so gave me the clearance to sell him. Which will be sad that my trusty partner in dorkyness will have to go to someone else, there just isn't anything else I can do. :( I barely afford to keep them both in training let alone show them both.
Okay that being said I am moving forward with plans for my little Open Show with the appy folk in two weeks.
Here is my plan thus far:
I am entering
Quarter Horse Halter (because it has been so long since I have done so and I want to),
Leadline for Kat, and a string of english classes that will be held on Sat.
Green Horse,
English Pleasure Adult Exhibitor,
English Pleasure Jr. Horse, and
English Pleasure Other Breeds (because there is no Quarter Horse English Pleasure). That should qualify me for High Point Open English Horse - if we are doing well and the judges are liking us - if not, then we can school and I can scratch a few classes and save myself some bucks. I am also going to try my hand at
English Equitation depending on how the show is moving and if I have any legs left at the end of the day.
I am thinking about
Trail on Sat night - but its just going to depend on how many english classes I did during the day, as I am still trying to make this an affordable show.
On Sunday I have signed up for
Western Equitation and
Green Horse Western Pleasure. If we do well in Green Horse I may turn around and do the other Open WP classes, but it just depends I am not going to stress myself out trying to do it. If Stretch is naughty I can always use the chance to school him a bit. If the old standard still applies at Open shows you can turn your number upside down to let everyone know you are schooling, and stay out of everyone's way while you are doing so and be just fine. I also wanted to try the Western Riding Pattern but they are not offering it as an Open class - only an appy class. And no jumping classes either I wanted to get some pictures of them jumping for Sidetracked.....but i will get some pics for my blog buddies of the spotted horses and the show in general - they just won't be jumping. Maybe I will find a relative of Possum or Squirrelgirl's mare!
I am going to pick Stretch up on Friday night run him up to the Fairgrounds, lunge him if I need to that night and band him. Then all I will have to do on Saturday morning is lunge him again, bath him and clean him up for Halter. Then there should be good chunk of time to warm him up and tack him up for Leadline and then for english.
With only a couple of classes Sunday should be a cinch and should go fast, leaving me with plenty of time to take Stretch back to Lewiston. Also I am not going to be staying at the fairgrounds in my trailer - they are charging a camping fee even if you are not plugged in so I will be taking the 45 min trip home each night. I will not burn 40 bucks in gas driving back and forth to sleep - I would and then some if I were hauling Stretch to my old barn and back so the stall is worth the money, just not the camping fee. I can power my fans and a radio with my generator so I won't have to go without those during the day. It is supposed to be up into the 90's that weekend so I am also gather all my hot weather towels, antisweat sheets, water buckets, and things.
It should be fun I am just itching to go!