On the last post about softening, it was mentioned that my wife CnJ took my mare Johnie into the ring under hunter tack. They placed 2nd out of 9that day. I told her not to get anymore hairbrained ideas.
Fast forward a few years...
We took a client horse to another local show, just to give him something else to do. He was a reiner who was working towards being a cutter. Nice horse, great owners and we all thought, "Why not?" He placed 3rd of 12 entries and also 4th of 15. He placed behind 'finished' horses whose riders were dressed to the hilt for the schooling show.
So now's your chance to spill it.
What did you do?
Where did you go?
When did you take a horse to an event, enter them in something they weren't bred for, built for, trained to do or whatever- entered as a joke and placed?
Or maybe you didn't place at all but had a great time anyways. We know that happens too. As long as everyone had fun, who does it hurt?
Update on the Morgan story
14 years ago
19 comments:
When I was 12 or 13 I took my hunter pony with me to a 3 week summer camp. They had horses there, so I was going to use one of theirs for the Western lessons and my own pony for the English lessons.
I ended up using my own pony for both.
We won the Western Pleasure Equitation and the Barrel Racing classes in the mini horse show at the end of the session. We also placed second in the Western Pleasure. I won a little belt buckle for being Most Improved.
Might I add that he bucked almost the whole way around the barrel pattern? He saw it as an exercise in flying changes, that he usually bucked through anyway.
It was a blast and I'll never forget the summer we were traitors to our craft. ;)
Well hell. I don't have any more stories.
I have been wrong exactly twice.
Unless you include the time I rode a friends big fat jiggley appy mare in western pleasure.
I thought we were jogging. It felt like we were jogging. Everything was moving like we were jogging.
Except apparently her feet.lol
Have a good one guys!!!
Long before the days of being a "Rotten", one of my friends and I took her young walker gelding to a local show. He was a TW and I had only ridden him twice. It was enough to get a feel for getting him into his gait and keeping him there- constant fine tuning. Little more leg less rein when he's puttering out, little less leg and gentle rein when he picks up a little too much speed to accomodate.
She had been lectured before our class from the supposed local guru of all things gaited, about how to best handle a walker, what tack to use, shoeing, feed supplements- the whole shebang. Guess who was also riding in our class? Why of course! Self appointed, Mr. too important himself.
Well there was one other entry- a rider who flew in from out of state for the snicker worthy event. She was dressed as if attending a show similar to the Celebration. Of course she won, but my second place for a second ride on a horse I really didn't know- my friend was more than excited. Mr self appointed, too important? I don't remember if he even placed, but he had lost a deal of acredabiliyy they day in the eyes of at least one that I know.
I entered my VERY forward, VERY hunter mare in WP at a show just for fun.
Well, we'd been working on collection (or what felt like it to my teenaged self who didn't have money for lessons that month), and ol' Vandy had a nice floaty feeling little jog and slooow lope, with her neck all lifted up and probably on the bit very prettily with minimal contact. You know, like an old time Arab WP horse.
The judge had us pinned second in a BIG class... he had us lined up in place order like a halter class for some reason, and walked down the line one more time before giving his placings to the steward.
He stopped next to me and was all like WAIT JUST A COTTON' PICKIN' MINUTE HERE.
"Um, is that a quarter horse?"
"Um, yessir.... usually we do hunters....."
He hastily rearranged us... bumped us down to 6th I think, if we even placed. He did place some Arabs, so he wasn't all AQHA centric.
I guess if you had a quarter horse, it HAD to be a peanut roller...
It was fun, though. He was SOOOOO irritated that we'd faked him out with a non-headset horse.
I was so intimidated by showing...and my friend was excellent in the show ring, so I had her ride my horse for me and they were really doing great.
We went to a small show and she had me pack my show clothes to ride a class or two, but I knew I wasn't ready. I think the hyperventilation was a clue.
She ran up and signed us up for classes, and when I asked her which class I was riding...she said "all of them" with a big grin on her face! As I was riding into the ring, absolute horror on my face and sputtering but...but...
I finally focused and we won! Placed or took first in every class I rode that day.
The show had a high point award, and I needed just a couple more points, so we entered my hunter/jumper horse in barrel racing. Some cowgirl laughed at the sissy horse running, peeved me, and we smoked her good. Talk about a rush! She didn't know that english was a second horse language for me, grew up riding western and did a lot of can chasing as a kid.
I took my dressage/gaming horse to a season of around the rail. WP, EP and Trail.
I was told I couldn't run a gymkhana on Saturday and show on Sunday. Uhm...yeah. So I did just to prove the point. Ended up second overall for year end. I will admit we did much better english than western.
Same horse a year or so later. I went to a local dressage show. He was a black qtr gelding. About 15.2h. Nice horse. I ended up scoring 71 and 73 at 2nd 1 and 2nd 3. As I was exiting the court...patting my horse (you know when you're ride was good even before you see the scores), this woman with her fancy schmancy wb comes up to me. "What is he?" I was confused, "What?" She says, "What is he, some sort of minature warmblood?" I said, "No, he's just a quarter horse without a butt." My instructor swallowed her tongue. Poor Elaine.
Okay, snorked coffee on my keyboard again HP!
HP... that ROCKS.
JR's colt Mondo reminds me of the Baroque QH I know (except Mond's butt is a little higher and his neck a tad shorter).
I LOVE it when people do well in various disciplines with their "nontraditional" horses, like Shelia Varian and Lendon Grey.
And Teddy O'Connor *sigh*
People get so hidebound....
Hey, JR, haven't popped by in a while. How are you and CNJ doing?
Hey ya Marshmellow
Yes it has been a little while. Things are great here just a little wet.
The girls have graduated college and are working on their PhD's.
Actully we are trying to get geared up for the show season but for some reason we are taking our time. Those little girls are really jsut keeping us very busy at the moment.
How are things with you?
CP
we were hoping that Camiseta would have added a little length to Mondos neck but just never happened. But he is an athelletic little shit.
Kestrel
You mention that you are a little intimidated by shows, I stll get a little nervous before each class. After 30 years, you would ting that would not happen, but it does. But then I start top focus and that all goes away. I do not, however, like to focus too muckh because I will over ride the horse.
CNJ hates when I tell her to quit thinking and just ride,
Anyone care to guess how often I hear that?
Here's a hint- a lot!
*waves to AMM* Good to see you pop in again!
i rode my dressage horse in an exteme cowboy race once, however we didn't win, or place, but we did kick everyone else's butt at jumping cavalettis and leg-yield (side-pass)
i did however get bucked off during warm-up. she bucked and i landed on her neck held on and finally got her to stop then gracefully dimounted, my nickname that show was spider-monkey :)
in the end we ended up getting the "we feel bad you got last place" medal
;)
I watched an extreme cowboy race on TV once, and was like... that's all?? Any horse used to trail riding, with half decent training, should be OK, but I was surprised by how many of the horses freaked out at the little creek they had to cross, and a couple of other very common trail obstacles.
O yeah.... Hi Mel ! Where you been?
Hi CP- *waves* Yeah there needs to be a new post. I mean it's Saturday again already.
Hey JR, get off your tukus and post something, would ya? Lol...
It's not going to be anything with pictures of hubby in action with Mondo, Johnie or Chica... Since it has been raining all week. Drizzle, pour, drizzle, drizzle, pour, pour, blow, pour, drizzle, pour... With everything being set up for irrigation, the pastures are all just standing water. Sure to be weeds before long. Pfft.
I wanted to learn reining, but lacked a reining bred horse. Took my Anglo-Arab HJ to my first reining clinic (hey, he neck reins, lopes pretty, thats all I need right???) Survived the clinic..all 8 hours..showed him twice in reining shows...with vintage Arab tack...felt like I was getting lots of stares. Great lead changes..rollbacks..but no turnarounds..or great stops, but it inspired me enough to buy a reiner baby!
ML: I LOVE Vintage Arab Tack!!
Braided headstalls, reins, hobbles etc. with silver ferrules.
Cute little saddles with the lacing all 'round and filligree trim. Girls in pointy toed boots.
It was all so elegant and handcrafted looking, compared to the AQHA stuff, which always strikes me as clunky and overdone.
I used to love my arab tack. Braided romel reins, with filagree silver rounds, and matching headstall. Had a silver encrusted wp saddle with a Clyde Kennedy tree. In the dark leather with a hint of burgandy to it. Loved that tack.
I love the stories! That's the kind of thing I love to hear. Neener neener to the breed purists.
And I totally agree with Cattypex about western show tack. Ugly & clunky. No refinement. That's one thing I like about Dressage and English - everybody dresses alike, including the horses.
If I was a WP judge, would I be tempted to dump someone because their tack was ugly? Nah - but it sure would distract me from their horse.
Ruthie, wanting to pwn AQHA
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