Northeast Georgia Foothills Charity Horse Show
June 27th & 28th, 2014
Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center, Gainesville GA
I showed in Academy Walk, Trot, Canter Adult with Ashado, barn name Lola. Thanks to Jessica Hill and her family for sharing their fabulous mare.
My mother came down to watch me ride. She has offer to share her experience. Welcome:
Being with Katherine at a horse show seemed like old times, in many ways.
There were people to meet and greet from the barn, hurry up and wait, watch her mood go from “up” to “tense” to “focused” to “done but I’m not ready to let go of the horse”.
There was dust, heat, and humidity. Horses, dogs, people, but very few insects.
There was food: snacks from the car, donuts all day (kindness of K), concession stand food, lunch at a Mexican restaurant and a late, late dinner at a Waffle House. I was stuffed. Not healthy, just stuffed. I can’t believe I ate four donuts!
There were classes of teeny, weeny three-year-olds riding great big horses on a leadline. They all did so well that they all got blue ribbons. There were stately seventy-year olds in driving classes who drove with such aplomb that they made you feel that automobiles were unnecessary.
K rode in three classes and got a first and a second in her first two.
After her last class, with a fourth out of four, she disappeared. Not in the barn area, not in the car, not near the ring. Mother-worry set in. Was she off in a quiet corner in tears? Did she want to be left alone? Did she want me to find her and comfort her, and if so, how?
After a while, longer than was comfortable for me, she appeared with a smile on her face and her horse on a leadline. As I said, she doesn’t let go of her horse easily and they were off grazing. She was pleased with her ride and felt good about the progress she had made in specific areas. Clearly, I am not a “horsemother”. I do not understand the nuances of the sport. But I did understand the big grin on her face. Worth all the dust, etc.
It was wonderful to be in her world and see the people, and the horses in her life. Yes, I was introduced to the horses. They all looked very big, had four legs, and were mostly brown with long, long tails. They have names. I do remember the names of the barn people, but the horses, not so much.
As I said at the start, this is a Mom’s point of view. I’ll leave it to K to give you a horsewoman’s show report.
Virtual Brush Box 
All blues in the lead line … this is why we don’t ride lead line any more. What kind of a result is that!!?? 😉 Glad you seem happy about your results and look forward to reading the riders’s report.
How old were the riders in the lead line class? Were they very young?
Have emailed show management. Will report back.
Thank you.
From the show management:
“Leadline is for beginner riders 8 and under. For mentally or physically challenged children there is no age limit. This gives a rider an opportunity to develop their skills in a controlled environment.”