Show Report: Winter Tournament 2017-18 #1, Riding

Saddle Seat Wednesday

tldr: Survived the first. Rode the second. Rocked the third. Almost.

We interrupt this show report [Riding] to bring you a show report. Yes, It’s been horse show central around here.

Alabama Winter Tournament 2017-2018
ERA Stables/Elite Riding Academy
Arab, AL USA
Saturday, Nov 11, 2017

1. Advance Horsemanship WTC Adult – 3th of 4
2. Advanced Equitation WTC Adult (Pattern) – 2nd of 4
7. Pleasure Horse or Pony WTC Adult – 4th of 4
Thank you to Courtney Huguley for the willowy Whiskey. (W is big for an ASB. Shorter than Rodney, but legs everywhere.)

After the intensity of dancing on the big stage, I didn’t fancy taking Dottie for a shuffle around the barn floor at a hoe-down. Instead I rode Whiskey, a five-gaited horse who is rearranging his world view to include being a three-gaited Academy horse.

Apparently, the rack is similar enough to the canter that a) the rider must be very clear about which gait is intended, and b) five-speed horses are allowed to canter faster to prevent confusion. This is a learning curve for me. I do such a good saddle seat canter (Really, it’s stellar. Alas, no one cares. Saddle seat is all about the trot. But I digress.) that I have a habit of asking for too much (too slow) from horses who aren’t up to it.

In warm-up, I was all, ‘Eek, a new horse’, and Whiskey was all, ‘Eek, a new place’. So, the first class was decent, but conservative. Second class, similar. I managed to get my hands up and heels out for equitating.

Whiskey went in the ring with his second rider.

By the time I got back on, the multiple classes had taken some starch out of his bloomers. I felt comfortable pushing him for more flash. The winner of my first two classes was another woman from my barn on Snippy. She was going down. We dazzled the trot. I got the canter lead. I sat his canter. First place was ours! Until he lost count of his legs and fell out of the canter. Right. In front. Of the judge. Quickly repaired, but damage done. Bzzzzzt. Last. Oh well, if one has to have bad horse show karma, Winter Tournament is the place to have it.
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Policy question. So, how do I label an image after fiddling with it? I want to credit the photographer. OTOH, what if they are appalled at what I hath wrought? Any copyright experts care to weigh in?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

#bloglikecrazy