Pleasure Driving
Southeastern Charity Horse Show
Georgia International Horse Park
Conyers GA USA
Saturday 22, 2018
Whiskey Throttle
108 Academy Driving. 1st of 1
Thank you to Courtney Huguley for the winning Whiskey.
Show Photographer Doug Shiflet
Despite the fact that my horse was a star, I did not feel as bulletproof as I have come to expect in a cart. Apparently showing three times a year with no practice in between is not the route to mastery. Imagine that.
A third class means I am qualified for year-end points in driving, regardless of how the rules are interpreted [Driving, Not]. While that’s not why I went to the show, neither am I heartbroken that events unfolded thusly.
Whiskey wins the Alvin Ailey Award for versatility [ETSA MidSummer]. At this show, Whiskey was in suit driving, a last-minute sub for suit equitation, and then the full suite of Academy: driving, walk-trot-canter, and walk-trot. On Saturday, he won four blues out of eight classes (others: 2,2,4,&7), three of which involved beating other competitors. My driving blue was uncontested. Eight classes may sound like a lot, but one was my Academy Driving which was two times around, if that, and five were walk-trot.
His warm-up was suitably abbreviated for his schedule of classes. My warm-up for the Championship consisted of napping in the shade while we waited. When I snarked on this, Coach Courtney remarked, “It worked, didn’t it?” Can’t argue with that.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 