Horses, Life, A Touch of Geek

Archive for the ‘Driving’ Category

Safety Doesn’t Have to Be Ugly: Helmet-Hat Debut

Driving Thursday

Been There, Done That competed with her combined helmet & driving hat at the 31st Annual ASAC Spring Classic Horse Show. The green hat, by Debbie Navelski of RodeApple Hats, is designed to fit snugly over a helmet. [Guest Post: It’s Let’s-Wear-A-Helmet Day!]

The judge had no problem with a helmet in pleasure driving, giving the pair the victory in the first class.

The driver wanted to be sure that I credited owner Reagan Upton, trainer Courtney Huguley of Stepping Stone Farm, and of course, Rare Friends. Photo by Sandra Hall, used with permission.

For more helmet-hat action, Sandra Hall Photography > ASAC Spring Classic (once that icon is gone, Horse Show Proofs > 2018 ASAC Spring Classic 18) > Thursday Evening 1 to 26 > 23 Open Park Pleasure Driving & Friday Morning 27 to 44A >40 Open Park Pleasure Driving Stake.
~~~
Rare Friends elsewhere on RS, in his guise as an Academy horse.

[Show Report, Show Photo]
[Show Reports, Winter Tournament #1 & # 2, 2016/2017]
[Show Report, Winter Tournament #3, 2017]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Driving, Horse Shows, Horses, Saddle Seat, Safety

Winter Tournament Banquet 2015, Driving

Driving Thursday

(Continued from yesterday) … as it turned out, I won!


 

Alabama Winter Tournament Association, Facebook Group
End of Series Award
Academy Driving – 1st of 2
Thank you to the Wamble family for Alvin and to Courtney Huguley for Whiskey.

In the case of fewer blue ribbons versus a greater number of reds, it depends on the points assigned to each. Sometimes the math goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.

Obligatory Grip & Grin
Photo by Courtney Huguley

I was out of proportion pleased to find out I won the division. As I made my way sedately and maturely back to my seat, I wanted to hug the award blanket to my chest and never let go. Admitting to an inner age of 12 may be an overestimation. 8? 6? 4?

[Show Reports: NACHS 2017 & Winter Tournament 2017-18 #1, Driving]
[Show Report: Winter Tournament 2017-18 #2, Driving]
[Winter Tournament posts]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Driving, Horse Shows, Horses, Saddle Seat

ASB Lesson

Driving Thursday

 

Greg & Whiskey at Stepping Stone Farm

Since our driving horse isn’t driving at the moment, we went over to SSF for a lesson. Greg hasn’t been in a two-wheel cart since last October [Show Report Driving & Lessons, Milton’s First Carriage Drive] and hasn’t been behind a Saddlebred since last May [Show Report, Show Photos].

He did great, of course, as did Whiskey.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Driving, Horses, Saddle Seat

Show Photos: CAA 2017

Driving Thursday

Utility Vehicle Reinsmanship, Victory Pass

With Milton on injured reserve [God Laughs] and no saddle seat shows [Do It All], not much driving going on. Instead, here are some belatedly ordered photos from the CAA Carriage Festival last year [Show Report]. (You may notice that MY photos get ordered right away – the good ones at least – while Greg’s get ordered eventually.)

Greg drives Bliss WH. Double Jeopardy passenger is Coach Kate. Presentation Drive passenger is me. All photos by & purchased from Casey McBride.

Utility Vehicle Timed Obstacles

Double Jeopardy Single Horse

Presentation Pleasure Drive

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Combined Driving, Driving, Horses, Photography

Milton Does It All

 

I am reversing my position [I know I wrote a post about this. Can’t find it. My search-fu is failing me]. I think sharing Milton will be a good thing rather than a thing that needs to be dealt with.

First, fitness. If Milton is to get in shape for a CDE, someone will have to condition him during the week. That would be me. Said conditioning will be more successful if I am aboard instead of trotting next to him.

Dressage lessons? I ride Saturday; Greg drives Sunday. Driven dressage is ridden dressage with a cart. No problems here.

Finally, Milton is the sort of horse who thinks he got it even when he don’t. After the third rendition of an exercise, I can see Milton start to phone it in. Physically, Milton needs to do it again. Mentally, his attention has wandered. Constantly changing up the approach will be a benefit rather than a distraction.

That’s the theory. For now.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Driving, Horses, Riding

Show Report: Winter Tournament 2017-18 #2, Driving

Driving Thursday

Alabama Winter Tournament 2017-2018
Stepping Stone Farm
Chelsea, AL USA
Saturday, Dec 16, 2017
[Show Report]

26. Academy Driving with Whiskey – 1st of 2
Thank you to the Courtney Huguley for Whiskey

Back in November, Miss Courtney asked me to help her hitch a new horse. She took all the risk. I held the horse a little and then stood around with the metaphorical whiskbroom to pick up the pieces.

From the previous trainer, Miss Courtney had gotten conflicting reports on whether or not the horse, Whiskey, had been driven. Miss Courtney knew Whiskey’s original trainer and was pretty sure he was the type to drive his horses before teaching them to ride. Pretty sure. As she said, we all did a whole lot of praying in a short amount of time.

Whiskey was a star.

You could see him flipping through his mental files, trying to figure out where he’d done all this strange stuff before. The second time we hitched, Whiskey was all, “Yup. I remember this.” I took a turn that day. Third time, “I be a driving horse.” The fourth time Whiskey hitched, I drove without Miss Courtney warming him up and then Whiskey gave an intro driving lesson.

At the show, we took the precaution of hitching in the ring, given the chaos of horses coming in and out. Probably wasn’t needed. Whiskey was a total pro.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Driving, Horse Shows, Horses, Saddle Seat

Letter Art: Graphic Design for the Masses, the One-Horse Open Sleigh Stamp

Reveal

When I was much younger, I remember going with my grandmother to the Post Office. She took time to examine all the available stamps before choosing ones she liked. I wondered, and probably said, ‘Why bother? They’re just stamps.’ These days I find myself doing the same thing, opting for a moment of beauty in a mundane task. Which leads me to wonder about the artists who create stamps. Millions see their work; no one knows their name.

“The late Howard E. Paine was the art director. Artist Steve McCracken of Winchester, VA, created original art for the project.” Postal Service to Dedicate Christmas Carols Forever Stamps

Howard E. Paine
If anyone has information/links for artist Steve McCracken, please let me know. Steve McCracken Illustration, per comment below.
A Short Course on First Day Covers from the American First Day Cover Society, proving that there is an organization for everything. Although, given the number of horse associations to which I pay dues each year, I cannot cast the smallest pebble,

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Art, Driving, Horses, Lettering