Show Tweets: NE GA Charity & MidSummer Classic 2015

Northeast Georgia Foothills Charity Horse Show
June 26th & 27th, 2015
MidSummer Classic
June 28th, 2015
Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center
Gainesville GA, USA

Travel tweets sent by co-pilot.

Now it can be said. I did not enjoy being responsible for someone’s child. It was the same feeling as when I used to drive my grandmother to doctor’s appointments. Of course I was worried about my grandmother coming to harm. I was even more worried about what the family would do to me if harm befell her on my watch.

This was unexpected. I drove the young lady to a show last year [Show Tweets]. I guess back then I was too caught up with Matilda to have time for imaginary woes [Show Report].

Show Reports: NE GA Charity & MidSummer Classic 2015

NE GA sign

Classes
Northeast Georgia Foothills Charity Horse Show
June 26th & 27th, 2015
Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center
Gainesville GA, USA
63. Academy Equitation WTC – Adult: 1st of 4
64. Academy Showmanship WTC – Adult: 2nd of 4
78. Academy WTC Championship: 1st of 4.
The Championship may or may not have been adults only, I was not clear on the entries.

MidSummer Classic
June 28th, 2015
Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center
Gainesville GA, USA
1. Academy Equitation W-T-C All Ages: 5th of 10
2. Academy Showmanship W-T-C All Ages: 5th of 10
8. Academy W-T-C Championship: Thanks for playing out of 10

All six classes with Sultan’s Miracle Man. Thank you to Courtney Huguely for the awesome Sam.

Photographer
Jennifer Barr > Show Proofs > shows dates & class numbers above. Blue shirt, chestnut horse. Hard to miss the blue helmet. [My copyright rant, Ms. Barr has a similar notice on her page as well.]

blue helmet

What I Learned This Weekend

  • A base level of nerves excitement is unavoidable.
  • Acknowledging that I can be competent and incompetent at the same time [Show Today], keeps the butterflies flying in formation (Wofford).
  • I can maintain peak intensity for one class in a weekend.
  • I need to get my sorry ass to the gym.
  • A one-day show can be achieved on enthusiasm. Multi-day showing requires food, sleep, and good shoes.
  • There is no point to looking ahead for a hot-shot maneuver if I forget about what the horse and I are doing at the moment.
  • Don’t be boring.

Last Year
Show Report: NeGCHS 2014
Guest Show Report: A Mom’s POV, Part 1
Guest Show Report: A Mom’s POV, Part 2
Things My Momma Told Me

NE GA sky
Storm over the showgrounds

Show Today: NE GA Charity 2015

Ashado NE GA Charity 2014 Photo by Mom
Ashado
NE GA Charity 2014
Photo by Mom

Northeast Georgia Foothills Charity Horse Show
June 26th & 27th, 2015
Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center
Gainesville GA, USA

New theory. My excess of nerves comes from not knowing what I am doing out there. Walk-trot-canter? Check. Waltz around with my hands up in the air, sitting too far back in the saddle? Not so much.

The parts of riding that I know, I can execute well enough to do unconsciously. Therefore, those parts are easy to dismiss. For the parts I am learning, I must concentrate to get correct. This feels awkward. Feeling awkward makes me feel incompetent. Feeling incompetent makes me feel stupid.

This is not specific to my decision to wander off into Saddlebredville. Let’s say I was well-established at Training level eventing. (A dog can dream.) I decide to move up to Preliminary. The Training elements would be easy. The new movements and speeds required for Prelim would make me feel awkward, incompetent, and stupid.

This not specific to riding. Part of being a freelance writer is marketing. I was reasonably good at this, particularly within the equine market. If the editors did not know me, they knew the magazines on my resume. With non-equine editors, I had to convince them de novo. Being reduced to the new kid on the block made me feel awkward, incompetent, and stupid.

It’s not just that a new skill is difficult. That is self-evident. It’s the mix of old and new. I need to recognize that layering a new skill over an old one will feel weird. It’s part of the process.

Will any of this cogitating help with my preshow desire to give up riding and take up Tiddly Winks? I’ll find out today.

Last Year
Horse Show Today: NeGCHA 2014