Between preparing for Nationals, attending Nationals [Show Report], and recovering from Nationals, the home team got an unearned but hefty vacation. They’ve had sporadic work when my Top Hand had time, or when I wasn’t face first in my pillow from two-a-day lessons. But no noses to grindstones.
No longer! Back to work! Time to make something happen!
Sigh.
In theory, the Thoroughbreds offer me so much more. Riding my own horses. Riding every day. Jumping. Remember jumping? In reality, the Saddlebreds have the edge at the moment. Horses to actually ride. People to talk with. Ribbons. Big, fluffy, ruffled, awesome ribbons.
Bridles, tack, & helmet were dragged out this weekend. Rodney did couch time & long-lined. Milton long-lined twice. On the one hand, nice progress with both horses. On the other hand, an infinitude away from were I wish to be with either one.
How Many People Does It Take To Ride a Horse?
All of them.
People to transport the horse.
People to care for, feed and, clean up after the horse.
People to help shop for clothes.
People to do my hair.
People to do my makeup.
People to pin my sleeves at the last minute when they luff in the breeze.
People to manage the tiny buttonholes.
People to check that my tie is straight.
People to tack up while I stand around not getting dirty.
People to hold my jacket when I get ready to go.
People to hand me lipstick for a last minute touch up.
People to warm up self and horse.
People to give me the nod at just the right moment to storm into the ring.
People to sit around the edges of the ring reminding me of my riding sins.
People to cheer when the results are announced.
People to put on the neck ribbon.
People to remind me which direction to go in a victory pass.
People to throw dirt to perkify horse ears in the photo.
People to reverse the process while I stand around hugging people.
Go Team Stepping Stone!
Photo by Julie Wamble
What Would You Do?
Coach asks me to check the judges’ card for one of the kids. Hmmm? Being an inquisitive type, I check the posted results from my classes on Friday. Second class. Yup, 6th of 7. First class. Well. The announcer read the card wrong. I wasn’t 6th. I was 7th.
Hmmmf.
I followed the directives of the announcer in good faith. Do I keep my green ribbon? However, I know I was last. Should I fess up to the organizer? In the end, I felt morally compelled to swap out my ribbons. Besides, I didn’t have a pretty, purple ribbon.
This happened again for the driving class on Saturday. I was announced 4th but the card had me 5th. Fuck it. If they can’t figure out how to run a horse show, it’s not my job to do it for them. I kept my white ribbon. Besides, I already had a pink.
Retail therapy from Paul Delott.
Where Should I Go?
Finish Your Pass! From my first saddle seat show [Sorta], when I pulled up immediately, I have tried to remember this. On the long side, keep going. On the short side, stop.
In my second class, we are trotting in the second direction. We are told to walk. Okay, I’m still headed across what would be the short side of a dressage arena, i.e. across from C. I have not turned right to head down the long side, M-B-F . Therefore, I walk.
Turns out, the long side/short side distinction is more of a suggestion than a geometric directive.
To a dressage rider, I stop between G&I. To every saddle seat rider filling the arena, I am randomly coming down to a walk in the middle of the ring. This is not done. So not done.
What Do The Horses Think?
Have the nerve-inspired bout of Tourettes before getting in the cart.
Me, sitting in cart, says: “… shit, shit, shit …”
Alvin, listening attentively, hears: ” … trot, trot, trot …”
In the schooling ring, Alvin is all business. On the way out, he sashays across the warm-up ring. As soon as his feel hit pavement, the air completely leaves the balloon and he says, ‘We’re done. I’m goin’ home.’
After the schooling session, I want to be nice. So, I stop Sam in order to get off, loosen the girth, and walk him back. This is not what Saddlebreds are used to. They are ridden back to their stalls. ‘Why are you making me stop? Why aren’t we going back to my bedroom? Why are you doing this weird thing to me?’
Blurry but beautiful
What Did It All Look Like? Sandra Hall Photography. Classes listed yesterday [Part 1]. I’m easy to find in all 8 classes. I’m the only one with a helmet: black on Friday, black with bling on Saturday, & blue on Sunday.
I have ordered NAF14-038-012 (driving) & NAF14-067-052. Sam may look better elsewhere, but my inner 12 year old wants the victory pass photo. Note during the line-up for the last class, everyone else is looking straight ahead in a poised and confident fashion. I am looking off to the side. I hope I am watching another competitor ride the pattern, but I doubt it.
Photos by Courtney Huguley
What Next?
I’ve learned a tremendous amount about riding while polishing my position. Certainly, there is more to learn. On the other hand, I could lead a rich and fulfilling life if I never rode in another equitation class. On the third hand, I still don’t have a big, fluffy blue …
Coming out of nowhere to take Reserve National Champion. Cue dramatic music.
Sam, aka Fabulous Show Horse, comes thru for me at Nationals! Photo by Courtney Huguley
National Academy Championship Horse Show
October 31-November 2, 2014 Miller Coliseum
Murfreesboro, TN
Academy WTC Adult with Sultan’s Miracle Man (Sam)
Academy Driving with Alvin Ailey (Alvin)
Thank you to the Donovan family & the Wamble family for their wonderful horses.
How Did That Happen? Friday Morning
1. Adult WTC Equitation – Rode stellar. Placed 7th of 7
6. WTC Pleasure Adult – Major geometry error. Placed 6th of 7
13. Pleasure Driving Horse or Pony – Poor drive. 4th of 5
Less in the dumps that you might think, given every other show report. I knew I was riding well.
Saturday Morning
28. WTC Equitation Adult Championship – Experimented with riding closer to the edge. Stayed 6th of 7.
33. WTC Pleasure Adult – Experimented with keeping eyes UP at all costs. Rocketed to 5th of 7.
38. Pleasure Driving Championship – Good drive. 5th of 5.
You are sensing, perhaps, that this was not my weekend?
Coach asked around. Was told that the impression I gave was “generic.” A nice lady at Hartmeyer Saddlery fixed that. I was noticeable.
Sunday Morning
59. Adult Equitation Pleasure WTC National Finals – New shirt, new vest, blue hat. 3rd of 6. Only three ribbons awarded in the Finals.
67. Adult WTC Equitation National Finals – Pattern class. 2nd of 6.
On the surface, it looks as if I put on a new, blue helmet and raked in the ribbons. (BTW, the helmet looks even bluer in the ring.) The reality was more layered. As we expected, the new duds moved me up about one place. The three judges had me 3rd, 4th, and 6th. By my math, that hovers between fourth and fifth place. Due to the insanely complicated* scoring and the fact that the judges could not agree on the other riders, I slid into 3rd.
Plus, I really like the outfit. When I would catch a glimpse of my shiny, satiny, blue sleeves – in my peripheral vision, I wasn’t looking down – I would think, ‘I look fabulous.’ Therefore, I rode fabulous. The day before, I had tinkered with new ways to ride in the ring (Why not? I had nothing to lose). The new attitude add an extra touch of crispness to the improved postition. The new outfit was the final element that pulled everything together. For two years, they have been telling me to be ladylike. That occurred with intermittent success. Now they are telling me to be loud. This I can do.
Once I placed third, the second was less of a surprise. To me anyway. Thirty-four years of grunting around dressage rings gave me hope for a stellar pattern. My riding past is usually an albatross in these classes. It was nice to have it work in my favor.
If I had not lost on Friday, I probably would not have won Reserve Champion on Sunday.
*The USEF hashad a PDF titled Majority Opinion Three-Judge Scoring System, under Guidelines and Forms. Let me know if you have any luck with it. “It is possible for a horse to win without having a first place vote. This rare situation only occurs when there is significant variation in the judges’ opinions.”
Update: PDF has been moved. I found it under Breeds > American Saddlebred > Guidelines & Forms. Or Google, Majority Opinion Three-Judge Scoring System.
Kentucky’s Saddlebred Heritage
by James Kemper Millard [Arcadia 2007]
200 black and white photographs, from historic to modern
Part of the Images of America series
After my riding lessons, I tend to ponder what I have learned. After one lesson, I emailed my instructor with an observation that was both trenchant and pithy. Instead of gasping in awe at my grasp of equitation theory, this was her response:
“Your brain never stops does it?”
~~~
Gratuitous Cat Photo Rhyme
Virtual Brush Box 