Winter Tournament Banquet

[No end-of-month commentary. I’ve done enough blog pondering with the OT discussion: Off Topic: Yay or Nay? & Poll Results. Previous State of the Blog posts]

Winter Tournament posts

Romantic Magdalena Photo by Suzanne Price MacLeod
Romantic Magdalena
Photo by Suzanne Price MacLeod

Maggie, my noble steed for the final Winter Tournament show, waiting for a lesson at home. Everyone else is in the ring, so she’s wondering why are we aren’t. Have I mentioned that I hate how I look on a horse [Lights]? All I can see are the flaws. And the pants. Hard to miss the pants.

Advanced Horsemanship WTC Adult Division
Ten ladies rode in three shows, but only four riders qualified for awards. I came in fourth. Pfffffttt.

From what people have said, I don’t look incompetent up there. I just don’t look sufficiently saddleseat. I suspect I have suitable form and am trotting along sprightly – for a Working Hunter. The next step is to understand & attain ASB animation.

I was riding
In a new, higher level,
Against suit riders,
& With no lessons.

I should be pleased, no? Ha! Since I was flying solo, I was told that I would be allowed to show but was not allowed to bitch about my ribbons. Sure, but did you expect me to the reasonable about awards!?!? As The Bunny said, “He don’t know me very well, do he?”

I want them ALL!
I want them ALL!

Advanced Equitation WTC Adult (Pattern) Division
Not sure if I’d show up for pastel joy, but I’ll represent for a blue fluffy, even if I was the only one contesting. I “won” because no one else wanted to ride a pattern. Both times, the other riders in my Horsemanship class elected not to ride in Equitation. I was the only one of any age to do a pattern during the Tournament. DFL beats DNS. However, I can’t be too smug. Individual tests are familiar places for me. I may not like dressage, but I’m certainly used to it. It’s the group ride/game-time decisions that give me trouble.

If I was penalized for my riding past in the first instance, I reaped the benefit of it in the second. My prize was a tricolor and a monogrammed saddlepad. My first award saddlepad. I threathened to put it on Rodney. Feeling was that I need to wait for an ASB. OTOH, I’m not sure this is ever going to the barn. Maybe after I win armloads of award pads & blankets I would unclench enough use and eventually destroy them. For now, this one’s a trophy.

AFMAS L to R: me, Kathie Mautner Photo by Faith Pack
AFMAS
L to R: me, Kathie Mautner
Photo by Faith Pack
Ghost & Blue putting the saddlepad to good use.
Ghost & Blue putting the saddlepad to good use.

Overall
The Winter Tournament Association also awards a High Point Adult & HP Junior for each barn. If I ever get back to hunter/jumper/dressage/eventing, I will miss the saddeseat tendency for loot & bling.

SSF High Point winners L to R: Katie Griffin, me Photo by Courtney Huguley
SSF High Point winners
L to R: Katie Griffin, me
Photo by Courtney Huguley
Close-up
Close-up

If you look at the reflection in the body of the cup, you can see that I did not even get it out of my car before taking a brag photo.

Grooming Tweets

Last Saturday, we took five horses and 11 riders to the Horsemanship Challenge. I rode last year [Regular Programming], but declined to do so this year.

They didn’t have enough blue ribbons on the day. [Show Report] The rosette in the earlier post was a stunt double.

We continue to show at a saddleseat barn that has a resident hunter/jumper trainer. I have yipped about this before [Echoes].

Tweeting as a groom was an experiment. Turns out I had much to do but little to say. The point of the Horsemanship Challenge was to show on an unknown horse. Each rider pulled a horse out of the proverbial hat, or in this case, plastic food storage bag. Then, we all ran about identifying our horses for other riders and helping our riders track down their mounts. Repeat for two divisions with three classes each. I spent the day getting subsets of child, saddle, horse, & bridle into the same point in time & space. Exciting moments consisted of “Yes, this is Willie.” or “Oh, here is Annie’s bridle.” Useful information, but hardly an exciting tweet.

I have not done a full-on grooming day in a long time. My feet hurt so badly afterwards that my in-house masseur had to give me a foot rub before I could stand up long enough to take a shower.

My GPS track for the day.
My GPS track for the day.

A friend invited me to dinner that night. Technically, an event could have existed that would have drawn me out of the house. Short of resurrected family members, none came to mind.

Mare Update the Second

Mathilda is making the Thoroughbred look sane. Due to winter weather and muddy footing, her current routine is pen at night and handwalks/grazing during the day. Furthermore, we have switched her from a senior feed to a pellet of which she likes the taste. No more leftovers. More calories + less activity = spooking, spinning, & trotting in hand. From a horse who often tacks at the walk.

While concerned that she might hurt herself, we are delighted to see her full of pep & vinegar.
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Gratuitous Cat Pic

Percy
Percy

Update: Title changed because I am starting to repeat myself. Mare Update from last summer