Show Report

Thanks for all the supportive comments on my last entry. Truly, the only day I felt sad about getting laid off was the day it happened, and it only lasted about 5 minutes. I am not the type to let things like that get me down. My resume went out to a pro to be revamped and I spent the week searching job listings and applying to ones I liked. I am feeling hopeful that this layoff may be a blessing in disguise, and I may end up in a better job where I am valued and appreciated.

Lucy has been doing great this week. She didn't have too busy of a schedule because Amanda was working a ton, and I was busy job hunting and helping Kenny with the house renovation projects. We finished spackling and sanding earlier in the week, and the first coat of primer went on last night. It looks really good in there!

It's funny how the day flies by even when I don't have a job to sit at for 8 hours. I thought I'd have a ton of time to spend at the barn but in reality I do not. I'm sure as I figure out my new "schedule" sans work, that I'll be able to hammer out my barn time. Good news is that Lucy seemed to do well with the extra days of R&R, and was a superstar yesterday at the show.

The morning started out well enough. We planned to leave around 8, and wound up leaving at 8:17. NOT BAD! :) Brantley loaded up great and Lucy practically ran onto the trailer to be with him. Sometimes, a horse's attachment to their buddy sucks. Sometimes, though, it rocks ;)

Both horses were nice and quiet for the ride over to the farm that was hosting the show. Of course it started to rain en route, but a little rain never killed anyone, so we weren't concerned. Amanda and Maddy checked in and picked their classes, we unloaded both horses, and the girls took them for a small tour of the farm so that they could see everything.

After that, Maddy took Brantley into the outdoor ring to lunge him a bit, and Lucy was almost beside herself. Now that is the kind of buddy-buddy attachment I cannot STAND. Amanda was trying to hold Lucy as Lu was walking all over her. I suggested that she take Lucy and do a bit of groundwork with her, lunging on a small circle, changes of direction/speed, etc. Lucy started out very distracted and not wanting to listen, but quickly turned her attention to Amanda instead of Brantley, and soon was looking much calmer and less concerned about where her friend was! We didn't have any additional problems with them needing to be together after that.

Amanda signed up for the Open W/T division, and also the OTTB W/T division. She did a small warm-up with Lucy and noted that she felt Lucy was the type of horse you didn't really drill before going into a class, which was totally spot-on. She did just enough to make sure Lu had a brain in her head, and was supple, and then went into her classes and did so well! Lucy was quiet, calm, and happy. At one point she got a little pissy so Amanda took her out of the ring, gave her a break while the next class went, and then returned back to the ring. Lucy's brain had totally reset itself thanks to her break, and she went better than ever.

I was glad there were other horses in all of Amanda's classes. This show is sooooo tiny that sometimes you're the only person in the ring, and there's no point to that! We can ride by ourselves at home and not pay to do it ;)

Maddy and Brantley had a great day, too, but I'll let her tell you all about it on her blog!

Here are some photos:

warming up in the misty outdoor

how cute is that face?

winner winner chicken dinner! Lucy was all, "DUH..."

Champion of the Open W/T division

Back in the ring for the OTTB division

After this class was over, the judge commented to Amanda that she had a lovely,
calm mare and the judge really liked her.  Amanda pointed at me and said, "she
belongs to Kate over there" and I laughed and said, "thanks for the compliment;
she can be pretty wild and this is her first show back after six months off for an
injury so we are thrilled with her behaviour!"

Then the owner of the farm we were at asked us if we wanted to breed Lucy
to an Arab stud.

Umm...

Would you ride a Lucy x Arab cross? ;)

She was so chill, didn't care if they were standing around or not, and calmly
hung out while Brantley was in his classes.

Great job, ladies!

The whole crew, from left to right: Natalie (Comic's owner), Brantley,
Maddy, Me, Amanda, and Lucy!

Loading up to go home was a bit of a challenge. Brantley was not having any of it, and I really felt for Maddy because I have been in her shoes so many times. It is extremely frustrating for your horse not to load after a long day at a show/clinic/event when everyone is so tired (and cold and wet in this case). Brantley had whacked his head on the trailer getting off of it earlier in the day, and he seemed to be saying, you want me to get back on that thing? HELL NO! But with time and patience, he calmly stepped on. The only good part about all of that is that after duking it out with Brantley for a while, Maddy suggested we try to put Lucy on first. Lucy had been eating grass a ways away with Amanda's mom holding her while we tried to load Brantley. Now Lucy is notoriously a horrible loader, but to all of our amazement, she walked right on even with Brantley not loading. Good girl!!

After putting everything away, cleaning the trailer, and turning the horses out with very generous piles of hay, we went and stuffed our faces at a local pizza place. Maddy and I returned the trailer to her friend who let us borrow it, and thus concluded our show day!