Hi everyone, if you didn’t know, I went to my first show on Feb 10 and I just went to my 2nd show on March 16. So… as usual, I show up at the barn early to get ready!
First things first, cleaning tack. I always clean the bridle of the horse I am going to ride or at least SUPPOSED to ride. So I am assigned to the pony I rode last time. I get his bridle and I clean the bit in water and clean the leather with saddle soap. Once that’s done, I hang it by the stall and start brushing. Yes, he is as dusty as you can imagine. You pat his butt and you will be inhaling dust! Okay, now I don’t want to create a desert there so I try and get rid of the most dust that I can but really, you cannot possibly get rid of all the dust. There is another kid riding him and she helps brush and then I head for the hoof pick. His hooves aren’t so dirty… NEVER MIND, his back hooves are CRAZY! I pick one side and the other kid does the other. Soon another girl joins us and I start braiding the mane. I don’t bother to get 3 elastics at a time, I just grab like 20 elastics and put them in a pile. I braided all the mane and then I figured out that the tail was a MESS. I tried combing it but there was TOO many knots. We had to call someone to help us! They just jot rid of the knots and brushed it with EASE. We chose a blue saddle pad and we found out that his saddle was ✨ DIRTY✨ . So me and the other girl we went to work. I cleaned the flap and under the flap, the stirrups and the seat. Now, we go out in the ring for ring rules at the show! I’m so lazy, I’ll just copy paste from my first show! From previous show:
“So, basically, if you are in a walk trot class, then the judge will say, “Trot, your ponies, please!” and “Walk you ponies, please!”. For those classes, everyone one goes together, but it walk trot canter, when you canter, everyone can’t canter at once, so they’ll line everyone up in the middle and let 2-3 people canter, and the they just take turns. Blah blah, we just did some, what if you get too close to the horse in front? When you are too close to the horse in front, you can cut across or do a circle.”
– Previous show post
So now, we just tack up, get ourselves ready, and time to head to the show!
At the show:
So, the instructors usually let the horses run around before the show so that they’ll get some energy out first so that they don’t bolt. While my pony was going, I ate some lunch, which was a sandwich. Eating a sandwich is maybe one of the most boring ways to wait for you class so I decide to go in and watch the classes going on. On my way, I collected my number (170). I don’t know why but the numbers have gone up a hundred! I watch and watch. Then I hear someone say that there will be 4 rounds of Walk Trot Canter equitation cause there’s so many people! Some kids in my group ride before me and he was doing great. Now, I get ready for my turn and I go back out to get some water first. Then my coach walks out and says, “Let’s get you this horse.” And that wasn’t the horse I was supposed to ride! But I just get on anyway. I haven’t rode this pony since last year (2023) and the last time I rode her, she was so lazy! I expected her to be.
So, I’m walking. I’ve walked like 2 laps around before they actually start. A little moments later: “Trot at the corner and walk at the short side starting from number ###”. I pick up the trot early, thinking that she’d take long to trot but- NO! She was SO fast! I could barely go up and down in time for the next step! I had to half halt the entire long side to maintain a good speed. I walked at the corner as told by the judge and she was walking fast. We did it again and then we lined up. It was different this time, each one of us (there were 8 people in that class with me) we took turns cantering a lap both ways. I cantered her, and it was half-sittable and half not. Like it would be smooth, then not smooth. Very strange inded. When I went the other way, I still was determined to sit the canter and I did, but I lost my outside stirrup but caught it back after a long side. I watched a couple people go and RIBBON TIME, my favourite part! So we lined up. I was expecting like 6th or 5th, cause I wan’t used to this pony yet. “Eighth place goes to… Seventh… Sixth… Fifth..” Sweet! I’m in top 5! “Fourth… Third…” TOP 3????!!!! “Second place goes to 170!” Yay! I am very happy with second and was NOT expecting it! The ribbon dude couldn’t find me cause I was so far down the line, he went to the other side of the line, then my coach mentioned that I was here, then he came back 🤣🤣. Green = good, orange = mehh 😒
Walk
Trot
Canter
Another girl went in the show ring to get on the pony and I walked out, holding my NAVY RIBBON!! I hung it on my backpack and drank some milk 2 go.
I watched some adults show and there were only 3 adults that showed so they could brag about being 3rd but then not mentioning 3rd out of 3🤣. For my next class, poles, I will be riding the pony I was supposed to ride! It’s a course, so it’s one at a time. Yay! But there is no order, so if you’re ready, you’re next. There was like 7 kids wanting to ride the pony, so I asked the instructor if I could go on the pony next, but some other kid would claim him before me! One of the kids rode him and he spooked and messed up the course because there was a RAVEN in the arena. The pony trotted out of the arena and was standing by the spectators. The judge had to shoo the bird away and it flew out. The girl restarted and then I asked to ride the pony I rode in my last class. She agreed and I got on. The stirrups were way too long and so she adjusted it when I was in the show ring and I got a crop for some reason. I did the course very well, and I was surprised that she didn’t jump any poles because the other ponies would JUMP some poles. I got a “clear round” ribbon, and I exited.
Poles
I unmounted the pony and gave the crop back. I just chilled and the other kids doing poles. I asked my coach if I could ride her for my cross rails class, but then she said I should ride the other pony. BRUH. So, after poles was over, I got ready, and now it’s my turn. I go in, do the first jump, second jump, he canters down the line of 2 jumps, I make a good corner, cross the diagnol, canter THAT line of jumps, then go down the last line of jumps. WEE! My 2 point wasn’t too bad, but not TOO great? Anyway, I got a clear round ribbon once again, and YAY! I told my coach that I will have to leave and then I carried my 3 ribbons home and now I have a collection!
THE END