Great Expectations

So we finally got to show on Sunday. It was a perfect day - sunny (shocker of all shockers, huh?) and slightly breezy as to keep the bazillions of bugs away.

I was pretty nervous considering there hasn't been a lot of time given all the rain and the condition of Sky's feet, which are soft and saseptable to new problems and still relatively short. But I was ready to give it a go and she was pretty clean too.

Showmanship turned out to the be one of the highlights of my day - it's a wonder considering that I had fought against it for so long that I would actually enjoy it. There were 11 ppl in the class and we placed 6th under one judge, and 3rd under another. Not too bad.

By the time we were riding, I was pretty frustrated - only b/c Sky fought me at the lope all over, not being used to working so hard. She either would try to break or run a buck-ninety around the ring. The pattern was difficult - trotting a circle, then loping a circle, then changing leads and loping the other way at a lope again. After a lot of practice and frustration, we did do a great pattern - or at least one that didn't break gait or get the wrong lead - we went to rail work. On the rail I managed to get nearly all the way around the ring before realizing we were one the wrong lead! CRAP! So, there went that class - 5 of 5.

Pleasure didn't go much better considering we were circling everyone and not doing it in a very pretty manner. Lisa rode her in between classes and although she looked better for her, it didn't exactly translate over. At this point, knowing the day was shot, I tried my best to keep my chin up and do my personal best. Discipline rail was a mess - being asked to counter-canter when you are still working on the right leads to start with is rough! Then Senior Horse Pleasure came and I did manage to get a decent lope at the very end, which I was proud of, and we placed 4 of 5 under one judge - a serious victory given the way we were doing.

I have a problem. I feel fine in the warm up ring and do ok with her at home, but being in the ring with others who are experienced on experienced horses, I get physched out and compare too much. I feel like Sky is a lunatic b/c she isn't nearly as slow as the other horses and we are not as collected. This feeling makes me upset b/c I don't understand how, after all the work we've done, we do not measure up against these others. I do feel that this summer stinks b/c of all the rain and I haven't ridden NEARLY as much as I have wanted to, but I also don't think that is an excuse.

Trail was a decent experience. Adult Trail we did well - probably b/c we got one part of the course correct where others did the wrong thing and that is only b/c Lisa asked the judges... someone was a little ticked until she found out that they didn't take off for doing it the way EVERYONE did it and not the correct way. But I managed to get 1st under one judge nad 3rd under another, so that was good - it was trotting poles, sidepassing and a mailbox, lope into a box, spin, lope after the box, go to a bridge, walk over, and back. The second time we were on the incorrect lead (it was an "incorrect" one they asked for) so we placed last again. I was happy to do well in SOMETHING though!

Anyway, I suppose I have to learn to expect to do good for myself, and not good against others. I have come to expect to do well with Sky and this is a learning year, so I have to learn to back away from that. I know it should be enough to do better than last time and improve, it's just hard to do that and have it still not be enough!

I am working on that with K too... we are working on things and spending more time together... I am standing up for myself and expecting to get out what I put in. I guess that is all anyone can ask for in life.

C

PS - I might go to Oak Rise Sunday if $$$ works out.... I was offered a ride from some Blackwater folks.