State Show Day 1

Well, actually day 1 and 2 but the first day is just getting there.

 E went to morning classes then came home and we loaded everything up and took off for Lexington.

 Spirits are always high in anticipation of great things.

 And E worked very hard getting Pep conditioned and fitted for this show.

 Once we got the the show grounds E saddled up to ride.  I was suspicious of Pep's shoe being a problem so I asked the farrier there what he thought.  He said it looked like her shoe was very slightly sprung (bent) and he could reset it if we wanted.  Pep's feet always seem so sensitive and I was a little leery of having someone I didn't know work on her. When E rode her she looked perfectly sound so we just when with the shoe like it was.  Then it was time for a bath and banding her mane.  Her first class the next morning was in the coliseum so she led Pep around in there before bed time.

 Pep transformed into a first rate show pony and E had a good Showmanship pattern but with a few bobbles.  J and mama were watching from the stands in the upper left corner of the picture.

 She is #372 and her score put her in 8th place at the time.  But we slowly watched as her hopes for a ribbon were whittled away.

 Aunt L hung out with us as we waited.

 In the end E was 1/2 point out of 10th place so no ribbon but she was called back into the ring for the awards and was called out for her 11th place reserve out of 69.  I believe this is the highest she has managed in showmanship here.

We then moved on to Western Pleasure Large Pony Sr. Riders.  It was the best class of ponies she has ever shown against.  Pep looked great but E got into a cluster and instead of just passing circled which is a big no no in western pleasure.  

 The placings were a shock to us.  There was a POA that is in the top 10 in the nation that we expected to win but it placed 5th.  E was 4th and the 2nd place pony was one that she has always beat and had routinely been in the middle of the class.  The 2nd go with a different judge is the next day and the top 5 go to the classic.

 But in the meantime, there is the trail preliminary.   E and Pep handily opened and closed the rope gate.

And expertly backed through the poles.  Then the judge went over to her and told E something I couldn't hear.  When the judge got back over to my side I asked if whatever she told E would eliminate her from the finals.   She said no, she was just telling her she needed to switch the ends of her reins to the other side when she switched hands to open the gate.  But we would have to wait to see if she made the call back list.  

 Then E's last class of the day was Working Western which is a pattern class.  Once again. disappointment reigned as E had a great pattern until the last maneuver where she missed the counter canter lead.   After the class I checked on the trail finals and was shocked to see she wasn't on the list.  I couldn't believe it and really didn't want to tell E after all of the disappointments of the day.  I asked in the show office if they had the scores but they said it was just pass/fail.  So I went in search of the trail judge and found her setting up the trail class practice course for that night.  I started helping her carry poles then asked about the judging of the class.  I explained E's run and didn't understand why she was cut.  The judge was very understanding and said she had the scores and would check.  When she came back she said E's score had been overlooked, she had a high score and was in.  What a relief!  At least there was a little good news to go on for the next day.