Emily Jane Hilscher Memorial Horse Show 2015

In order to qualify for our State 4-H Horse Show, E needed to show in a district qualifying show.  There is one in June but we decided to go ahead and get it over with and show at one on Saturday.  It was put on by a group at Virginia Tech as a fundraiser for the Emily Jane Hilscher Scholarship fund.  Emily Jane was tragically killed during the shootings at Tech a few years ago.  

The weather was terrible, rain and in the 40's, not your ideal horse show weather.   Brother was pretty keyed up to start with but after 45 minutes of trotting and cantering he was ready to go.

 I went ahead and showed him in a couple of classes before E rode him.  He was awesome and won the Adult Western walk/jog class.

 Then we came back in and won the Adult Western walk/jog/lope class.  There were 4 classes in the division but since I only showed in 2 we were Reserve Champion for which I won a $20 gift card to an online tack store.

 E was qualifying 3 horses and only had to ride each one in one class.  She showed Brother in an equitation class with a pattern and had some trouble steering him and placed 5th.   The above picture was taken during happier times when E was still smiling before the down pouring of rain.

 Her first class with Pep was Adult Western Go As You Please which she handily won.

 But then the rain started and Pep was not happy.  We did however learn how to get her to tuck her nose in.  She really does not like rain pelting on her face.

 E showed in Ranch Walk/Trot, Ranch Walk/Trot/Canter and Ranch Reining.  The horse behind her won the walk/trot class.  I think the judge really liked its extension.

 It was the biggest class of the day with 13 entries.  E was 4th in it and 3rd in W/T/C.  When the Ranch Reining was about to start they announced that they were going to change the pattern from the AQHA Ranch Pleasure Pattern 1 to a real reining pattern.  Let me just say you cannot do that at a show as the class is starting.  Everyone had signed up at the beginning and the pattern was posted.  The first horse was getting ready to walk in the ring and you now want to change the pattern?  Well, I could not stand idly by on this one and had to go straighten them out while everyone else was running to scratch out of the class.  Reason prevailed and the class went on with the original pattern.  One of the riders thanked me for making a stand.  Pep's pattern wasn't perfect, a little head tossing when asked to extend the lope but that was about all.  She placed 2nd behind someone that forgot to back.  The rules state that a horse that performs all of the elements places above one that doesn't.  Since I knew the judge I asked her after the show why she placed E down.  Apparently, she didn't notice that the other rider completely forgot to back up.  Oh well.  It wasn't as bad as last week where she placed behind the horse that turned the wrong way and didn't change leads.  At least she is moving up in the placings.

 This was Pep while she wasn't being ridden, head pressing at the trailer.

 By the time trail class rolled around (the last class of the day) we were regretting not taking Hank in Showmanship (the first class).  E was soaked through, frozen and miserable.

Hank, who had been tried to the trailer all day and not ridden in who knows how long except to be vaulted on last week, was in no way prepared for his class.  But E made it in and out of the ring with him which was all that mattered.  Oh, and the hunters, they got to show in the indoor Virginia Tech Alfred Stuart Arena.
All this so we have a free weekend in June.  I think we might be just a little bit crazy.