I cannot believe there have been no volunteers to help with my rock garden. I did get Joe to help with one rock today but I think he was just feeling guilty.
I have been making some progress with the good weather for the last two days. Above was Monday morning.
Then Monday evening.
A few more rocks and a couple of buckets of goat manure ended today’s progress. I am beginning to think that I am a little crazy for dragging all of these rocks into the yard.
At least I have had a little company while I work. Kit Kat has been keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
Our last day started at 8:45 in Waldron Arena with Western Pleasure 2nd go. True to form, Pep trotted in, got 1/2 way around then stopped to poop.
Once again, the competition was great. Usually there is something crazy going on but not this time, everyone was very solid.
Pep was doing her reining horse impression at the lope. She looked beautiful, just way too fast. Had she been able to do sliding stops, faster spins and flying lead changes she would have cleaned up in the reining classes. As it was, she moved up to 5th in pleasure. But there were a lot of other switches. 3rd yesterday went to 9th and 10th yesterday moved to 3rd. Pep managed to beat last years champion that was also high point POA for the east coast. Since the finals were all about the points, we had to wait until they were posted. And yes, she made it to the Classic.
Then it was over to the finals in trail class.
Pep certainly had her game face on.
She really did a great job especially considering how poorly most of the ones that went before her did. We even overheard the judge comment that he had a $60,000 horse that would have trouble with this pattern. That elicited quite a bit of discussion among us as to either his training ability or true value of the horse if it couldn't do a 4-H trail class. With Pep unfortunately, that one step out of the box cost her 2 placings. She ended up 4th out of 45 but was oh so close to 2nd. Still, this was her highest placing in trail ever.
Aunt L had come back to watch day 2 of showing. Pretty sure they were just reliving the trail class.
In Horsemanship, E had an exceptional pattern. I was hopeful for at least 3rd to make the classic but she ended up 4th again. Still, we couldn't have asked any better from Pep.
The Western Pleasure Classic started about 8 pm. You would have thought that after 12 hours of showing that Pep would have been just a little tired. Maybe she thought if she just went faster she would be done sooner. Whatever the reason, she was in a race, except when she stopped to poop. 6th place
I know E was glad of her decision to not take Brother but Pep her last year. Pep stayed sound and gave it her all. It is so sad for me though, this last show. When I was E's age and had my last show in 4-H I was sad too, but it didn't seem that final. When you're young there is so much ahead, so much to look forward to. But now that I'm older, it just makes me sad thinking this was it, the last one.
One last quote from E I forgot yesterday in describing how she feels taking Pep through the Working Western Pattern, "Everyone else seem so calm but with Pep, it's a chaotic whirlwind of nonsense."
E's first day of showing started early with getting ready for showmanship. Pep's scraggly mane took awhile to get under control, but E managed a fine job.
Then it was off to Waldron Arena to perform the pattern she had practiced so will just the previous evening.
I think the theme for today is, "fixed old problems but develop new ones."
Pep has always been a good trotter but has issues with standing still in this arena and backing. So true to our new theme, she broke twice trotting but did everything else fine. E got an ok score but not high enough for top 10.
Grandma and Aunt L came to see the show too. There was a little down time where J and Grandma read the paper.
E and I walked around and watched some dressage.
Then it was time for Western Pleasure Pony, Sr Rider 1st go.
Pep looked better than she had in a long time. Unfortunately for western pleasure Pep looking good means she is going too fast.
There were 10 in the class and this was by far the best competition E has every had in this division. She ended up 6th. Only the top 5 average over 2 classes make it to the finals, so E was a little depressed about that. She'd have to do better tomorrow.
Pep did sail through the trail preliminary. E said she thought Pep probably could have done it by herself. Se just had a click of her back hoof on the standard as she backed to latch the gate.
And no problem on the back through. I knew the judge and she assured me E would have no problem making the finals.
Grandma got close enough to congratulate E (but not Pep)
Then came Working Western. E had a high number so the class was about 1/2 over when I went to check her in. SHE WASN'T ON THE LIST!! I was told to go to the show office to check with them. They didn't have her either even though she was in the printed program, albeit with Brother instead of Pep since she had made that change Sept 1. They finally got her added but that put her at the end of the class so more time for Pep to stand around.
The hard part here was the counter canter (left lead going to the right) at the end which Pep nailed. The easy part was loping a fast the slow circle to the right which Pep failed.
Once again a great lineup and no top 10.
Last thing for the day was $5 to practice for 10 minutes on 7 obstacles (but only 6 stations because one was used as backing through and trotting over) with 5 horses at a time. The others in E's group were all large hunters that kept destroying all of the poles. But E got though everything pretty good and was ready for the trail finals the next day.
We had 2 new girls showing with our county this year. Anna showed in 2 hunter pleasure pony classes. She was 5/10 in the first one and 10/10 (wrong lead) in the second one.
Amelia showed Hunter Pleasure Small Horse. She was reserve (11th) out of 19 in her first class, didn't place in her second, was 9/20 in equitation and in the trail prelim, made it through the gate but couldn't get her horse to back through the poles. They both found out what it takes to show here and I think are looking forward to next year.
Since E is at college it was up to me and J to get Pep and all her things to the show. E was driving up Thursday after class.
Since it is not my project, we delivered a dirty horse with a scraggly mane to E. She didn't seem to mind the dirt and was happy we were there.
With the help of the other club members and familys (the ones that showed up anyway but that's another story) the stall decorations were put up in no time.
E saddled up and took Pep out for a test ride.
Sound as a dollar, or maybe more so. I'm not sure that saying is what it use to be.
Then it was to the wash rack. In 9 years we have never convinced Pep to step into the close by indoor wash room. We always have to go the the end of the show grounds to the outdoor spigot.
Since E's first class was showmanship at 8:00 the next morning she took Pep into Waldron Arena for a little practice. Pep performed the pattern perfectly in practice.
Then it was on with the pajamas and ready for bed.
I did stop by the silent auction tables, they were loaded.
I'm afraid Wrangler's painting will be overlooked in all this chaos.
Stay tuned for day 2.
We have 3 new 4-Her's going to the State Horse Show next month so we needed 3 new tack boxes for them. When V and E went for the first time the club leader made the tack boxes and gave them to us.
Guess I'm continuing the tradition. Our local Saddle Club has a riding for charity class in all of it's shows. Last fall our 4-H club was the charity. I had enough money from that donation for the lumber and hardware for the boxes.
I had been tormenting for some time about having to cut the plywood but discovered Lowes would make unlimited cuts at no charge, so off to Lowes it was.
Construction after that was pretty easy, just needing my circular saw, drill and dremel. Plus, it was nice having the shop to work in. Now it's up to the 4-Her's to pick them up and add some paint and a shelf if they want.
V was able to dig up her old camera for me to use while I'm trying to decide what replacement I want. Her's is a canon power shot 7.1 MP that takes (sucks all the energy very quickly from) 2 AA batteries. Anyway, it works so I guess I'm back in business with the blog as long as my supply of AA batteries holds out.
So this is the painting Wrangler is donating to the Silent Auction fundraiser for the State 4-H Horse Show next month. (Thank you C for the donation of the great frame and mat) Now I need a catchy name for it, maybe something incorporating 4-H or horse activities. Tell me what you've got!
A couple of years ago they added a new hoop to jump through for the kids to show at the State Show in September. Now the riders have to pass a 2 part skills test. This is in addition to declaring the project horse before May first and showing in a District show. Thankfully, E didn't have to do it again this year. Once the test is passed with a horse you don't have to do it the next year. E already has Pep, Hank, Otoelene, and Bother tested. So this year I just needed to set up a test for the 5 new 4-Her's from our club that want to show this year.
Apparently there was a need for a test day because we ended up with 12 4-Her's from 4 different counties.
There was a little bit of everything, gymkhana, and gaited,
hunters,
and western pleasure. We had a little rain storm in the middle but who hasn't had to work on a horse in the rain before. Everyone passed, but my group does have a lot to work on before September so I'm sure we will have a few arena days between now and then.
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.
