Last weekend was our first show of 2016.  I went to it as ready as I can be.  I guess it is like so many things, like maybe having a baby, are you ever really ready?  no?  well do it anyway!

We had been practicing like crazy at home and I felt pretty good about it.  Unfortunately my mare thinks that she is part brumby and was hanging on to hair like nobody’s business.  Brush and brush and brush as I might,  it was not coming off!  The horses that had been in the barn and under lights all winter were as slick as can be, shiny examples of what a show pony should look like.  Not little Gracie though, curls and hair licks that would not quit.  well maybe, just maybe, she knows that the end of April in New Mexico does not denote the end of cold weather.

The show was at the New Mexico State Fair Grounds (which I refuse to call Expo New Mexico) NMQHA’s LOEC show, the Land of Enchantment Circuit.  I love the activity of a show day.  We get there bright and early, by 6 am everyone is already busy getting their horses ready, lunging, putting tails in, brushing, polishing hooves.  The horses always come first, always.  Showmanship is our first class on Thursday.  Once the horses are ready we get ready, “dressed” in our show outfits, putting on our makeup, making sure our hair is done right. My trainer always has to do my wispy hair into a tight bun, she hair sprays the heck out of it and sometimes I swear it is pulled so tight I think my contacts might pop out!  Numbers are on, pants are rolled up so we don’t trash them in the dirt, and down we go to the warm up pen to wait for our Showmanship Class.  it was a very pretty sight I must say as we all marched down to the arena, perfectly turned out horses and handlers!

Showmanship is a tough class.  It might look fairly uninteresting and easy to the untrained eye but try doing it!   The judges first impression of you as you wait to start your pattern is key.  From that first look through every maneuver it has to be perfect, you must exude confidence and your movements must be precise.  We got through it, no great placings but always a lesson to be learned.  Remember even if you screw up in your pattern,  handle it like it was no big deal!  That would be the key to Showmanship!  Don’t sigh, don’t acknowledge a screw up, just hold your head up, smile and go on!

We did Halter too, just because.  A flat fee show allows you to add as many classes as you like, and it all adds up to time in the ring and in front of the judges.  I had to laugh however as the judges barely cast a glance at my mare as they inspected every entry.  I swear one of them was looking at the ceiling and not at Gracie at all!  The hairy beast comes in last in Halter!

Even though I was done with my classes early in the day there was not a lot of down time.  There is always something to do.  More lunging, riding, practicing your horsemanship pattern for the next day, stall cleaning, feeding, it never really ends.  I had to run get lunch for the judges as our Catering truck didn’t show up the first day.  So ran for sandwiches and assorted goodies.  Keeping everyone fed at a show is big!  No matter what , you need to remember to always have food on hand for yourself!  We get so busy that we sometimes forget to eat, and often times the food available at a horse show is the pits!   I always pack healthy snacks and maybe an adult beverage for good measure!

Day 1 ends with Trail Practice, the poles are set and we all know the pattern as we have been practicing it for days!  There would be no excuses to go off pattern in this class as we were informed by our Trainer!  We walk the pattern, check for where we need to hit our marks, get on and practice.  That done, we get our instructions for the next morning and head home.

I drive the 40 minutes home, grab a quick dinner, a shower and set the alarm for 4:45 AM.

A very long first day!   But man do I love it!

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