We got the swine......

Stalls in the swine barn that is! It's my trainers favorite barn with stalls on the end so we won't be stuck between other trainers and a covered riding ring is attached as well.

I have been practicing for Equitation a lot lately. I actually spent almost two hours Saturday on my position, riding patterns and working on Woody staying in the bridle during transitions. I would say lately I have been riding english  more then western, mostly because I wanted to improve my position and I have difficulty keeping my heels down really well. I have like NO flexibility at all. I just hope all this hard work pays off when I show Equitation in a MONTH!

Tomorrow we leave for the ESQHA in NY. We actually won't be leaving until early in the evening so we most likely won't even arrive until after midnight and will have to show at 7 am that morning. Soooo we may just be sleeping in the truck (haven't fully decided on this yet). Originally it seemed that I was the only person that could go to this show (and I wanted to go since I haven't shown in a tough crowd since July and needed a good Congress warm up show) but now a youth will also be coming a long as well. We are leaving so late so she can go to a full day of school and my trainer has a lesson that won't end until 4.

It's going to be a long and hectic scheduled show. I will be attempting to show in the HUS early the first day, then NA & Ammy Eq and in the evening I will be showing in Na & Ammy SMS, plus fitting in Trail warm up around 3pm which hopefully will be before SMS so we can be done and get something to eat!! Another 7am morning full of 4 trail classes, then WP & Na & Am HMS. But the day isn't over yet! It is estimated that the Western will end around 6 and they will start the beginning of second set of judges! So then maybe HUS, BIG maybe depending on how we do the first day and how tired Woody will be after all that trail. Then finishing up a late day with NA & Am Eq. Yet again Saturday will be another 7am start with Na & AM SMS and then we are hitting the road. Part of the deal with my trainer to take me to this show was that we would leave after SMS on Saturday, so that means I miss showing Trail, WP & HMS the last day. I HOPE that this show they don't give a saddle away for the all around as it would be just my luck that this would happen since they haven't offered any saddles for the all arounds since I have started showing!

Last year this was a pretty big show with no less then 15 in most of the NA classes. The Am SMS had over 30. I hoping there is some tough competition to keep us on our toes and I am entering all the Am pattern classes to do more complicated patterns.

I am pretty sure I will be a walking zombie at work next Monday since it will be long days, but it's a perfect prep for Congress, well I hope at least!

I was hoping my SMS outfit would be finished before this show, but it needs a couple finishing touches. Here is a sneak peak of it:

I don't think I ever officially posted about my HMS shirt. I received it before the Spring Breakout in March & can be seen in my win photo.

I'm going to try to get some video footage done this weekend, especially in Eq, HMS & SMS. Need to critique myself as much as possible!!

Christina

March - Spring Breakout, Lexington, VA

Since I was MIA for most of the year, I got behind in show updates. After Florida I had about two months off before the next show, but mother nature was not friendly to us on the east coast and we had quite a blizzard in February. There were about two weeks that I didn't ride, heck my trainer didn't have time to ride since she was worried about the roof falling in so she spent most of her time shuffling horses around, trying to get them in some sort of turn out in the indoor and shoveling snow off the older barn roof.

I am regretful for not taking pictures of the storm as I am sure will not see anything like this for a long time, well I hope so anyways.

This was the end of January and before we got the major snow fall.

But regardless of the obstacles that mother nature put in our way we had a pretty successful show. We did much better under the first set of judges then the second. 

In NA SMS we placed second out of eight under both judges. NA Western Pleasure was a VERY tough class to ride. Not only was it the largest class I had ever ridden in - twenty one horses - there were a handful of horses that really should not be showing in WP or the horses were just taking advantage of their rider (mine included). At this point in the season Woody had developed a smartness about the rail and he showed me that weekend. I had to do a lot of maneuvering and they had us lope a lap and a half both directions, which is a lot for a NA class! I was very surprised when my number got called for second under one judge; the other judge placed me eight. We had a great go in NA Horsemanship and both judges rewarded us with first out of ten horses. We didn't have the best trail goes if I remember correctly, but pinned first under both out of five horses. The next morning I decided to attempt NA Hunter Under Saddle. Surprisingly we placed fourth and fifth out of twelve horses!! I only entered because I thought there were only a handful of horses entered in the class. I was very surprised not to place last;) In NA Equitation we ended up third and fourth out of twelve horses.

As I mentioned before, we didn't do that great under the second set of judges. We ended up placing ninth out of ten in NA SMS because Woody decided to nip me during the jog which automatically made him throw his head up since he knows that he is not suppose to do that and caused a big production, blowing the class. We didn't place at all in the NA WP - first time that had ever happened! Woody was tired and couldn't hold himself together very well. He ended up getting very strong at the lope, well lets say he was probably cantering! Lot's of going into the class schooling and blowing the class was going to be needed to get this out of his system. Luckily he redeemed himself in the NA HMS and we placed first under both judges again. Had a great pattern, but the rail work was not so hot. In NA Trail, I totally messed up our go by forgetting the pattern and if I was suppose to lope over a pole or not. Ended up with a five point plenty, but still placed second under one judge out of five. The other placed me last. I decided not to show HUS since he was getting tired, but did show in NA Eq and placed second and fifth out of thirteen. The pattern wasn't great since Woody did not pick up the canter right away when I asked.

My trainer also showed him in Green and Open Trail. In Green trail he ended up with three firsts and one second out of eight horses. In the Open trail he placed ninth out of thirteen the first day and seventh out of sixteen the second day.

I ended up winning the Novice Amateur All Around, Circuit Champion in NA Horsemanship, NA Trail & Green Trail.

He was also shown by a small fry and ended up the Circuit Champion in Trail & Reserve All Around!

Christina

Be on the look out for......

Our Congress ad!!!!

This year I decided to advertise in the Equine Chronicle. My trainer says there are two ways to get the judges to know who you and your horse are. One is to show practically every weekend - usually by doing this you showing to a lot of judges and sometimes even the same judges several times through out the year. If you can't or don't want to show that often, then advertising is another option. Everyone has opinions on advertising, but even my trainer has been advised by some judges that if you are going for a title, then you need to get your name out there.

Since my goal for this year revolved around doing well at Congress, I wanted to create some hype and a brand for us. I did this by showing at some of the toughest shows on the east coast, advertising & ensuring every time I showed I had my Congress outfit on. Plus all my outfits are the same colors, though my showmanship is just getting finished now, so I will be lucky if it will be ready for next weekends show and I never had enough funds to have the trail jacket finished before Congress as well.

I wanted to advertise three times before Congress, but financially I could not do it so I had an ad in the July EC for the Big A & will have one in the Congress issue. I am also debating about advertising in GoHorseShow.com as well, but I am not sure if I will have the extra funds as well. I would really like to do a two page spread, but we shall see;)

I actually do my own ad designing and in the future would like to have an ad & web design business - to help pay for my horse hobby;) I already have one customer that I will be doing several ads for & will begin designing her website once I get more pictures from her.

For Congress I did three different options, but ended up going with the one above after reviewing them with my trainer.

Option 1

Option 3

Ad that appeared in July/August Chronicle

My first ad attempt. It was suppose to be in the March/April issue.

Even if you don't receive the EC or won't be at a show where they are given away, you can check it out online at www.equinechronicle.com/. The Congress issue should be coming out soon!

Christina