Daisys Show Days

Well, not a true title, actually. Since we've only been to one show! But days sounds better then, dayyy ;).

Anyway, thought I'd do a 'background' story on my girl!

Thats my mom and her to the left. Look how proud she looks, like, "yes, I know I am great" lol!

Anyway! I had bought Daisy just that summer, and I was pretty close to a college friend of mine at that time, who had horses. (we rode on the college IHSA team) She talked to our old coach a lot, and found out about a local show she was hosting at her place in November. So she told me about it and said she was bringing her horse. So I was like SWEET! (I love horse shows!!)

My very crude drawing on paint of the pattern!

That summer the BIL and I had been doing a bit of trail riding and such (that was when his horse was rideable still, lol) so I had been riding, just not with a purpose. And this gave me a great purpose!

So I decided after seeing the class list, to show in the halter (always a easy class to get your feet wet in! And I personally like Daisys conformation overall) and the walk trot classes, and there was one beginner pattern class. I was SO excited!

So I would go out and practice setting up with her, and trotting in hand. All very easy for Ms Daisy (who knows, she may have been there done all that!)

Side Note: During all this Daisy was 6 months pregnant! We were CLUELESS! That next month we finally found out!)

Anyway, I wanted to get some arena time in with her before the show, so I borrowed a trailer from a guy at church and we trailered down to a local arena. She was AWESOME. I mean, I couldn't have asked for more. It was dark, she had never been there before, who knows, she may have never even been in an arena at all. She was alone, and a train kept going by pretty darn close, lol. Oh, and the mud/sand was ankle deep. Worse in the middle!!

Not a prob for her at all. It was a lot of fun! She did spook once, jumped sideways a bit, when something over in the dark woods cracked, sounded like a tree limb fell or something, of course when Lee was riding her, lol. But she recovered pretty quick.



Here is a video I compiled of us practicing our pattern (that was like the 2nd time through it, she ROCKED! Check out our square stops!!) It also has pictures (a lot that I have in this post already) and then Lee riding. She is trotting funny because of the mud, lol.

Daisy


So I was very happy with her. I mean, before this she had basically been a pasture pony for years. (I bought her as a 16 year old) With occasional trail rides. Until I bought her! haha

On to show day! The weather before show day, had been verry very mild. Notice the tank top at NIGHT!
Well! Show day was COLD. And I mean COLD. Of course. And it was even drizzling on the way over, because I remember being worried about Daisy's footing in the trailer. We almost stopped to get some shavings, but didn't. She was fine. Although she did half way slip or something because we found a small blood spot on her coronet after we unloaded her. I it might have had something to do with her hay net though. It had come untied and she went down for it I'm sure!

Anyway, it was a good 40 min or so drive to my instructors place. Daisy is a good trailer rider though. I got her unloaded, and met up with my friend. Whos horse was fidgety and hollering every few seconds. He is ancient, but sure doesnt show it sometimes! Brushed her down, got her tacked up. I had been riding her in a billy allen curb, which she did okay in, but brought her pretty grazing curb for the show. She had done okay in it before, and the father in law insisted it was the best bit. She did awesome in it. I really dont remember her chewing on it, but I might have been distracted by all that was going on.

I mounted up and headed toward the arena. We were a good ways away and Daisy was so excited to get to the arena where all the action was! But her excited is walking a bit faster and having her ears pricked, lol. I made her whoa and wait a few times, and then went on up there. As you can imagine it was pretty chaotic near there. So I grabbed a spot on the rail outside the arena (which is not big by any means) and we just watched the warm up for awhile. She was enthralled by all that was going on. I really think she has never been to anything like that before! So then I heard a HUGE trailer start coming down the driveway (which was right behind us) so I told the gate guy, uh okay let us in!! I did not want that thing behind me and a arena fence boxing us in!
So we dove in! She was so confused, it was really funny. I laughed at her the whole time. She was looking and watching the other horses, like, "what are yall doing??" But she really did great. I was proud! I still had to plow rein her, since our neck reining was not up to par yet. And after a bit I sent the husband after my spurs cause she kept breaking at the trot! I have no problem with needing spurs, lol.

At one point this older woman on a pretty bay came up RIGHT behind us, I mean basically slammed her horse into Daisys butt! I was like O MY GOSH. And the woman is laughing and saying how her horse doesn't do this or that, etc. And I'm like WOMAN! Your lucky my horse isnt in heat! Daisy looked a bit surprised but didn't get annoyed or anything, thank GOD. I mean, I was not happy, lol.

So! I rode in there for quite a while until Lee told me I'd better get my butt outta there and get ready for halter! So I hustled out of there and got her saddle and bridle off, and put her pretty show halter on that I borrowed from the hubbys dad. It was a MESSSS when I got it! And I shined that baby up to perfection. It looked great. And I got my show shirt on (which matched my purple saddle pad perfectly! hehe) and hat all fixed.

So we head on down to the arena again and by this time my mom and niece had shown up. I should have given her my camera!

I was quite nervous. While I was waiting to go in I was going through all the bad things that could happen. I was afraid she wouldn't trot, set up, etc, lol. But it came our turn and she did perfect. We walked in, trotted, and lined up, bam! Great! We did get landed in the biggest, muddiest PUDDLE. Yeah. And at one point I had to fix one of Daiys front hooves and she put it down hard and SPLASH! Mud all over my leg, lol. The people in the stands thought it was funny ;). The judge when he came by to inspect us even said "wow you got a really great spot, didnt you!" He was very nice, and I could tell he liked Daisy!

I knew we had a good chance, most of the horses in there were school horses, although I had rode 2 of them at college, and they are nice animals. One is a paint I rode a lot, (and got 2 blues on at the same arena Daisy and I practiced at! He is a saint, the horse every parent wants for their kids) and another a western pleasure palomino mare.

So! We placed behind those two, a third!! I was happy! You can see just a glimmer of our yellow ribbon on her halter here, hehe. Can you tell it was cold! We are all bundled up, lol. Man I look goofy in that hat!

So, the riding classes that I was in were towards the end of the show. And it was running late of course. My husbands uncle, his moms last remaining relative, had passed away that week, and his viewing was that night. We had to be there, and it was going to be so late by the time I got to ride, we were going to have to scratch the rest of my classes. :( I was dissapointed, but not a whole lot, it was the first cold day of the season and we were pretty much ready to go HOME!

And thus, Daisys first show day ended! I am glad I got to ride her a lot in the warm up, even though I didn't get to show off our STELLAR pattern! Hopefully I will get to go to more, Tuffs appearance kind of messed that up the next year, lol. Maybe this summer we will get out and about! I love my instructors shows, they are small, fun, and I know the people there. Daisy is no fancy show horse, so I'd feel funny trying to be 'competative', you know?

Thanks for reading!!

Oh, and ps, does this guy down here remind you of anyone??

Not Daisy, right?!? Well of course! This is her grandsire, Win Or Lose. The father in law loves to tell the story about how he only lost once with a halter stallion of his, to a Win Or Lose colt, heheheh.

He is the sire of Sonny Dee Bar! Neat huh! I thought so :) I think she resembles him a lot. Her head especially.

Here are his gets achievements:

Stallion Offspring Record for Win Or Lose
World Champion Offspring
Reserve World Champion Offspring
Superior Halter Offspring
Superior Performance Offspring
AQHA Champion Offspring
ROM Performance Offspring
Race ROM Offspring
NCHA Money-earners
Race Money-earners
Halter Point Earners


Next Blog: Daisy goes ENGLISH! ;)