When we got to the fairgrounds, we unloaded the 3 horses and tied them up to different trees and then went to go sign up for our classes. I had enough money to sign up for 3 classes, so I signed up for novice English eq, 14-18 English eq, and 18 and under hunter hack. Robin's first class with her yearling (Hesaloadedlilpistol or just Pistol for short) was the 3rd class and my first wasn't until 28 so I was able to watch her and Pistol kick butt at halter. I'm going to apologize for my crappy photography quality in most of these pics. I really need a new camera cause mine is having trouble with the lights and movement, but I did the best I could.
And here are pics of Robin's friend and her adorable horse (IDK either of their names) showing in the same class.
Robin placed 1st in the class and her friend placed 2nd.
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After watching Robin show, I headed back out to the trailer to start warming up my baby girl and found that tried to paw herself to China while she was tied up (she dug more later on too).
I tacked up Phoenix in her English tack and took her to the outdoor arena to warm up. A few horses were being lunged inside and I was nervous Phoenix would feed off of the crazy horses, but she ignored them and walked calmly and then trotted a few laps. She was pulling a little, but I just checked her and worked on keeping her head towards the inside. When I felt confident that she was warmed up enough/in a listening mood I asked her to canter and was glad when Phoenix completed half a lap on her right lead without being crazy.
Then she put her head down and bucked a few times. I sat the first one, but I ended up going over her head and landing on my back while she ran around the arena. Since she had pulled her head down a lot before bucking, it had pulled my weight forward due to the reins being pulled, throwing off my balance and I wasn't good enough to be able to sit her bucks since I was already falling forwards. I sat up and took a breath for a minute because the wind had been knocked out of me and then I caught my girl and re-mounted.
I trotted her in circles and asked her to canter again to the right and had her cantering nicely in circles a few times before I had her go out along the fence. She listened good and eventually I asked her to trot to the left and pick up her left lead (our bad side). No matter how I asked, I could not get Phoenix to pick up her left lead. I tried asking in corners and in circles with no luck (I later found out that I was actually asking her wrong) so I ended up taking her to the right on her right lead and having her do a flying lead change when we crossed the arena. I took her around a few times and then hopped off and led her over to the indoor arena to get her used to it being indoors before I warmed up in the covered arena outside.
Phoenix was a tad nervous and ancy at first but she adjusted to being inside and Robin got after her about standing still and had Phoenix listening very well. After awhile I actually got kicked back outside due to there being too many horses inside that weren't showing and there wasn't a lot of space. So I proceeded to the covered arena and worked with Phoenix some more. After awhile, Phoenix actually calmed down and was a lot easier to ride and get cantering in the correct lead. It was a little like bumper cars with all of the English riders warming up in the small arena, but Phoenix was good and we didn't run into any issues.
One girl thought I was her friend and when she realized I wasn't, we ended up talking a little bit and she seemed really nice. Another girl fell off her horse while warming up by falling onto her horse's neck and then landing on the ground. She was ok and I could tell she was a little embarassed and maybe even a little shaken up about falling (she was in the 13 and under classes) so I headed over to her and told her not to worry because she wasn't the only one that fell off and I had actually already done the same thing earlier. We laughed about it and I felt that I made her feel a little better.
Finally it was time for our first class, novice hunt seat equitation and Phoenix and I ended up being the only competitors in this class (so we kind of automatically won). We did good at the walk and trot and Phoenix wasn't pulling too bad (my hands were blistered up from checking her all morning while riding) but we blew our left lead and it took us two tries to fix it. But the judge was super nice and waited for us to fix our lead and then we switched directions and finished up. I won first (surprise, surprise haha) and though the lead thing was making me nervous about our following classes, I was proud of Phoenix for listening well and not being a total butt.
We had to wait for a few more classes and then it was our next class, hunt seat eq 14-18. Robin gave me some tips for picking up our left lead and the lady who had handed me my ribbon reminded me to breath. This class had about 6 kids in it, so I had to kick butt to place good. I was a little nervous because this was my first real show but I continuously reminded myself to breath and tried to relax as we listened to the judge's commands. This time when it came time to pick up our left lead, it was from a walk not a trot. I was super nervous, but I took a deep breath and Phoenix got it! I couldn't help but to feel super good after that and happily accepted a 3rd place ribbon at the end of the class.
I was super proud of my girl for placing 3rd and super happy about her picking up that killer left lead. I've been asking her wrong. Instead of pulling her head to the inside and trying to circle her hard into it, I need to put my outside rein on her and pull her head out a little bit and ask with my outside leg.
We had about 10 classes until our last class, hunter hack 18 and under, so Phoenix and I headed back out to the trailer so I could grab a drink because it was so muggy and I hadn't been drinking much and was starting not to feel well. We walked back over to the arena and waited a little while longer and then it was time for hunter hack. The jumps got set up (2 cross rails) and let all of the competitors take a few practice fences. Phoenix and I did mini cross country courses at Rocking 45 and practiced on real jumps at Kayley's house awhile ago in Yuma, but she refused the first jump and it took a lot of leg pressure, but she eventually hopped over it and during our next turn she went over the first jump without blinking, but took of galloping and I couldn't get her under control for the second, so we kept having to skip it.
We tried a few more times, me trying to hold Phoenix back in a trot and then her bounding over the first jump and racing out of control. Eventually we had to start the class, so I just took a deep breath and told myself to commit and take control and not look at the jump and to pull her over to the left since she kept trying to veer to the right around the second jump. Everyone before me did a good job and finished the pattern with a lope to the right and then a stop at the cone.
Finally it was my turn. Phoenix and I trotted up to the jump and she cantered one stride out and went over the jump. Prepared for her to veer sideways, I pulled her straight at the jump and put on leg pressure and I thought she was going to jump, but at the last second she slid to a stop and me, being the most talented rider ever, fell over her head...again. This fall was kind of weird though because I was just going into two point and when I fell, my foot got caught and Phoenix kept moving and then I ate dirt, literally. I fell face first in the arena and dirt went up my nose and into my mouth. I sat up and took a breath until my head rush went away and spit out as much dirt as I could. Everyone was super nice and the judge checked to make sure I was ok and said it was up to me if I wanted to leave or finish the class. I was actually laughing at my fall due to it being similar to my december accident and it seemed to amuse the judge that I was laughing. I told her I was ok and I caught my girl and hopped back on.
The judge was nice enough to let take the second jump again. It took two tries, but Phoenix and I eventually made it over and then finished out the pattern (which took a lot to stop her way past the cone because she was done with the day) and everyone was clapping, which embarassed me and made me feel good at the same time.
A couple of the girls asked if I was good and I told them I was ok and then finished out the class doing flatwork with everyone else. Our flatwork was pretty bad, Phoenix was pulling like crazy and wouldn't pick up her left lead and it took a lot to pull her to a stop. I think Phoenix and I need to mess around with bits when we get home because I don't have enough control during shows. I don't want to use anything too hard or spoil her mouth with hard hands and an overbearing, unnecessary bit, but I also need to be able to stop her when I need to.
Obviously I didn't place, but I had fun anyways and it was one of the funnest horse shows I've ever been at. No one was mean or being snotty and I didn't feel alone or have girls getting on my nerves and making me want to fight with them. This is how being in the horse community should feel like. Fun, safe, and competitive, but with sportsmanship. I think I'm going to have tons of fun showing in Tucson, gymkhana and pleasure. Darren said that if I don't quite falling off people are going to think DR Performance Horses stands for dirt riders and that he'd have to super glue me into my saddle before the show haha. I can't help but laugh at the image of me riding in the truck glued to a saddle and being lifted onto my horse haha.
Since Phoenix and I were done for the day, I took her back to the trailer and untacked her, tied her up, and filled up her water bucket. She downed the whole thing and I made her wait a few minutes before filling it back up and letting her drink the whole thing over again. Finally Phoenix didn't want water anymore and I let her be tied up to her tree and hung out with Darren, who is super funny. Phoenix kept pawing like crazy and when she wouldn't quite, he would toss tiny rocks at her and she would jump and just stare at us, considering if she should continue pawing. It took a few times but after awhile she decided it wasn't worth it to paw and she just chilled out while I ate a snack and downed a soda.
Robin came back and needed someone to hold her horse near the arena while she went to the bathroom, so I went over with her and couldn't help to snap a few pics of her adorable mare, Luvmyprize (IDK what her barn name is).
At this point it had started pouring rain and taking a peek towards the trailer revealed a very wet Phoenix haha. She was not happy to be tied to a tree standing in the rain. When Robin got back, she practiced in the covered arena and I took some pics and once again, sorry for the crappy quality. My camera is due for an update and really hated the lighting.
Then Robin went to wait for her class to start and I took some pics while I was waiting. Of course the quality sucks due to being indoors but here are the pics that turned out ok.
Here are the pics I took of Robin's classes.
Then I headed back to the trailer and took a few pics of the horses.
And of course I had to get pics of Phoenix with her ribbons!
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We still had awhile left at the show and since it rained, no one was riding in the outdoor warm up arena, so I closed all the gates and let Phoenix run around.
I took some short videos of Phoenix running around (couldn't get one her her galloping like I was wanted though). I love watching my girl move.
And of course more than your daily dose of horse selfies.
While we were heading back to the trailer I hand jumped Phoenix over divider and though she wouldn't jump earlier with me on her (the second fence anyways), she jumped over it just fine and I had fun playing in the mud.
It was a long day and I am super proud of my girl. Sure we weren't perfect and got disqualified from a class, but life's all about learning and improving and making the best out of your mistakes. Phoenix is getting better at showing once you get her to calm down and she did earn some ribbons. I loved hanging out with Robin and Darren who are so funny and down to earth and they were even kind enough to bring me home.
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