The Surreal Horse Shows

I've been riding Snoopy in horse shows this summer. It's...a bit surreal. I've been going to horse shows with Shannon for 14 years- I know the whole program, inside and out. But to actually do it myself is a lot more intense. I ride in places where I always try to take pictures of riders and I think, "Whoa. It's ME riding here now." Very cool and weird feeling. I get really tense most of the time right before I go in the ring which makes me clam up and want to be apart from the other riders. Riding with the younger kids is good for me, because they are my shadows/buddies.

Snoopy has been so good, even though we have to go a lot faster at the horse shows than our usual languid pace at home. I'm slowly getting used to that. Things that I worry and fuss about with my riding at home I don't even think about in the show ring. I just have to be really aggressive and brave. I trust Snoopy to take me there.

Here we are at Rose Ranch in June:

That was the show where I learned the most about my body position and my legs. I must squeeze the living daylights out of Snoopy. At all times. And keep my shoulders up.

At the end of June, we had a show in South Jordan. I like that inside arena, even though it's big and I feel like I will die of exhaustion before we're done. It gives me time to think. Thinking is good. I rode in my first Classic there. A classic is 2 scored rounds. They add your 2 scores together for the final results. I scored a 78 and another 78 (at least I was consistent!) and came in 2nd place. I won a saddle pad! Who would have thought I would ever go to a horse show and win a saddle pad? And I wore the shadbelly! The shadbelly!! It was a money class too, so I also won $100- which they took off my show bill. Love it!

I'm having lots of fun, I feel that my hard work is slowly paying off, and I just might survive if I can keep my nerves in check.