by Caroline Manley
So it may be a little late but no one minds good Fair stories right?
The Washtenaw County Fair show took place about a month ago; Boogie and I went with my 4H group and showed all week. I couldn’t be more pleased with the gray beast. From everything I put him in, he gave it his all. We tried showmanship to western to our favorite, Dressage. This horse has truly grown so much, mentally and physically. If I could, I would want a whole barn of Boogies in various colors because he has such an incredible work ethic, mindset, personality, and potential. When I mentioned this to Rachel she pointed out it sounded more like a sinus disorder than a horse farm but agreed with me nonetheless.
About a week after Fair, we both competed at the Michigan State Show. This was my first summer ever showing there and I can not wait to go next year again! We hauled in on Friday and had a rather discouraging practice ride. We were both fighting each other.
(Note to all riders: if you start feeling overly frustrated and at the point of breaking, get off. Stop what you were doing. Breathe. And come back to the practice when you, as the rider or handler, have a better mindset for training.)
Saturday rolled around with random massive thunderstorms throughout the day causing quite a few delays. We performed our dressage tests (Training Level 2 & 3) and again I am just so much in love with this horse. We still have so much to work on but the judge really liked us as a team and wrote very lovely comments such as, “one of the happiest riders here today with such a love for your beautiful horse!”. So remember, through hard work and long practices the bond you develop with your horse will shine through in your riding no matter how the class or the test goes.
- Photo Credit: Kelly Beck
Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character”.
– T. Alan Armstrong
