Wow! It was a roaster type of day today with summer like temperatures, some humidity and blazing sunlight...quite different from yesterday when I actually had Toe Heaters in my barn shoes while we were finishing up the shoeing! Today was definitely warm with the thermometer in the truck reading 89* as well pulled out of the show grounds at 4:30 PM.
Wyatt WF and Atreo WF went down to the Delaware Pony Club run schooling show at Fair Hill today. My undying gratitude goes out to poor Mom who slogged back and forth from the parking area with whomever I wasn't riding on the end of the lead shank in all this surprising heat. This is my reminder for everyone who is hoping to attend a really well run & super organized schooling show with ideal footing & good warm-up...there is one more on May 25th - check out www.delawareponyclub.org for more information!!! And go SHOW!!!!
Wyatt had a very nice warm up (I am so proud of him) even after a loose event horse stormed right past him on the way back to the trailers! We then showed in front of Suzanne Hassler in the First 3. He was a bit fussy in the bridle but much more relaxed about the whole showing experience than on his first outing a few weeks ago. We got a 64% with lots of 7's and an 8 on our second lengthening trot!!!! (what a good boy!!!) I was so proud of him for settling right down and going to work so nicely - he is really going to be a BIG show horse someday and Susanne's feedback echoes what Mom and say about the little guy with her comments about 'Keep up the good work' and how he 'will be lovely as you continue to strengthen his topline and ability to find self-carriage'. So with all those nice things about the young man, we earned a red rosette and Wyatt gets some extra pats for being such a wonderful horse.
The second test was not quite as successful and it is entirely my fault. Mom and I parked the boys under a nice shady tree and I hoofed it back to the trailer to get some drinks for us and forgot to pick up the test book. *sigh*
So I borrowed a diagram book (hadn't seen one of those before) and skimmed over the test and vowed to do my best. With my haphazard attempt to 'remember' First 4 and then the heat...well, I did not do my lovely boy justice in the second test of the day. Poor Wyatt suffered from my lack of decision making and was a bit too erratic to equal his good work in the first test, so we placed second again and got some stern comments about the ride from the other judge.
So the lot of us hoofed it back to the truck again and got more drinks and then Tray got tacked up to have a go at schooling through the PSG. He was very, very good and the day ended up being very pleasant after we added some 'rounds' in the warm up after wrapping up the PSG. Last weekend left him a bit rattled, so Paula and the rest of the Pony Club organizers have my undying thanks for allowing me to use the facility at the end of the day. :) Patrick (www.videobypatrick.com) was there and I chose to not have the first test taped (of course it was the _good_ ride) and then splurged for the second ride...whoops! But regardless of how the ride turned out, I am still very proud of my boy for forgiving me for my lack of focus on this hot day.
On the baby front here at the farm - a few of our girls are beginning to show signs that we should have some new additions in a few more days! Spring is an exciting time of year - that is for sure!
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