Horse Show

I have been very remiss in posting updated photos and stories here. I will blame my computer. It has been acting up in a variety of ways and my photo processing/editing/storage software keeps freezing up and blah blah blah. So I have tons of photos in my computer that I cannot get out unless I fix this program. (I can get them it just takes WAY too long).

On top of all of that drama, Double A had a horse show and I *GASP* forgot my camera! Thankfully her teacher from first grade came to see her ride with her own camera and took pictures for me. Getting them has been a process of me continually forgetting the USB drive for her to put them on!

ANYWAY...that brings us to these fabulous photos taken by Chris, first grade teacher extraordinaire!

Bumblebee amusing himself at the horse show (lots of waiting) with barn dog, Osco.

I just love this photo...something about the way she is sitting...She finally seems relaxed and more natural on the horse. This was taken while riding Dolly in the "walk trot horsemanship on the rail" event. More on that later.

This is Jake and this was the musical stalls event. Double A placed third and got a white ribbon!

Enjoying other events in between her own. There is a lot of waiting around at horse shows since you are not in every class. And, at this barn the students ride lesson horses (those who don't have their own horses) so they have to share and thus re-tacking and what not needs to occur.

Double A and Dolly the horse after Little Squirts Western Walk Trot Horsemanship on the Rail. Double A placed first and got her first ever blue ribbon!! She was so excited and so was I! This is the first time she has ever been in this event and I had no idea how they judged it. Apparently they tell you to walk or trot or turn around and you are supposed to keep your horse along the rail and follow directions and they look for slow and steady speed, etc.

Double A is not a very emotionally demonstrative child, especially with revealing her inner feelings through words. However, after she won I was telling her how proud I was and she said "I almost started crying!" and that is when I said "me too!"

She also got a red ribbon for second place in Little Squirt's Walk Trot Trail riding Zema. This is an event basically like an obstacle course where they look for how much control you have of the horse while you weave it through poles, next to items to pick up, etc.

This was the first show in 2.5 years of riding that she has seemed really relaxed and comfortable and confident in what she was doing. She rides all different speeds and sizes of horses during lessons and even rides bareback! She rides Western now but I think soon she will have to decide if she wants to stick with that or switch over to English. English does jumping and Western does barrel racing.

Well, I am glad I have finally gotten at least something posted. Double A has another horse show tonight. It is a gymkhana, which is a fun show and there are no "points" for the national level of competition. Not that Double a is doing any of that yet, anyway. The high today is only supposed to be mid-forties so it should be horribly cold by the time the show starts tonight.

I have so many more things to post about, such as all the football games we have been going to in Mississippi, Double A's soccer season, Halloween and more!! Stay tuned!