The Mighty and I have not shown since the September 2007 Finals (last fence, last class - debacle in the dirt!) So we decided to start out easy peasy with the 2'9 divisions at the Spring Inaugural in Monroe April 1-5.
Day 1 - Schooling Day March 31. It is windy, but the sun is out. Since I am the only one showing, shipping and set up is easy. Schooling even goes well - I can't believe it.
Day 2 - April Fool's Day (this should have been the tip off right here). It is raining, mostly a Seattle type rain, which essentially means you just get to be miserable and whiny about it. Trainer Teri is riding The Mighty today in 3 jumping classes and 1 flat class. I am not terribly sad that I am in my big barn coat and reasonably dry on the sidelines. A 3rd and a 5th and we get to go back to the barn to dry off.
Day 3 - No longer April Fool's Day - but if at all possible, more miserable. It is raining buckets, mixed with snow (which was sticking in some places). The "Great" NW my a**. Lynn braved the worst weather of the week to come out and watch! Kudos for being either tough or weather proof! Teri is riding in 2 classes today, and I have 1. Cold, wet, but he did well (I can't remember exactly the placings - my brain was a little water logged to tell you the truth). We are soaked, we are cranky; the humans anyway. The Mighty is enjoying the attention and treats.
Day 4 - What is that? My eyes hurt - I feel like a mole emerging from its hole. I'm uncertain, but I believe, it may be, sun? Whatever - like it won't rain while the sun shines here - its just that psycho. We have 4 jumping classes today. My mother and my visting aunt, as well as my friend Sherri venture out into the light to watch. I don't remember the first 2 placings, but then we had a 2nd and a win. I didn't know about the win until Teri came to tell me while The Mighty was having his bath, held by his good sport grandmother. (I am somewhat dangerous and unpredictable with a hose - so she really was being a good sport). Yes - it had warmed (!!) up enough by then to actually give the horse a bath. Anyway - what a shock to have her come out and tell me I won a class! NICE!! Mom and auntie took me to lunch (late lunch haha!) to celebrate.
Day 5 - More sun?! Where am I living? This can't be the NW? I must have been transported somewhere good to live. Wherever it is I have found myself, I have 2 jumping classes and 3 flat classes (yuck) today. So many friends came, it was amazing. The weather has now truly messed with my head because I think I had a 5th, a couple of 2nds, and a couple of 3rds. The most memorable moment came in a flat class when we were trying to make the final down transition from canter to walk, and The Mighty sort of gave me the equine equivalent of a big 'F-U' and my only-somewhat-subtle pulley rein halt finally worked. Wow...someone had an attitude!
Day 6 - I have surely died and moved to a better place - its sunny again. Last day of the show. Mom, Aunt, and sisters are there to see. 4 jumping classes today. In the first class, I decided to test drive the 'bold' approach ride. Technically it went okay, but the judge was not particularly enamored of that approach. Good learning for later. (8th in that class - that I DO remember). So back to trying to crawl through the rounds ("SLOWER MICHELLE SLOWER") . Geez, I think I'm going slow - clearly I need to think "crawl". Anyway, we ended up with a couple of 2nds and a 3rd...or maybe it was a couple of 3rds and a 2nd? Well, the bottom line is that we were Champion of the 2'9 Equitation Division. Even more truthfully - it was a 3 way tie since 3 of us (Theresa and Judi) took turns trading off the top 3 spots. Haha - first show of the year!
Quick Hits:
Teri deserves an awful lot of thanks for her patience with The Mighty and I over the last 18 months or so - talk about your work in progress. Even 2 weeks before the show, when we were having multiple stops and issues - she didn't lose faith in us.
Song of the show for us: Umbrella (Rhianna)...if you know the words it will make you laugh..but basically: "In the sunshine we'll shine together, told you I'll be here forever, said I'll always be a friend, took an oath, gonna stick it out till the end. But now that its raining more than ever, know that we'll still have each other, you can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella eh eh eh under my umbrella. Its raining, ooo baby its raining..." Haha...now you know why.
Much thanks for the love and support from: Mom, Dad, Nicole, Debbie, W.A., Sherri (even more than you know!) Brian, Jessica, Lynn, Jenni, Mary, Kim, my Phoenix Farm family, and of course Teri and John. Additional thanks to our amazing ring steward Amanda, my co-competitors Judi and Theresa, Meghan Pomeroy for her support, Arturo and Danny for keeping The Mighty well bedded and fed during the show.
Not sure who was more tired Sunday night, but I'll give the edge to The Mighty. Here's hoping we can do it all again (without the rain thank-you-very-much) in May!
