Horse Expo

It's always me. Something crazy usually happens.  I just can't figure out why I get myself into the predicaments that I do.
Walking….Walking is difficult for me ... In flats.
Boots and spurs are a totally different thing.
Carrying a mounting block and leading your horse to the arena in mud ... In boots and spurs that extent two inches out ... Is a challenge.
Seriously, I didn't want to carry the mounting block all the way to the arena... So... Let me just open the gate... Lead my horse through ... Close the gate and just turn around and put this godforsaken mounting block down in a strategic place where it won't be in the way.
Turn around... Spurs caught together... One step forward and flat down ... Knees and hands in the mud... Reins also in hand....
No... It wasn't a graceful fall... It was a downright splat in the mud. Thank God no one was around. My Chill mare stood above me with a priceless look on her face...saying... "Really"???  Her gentle nose sniffed my head as if also to say... "Get up you idiot... Before anyone sees you"
Too late. Yea... Way too late.
Norm's sneering grin peeked over the top of the fence... "I give that one an 8. Would have been a 10 if you face-planted" ….. Oh my... You saw that???   Ahhhh … yup.

Anyway… another adventure…another Expo.  Massachusetts.  Sharon wasn’t along for this one.  Just Donna, Sue and me.  An early morning trip to the Northeast Territory.  I, for one, just found out New England is a region, not a state.  Imagine! The planning was so much fun. Sue is technology challenged.  Not so bad, but her hearing and texting leave a lot to be desired.  It is usually entertaining, to say the least. The issue at hand was who was going to sleep alone... and who would share a bed… three’s company, I suppose.  I didn’t mind sleeping on a cot.  In fact, I welcomed it. This way, we’d all be comfortable and no one had to share.

Although, after Sue’s text…. I really wouldn’t want to share…

 

I knew this would be a good trip.

  











So we piled into Sue’s car and across the bridges we went.   Our trip was uneventful, smooth and relaxing. The check in to our favorite hotel, a Hampton Inn sported free breakfast and the best pillows ever.

Sue’s bed bug check passed.  We dropped our stuff and off to the Expo.  It was cold, but who cared.  Of course, Sue navigated the parking lot and got us to the closest spot available (We won’t say HOW)

 Off we went checkbooks in hand and boots on the ground running.

 The highlight of it all was meeting Stacy Westfall and Guy McLean! Being  able to watch them ride in person is truly a wonderful thing! 

 One of the most honest and nicest trainers of all is Guy.  His philosophy on life truly reflects on his horses and the way they respond.  If you ever get a chance, he’s the one to see!

I needed to find BLING.  Not bling for me, this wannabe cowgirl sure can’t sport any sparkle just yet… but BLING for my horse. Flashy, gaudy and purple.  Elegant yet tacky…. I needed a new bridle and breastplate with tons of purple crystals and lots of shine…

Of course neither Donna nor Sue would let me do it.  I couldn’t help but think about the look on Tom Riley’s face when I adorned my precious cutting horse with glitz straight out of   Barrel Horse World! How funny would that be?  Plus, I really do love the flash but there was no way I was getting to the cash register with anything that could be seen from across the store! I found a nice, simple crystal bridle and breastplate they allowed me to buy... and best thing was it was TOTALLY on sale for a steal!  Circle Y glamor for less… Gotta love Expos!  If Sue hit one more “vests on sale” clothing racks, I think I would have had to bury her in the 40 she purchased!  Donna found her reins and we all bought those little wooly gloves with the beads on the palms to secure reins in 20 degree weather…

Needless to say, we made memories, had fun and Sue certainly brought back way too many vests to count.

 

Shartlesvillesburgtown?

It’s show time. When Tom Riley says we’re going to a show, we go.  In fact, when Tom Riley says we’re doing anything, we just do it. So the weeks prior, we practiced and listened and practiced some more. This was my first sorting show outside of our home arena.  I was scared to death and so leery of what this whole thing was about. 

After weeks of preparation, we were ready.  Early morning grooming, loading up and strategically deciding the order of our caravan, the RHO crew took to the road and set out on the show scene.

 

 

 

 

Shartlesville…  no, Shartlestown… Shartlesburg?

Whatever.  It was a far hike to the end of the world... or Pennsylvania... whichever came first.  Where the hell are we now, Sharon?

Donna and Sue ahead, Sharon and I behind…and horse tails flying out the back of trailers.  Tom’s stock trailer was filled and occasionally I would pass and just wave to my Chill.

Sue, like a mother hen, worried about Peaches in the trailer for 200 miles... back and forth cell phone calls... and thumbs up signs all the way... we arrived safe and sound.

So, we rolled into the show grounds, trailers bouncin’ and horses neighing… I, with my good luck beautiful shirt Donna lent me, sparkled spurs and a crystal belt, I climbed onto my Chill

Wait... lemme fix the mounting block…

SO, with crystal belt…wait... block adjustment…

So, with Courtney and Sharon silently hysterical at the sight of me… I finally climbed up on Chill and paraded into the arena.

 

Tom and Sonita

This show was different.  Although we were competing against each other, I was still a wreck.  Sue kept telling me... “It’s just another day at the barn... and it’s just with each other.  Let’s just get out with one cow… clean... and take our time.”

The people … Thousands of them… well… no... HUNDREDS of them...

Well, no… a couple hundred maybe… one hundred.

The cows… They were show-quality, insane and quite different than ours. They scattered at the sight of a horse.  One cow was so crazy that it literally climbed the wall and got its leg caught in the rails.  A show-stopper for sure... 6 cowboys and a herd change later, we entered the arena.

Donna, to me, was the star of the show.  She kept our times, kept our places and certainly kept us in order.  With Sharon by her side, we were always aware of who was next and what was happening. We were on our own.  Tom wasn’t able to tell us what to do or even yell out calls of encouragement.

So, we went on instinct and what we learned.  It was a blast and so rewarding to see us all together and doing so well.  For me, this wasn’t a public competition, but a personal one.  I just wanted to see how I stood up against everyone else.  As usual, I was slow, but there wasn’t a choice with these cows.  Slow and steady…

We were near the end of the day.  All of us exhausted and hot. It was Sharon who came up to me.  Michele… you’re in second place… if not third… you’re definitely third.  You won.

Shut the hell up Sharon… Typical of her to bust my ass.

“No, I’m serious.  I wouldn’t joke right now.  You won.” The look on her face told me she wasn’t kidding. IT was half elation and half stone cold serious

No friggin way…. And sure enough I came in third.  THIRD PLACE…

First-Tom, Second-Don and THIRD ME? 

Hugs from my BWBs and congratulatory wishes from my barn… this was priceless!  Sharon, I think, was happier than I was! 

But, to see Tom and Courtney’s faces… smiles beaming... was  worth more to me than anything. 

So, as I collected my winnings, (enough to pay my entry fee) like a fool I stood there and cried…quietly and into my Chillie Mare’s soft mane, I cried.  I thanked HER for doing it all because it was her.  She’s a cow horse and knew all about this crazy game.

I was just along for the ride.