Friday, I bust out of work at 12:00, because my boss is pretty awesome sometimes. I head down to the capital and pick up some stuff for work because I was heading that way, and I got off 4.5 hours early, and I'm just nice like that. Then I met Eva and we ran 4.5 miles around a lovely lake. I want to re-locate there so badly, but thats another story for another day. Then, I booked it another 1.5 hours east to Martin County NC for my 7:30pm coaches meeting. I got the run-down on the schedule and all then headed to meet my team to let them know which classes they would be judging the next morning.
They had to judge:
Aged QH Geldings
2 yr old QH Mares
Mixed Sex Field Hunters in Hand
Mixed Sex Saddlebreds in Hand
Western Pleasure
Hunter Under Saddle
Saddle Seat Pleasure
Walking Horse Plantation Pleasure
Reining
Western Horsemanship
It was a long day and I locked my keys in my car (thank god my parents came up to meet me for my birthday and had the ONLY spare-- what great luck). I wasn't allowed to talk to my kids AT ALL during the competition, so it worked out nicely that I got to see my folks and even watch a Miniature Horse show at the Ag Center next door to the Community College where my kids were competing. The day wrapped up about 9 hours later and the awards ceremony began by the "official" judges giving their placings and reasons. During this time some of the judges recognized some outstanding contestants... 3 of them? were mine!! Then they gave awards in a few different categories: 1) Halter Individual 2) Team Halter 3) Performance Individuals 4) Performance Team 5) Oral Reasons Individuals 6) Team Oral Reasons and 7) Overall Team
we had a 4th place individual in Halter a 5th individual in performance and a 6th individual in reasons. We also got 5th team in performance, 4th team in oral reasons and.... 5th team over all-- at the STATE competition, against teams that have done this before, and practiced for much much longer. I am SO. Proud! It was a great experience.
In other news. THIS
I totally agree with your thoughts on that halter horse. That is very sad. I took a horse judging class last term and strongly disagreed with the placings of a western pleasure class we had to judge. The horse that won did not appear to be a pleasure (in my mind).
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your team!
Holy muscle bound beast! That Halter horse does look like a freak of nature, for sure! Look at his tiny little back feet. UGH! So sad.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on winning 5th, that is awesome!!
Congrats Go Team Rachel!
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% about the halter horse. Poor thing. Anytime you base your breeding on traits and not on over all performance and health like that you are doing the animal harm. Physically, biologically, and genetically. Whether it is a race horse or a halter horse. Makes me sad.
And he looks super downhill. Even if he was ridable, I'd rather not. Can you say dressage/jumping nightmare?
ReplyDeleteOf course, that's not what he's meant for. He's meant to stand there and look beefy, which he does.
Come to think of it, that's a pretty sweet job.
Congrats! Sounds like a blast.
I agree. AQHA halter horses are ridiculous looking, never sound, and completely useless. Just my opinion, and I LOVE quarter horses. But the halter horses make me cringe.
ReplyDeleteAlana: The horse that won our WP class was owned by a girl I used to show with. He quite obviously had his tail nerve blocked, it was very sad to watch and out of principle I would not have placed him and would have explained why in my reasons, but since I didn't get to do so, I hope my team did!
ReplyDeleteSprinkler: I think I will claim that I was born to stand and look beefy as well! My mom always did say "we are built for comfort, not for speed!"
Chelsea: I love QHs too, but this is what I don't love. It turns me off of the whole AQHA industry... But I guess you find gross misuse and poor breeding in any breed/discipline...
Everyone: THANKS!!