The Story That Never Was: Part Four

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Part One
Part Two
Part Three
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Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction. (A Cowboy Saying)

I was going to compete in my first horse show in two years-- and I was going to have to do it on a green horse.

Shannon recommended that we set our sights low. After all, it was Jake's first show, and she wanted it to be a learning experience. We wouldn't push him too much, and we certainly wouldn't show him against the $25,000 hunters that grace the lower levels of the LHJA circuit. It was a rated show, and Jake and I were way out of our league. Shannon made sure that was clear.

So, tails between our legs and eyes cast to the ground, we set our goal to compete in Hunt Seat Equitation over X's. It was a reasonable goal for a green horse new to the English world; he would get to experience the sounds and feel of a horse show without actually being judged in his class. I, on the other hand, was expected to sit pretty while riding a green horse over fences in an unfamiliar environment. However, Jake was not the typical green horse, and I was not the typical equitation rider. The concept of "Trot X" bored us both, and there was a feeling of discomfort between us as we geared up for the big show.

In my head, I was ready for the "big league" (by which I jokingly mean Mini-Stirrup), but in truth, I was still very young and very inexperienced. It was my first rated show, and when Shannon said we were out of our league, she meant it. I discovered that the moment I arrived at the show grounds.

Carousel Farms was buzzing with Louisiana's Finest-- huge sporthorses for the jumper classes and pristine little hunters tailored for the show ring. The equitation ring was reserved mostly for riding students from Carousel Farms and other riding schools. There, I felt a bit more comfortable, but the huge gap between myself and the real riders was still obvious. When I look back at the pictures from that show, I laugh and wonder who let Jake and I attend an LHJA show looking like that? My hair is a mess, my boots are dusty, my helmet barely fits... and Jake isn't in much better shape. His mane is long and in his face, and his tail is not braided. He does, at least, have a healthy shine to his coat that most Carousel horses lacked. And in the pictures, neither of us look very happy to be there.



It was time to warm-up, and I was very nervous. Jake wasn't holding up well, either, and I knew I needed to calm down for his sake. He seemed irritated and on edge, more annoyed to be there than overwhelmed. I entered the warm-up ring and tried to breath deep breathes. I told myself that it was no big deal; I only had to trot around the ring and jump four Xs. Hardly difficult. But needless to say, the atmosphere of a rate show is completely different than that of a schooling show, and I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I didn't belong in that ring.

The warm-up helped settled Jake and I as we trotted a soothing rhythm around the ring. I was just beginning to calm down and relax into my horse when something happened that shook us both up for good.

It is understood as horse show etiquette that, if your horse kicks, you tie a red ribbon around its tail for the warm ups, to let everyone know to keep their distance. It shouldn't be necessary, as riders should automatically keep their distance from other horses in the ring, but it is polite. Jake was a kicker. Why Shannon did not think to put a ribbon on his is beyond me (and I only don't hold myself responsible because I was at the most twelve years old, and Shannon was probably twenty-five). Anyway, I don't know why we lacked the proper manners to warn the others that he was a kicker, and, knowing the circumstances, I don't think that red ribbon would have made much of a difference, but I bet you can guess what happened next.

My friend Kim (like Shannon and Donna, this is not her real name) was competing in the same class as I was, and she was warming her horse Handsome up in the ring with him. If their is such a thing as a gay horse, Handsome was it. He was very prissy, and hated getting dirty, which made him a pain to ride, but he was Kim's baby. Unfortunately, Kim had just about as much brains as Handsome (maybe less) when it came to riding. She always rode at this trot that, I think, aimed to run the horse straight into the ground, and she gave very little consideration to others in the ring. I distinctly remember Handsome trotting along at this ridiculous pace, fighting not to break into the canter. When riding at such a pace, you will eventually need to pass up every other horse in the ring or learn to slow down, and when Handsome got stuck traveling behind Jake, Kim tried to pass.

Everything might have been fine, except that Jake and I were currently trotting past the outside line of jumps, and Kim had to cut in between my horse and a jump standard. To Jake, this was way too close for comfort. As prissy Handsome slid by us, my spunky pony turned his haunches out and launched a swift kick before I could rein him in. Luckily for us, Handsome was going so fast that Jake's kick didn't make contact, but Handsome certainly got the message. There was some squeals of disbelief, some pinned ears, and stuttering hooves, and then the episode was over. Handsome kept trotting along his merry way, and Jake was given the elbow room he wanted.

Still, it was one of the first times I had been on a horse that kicked, and I was a little shaken up. The action had been minor and short-lived, but it was enough to set off my nerves again. It seemed like a bad omen going in to the show ring, and it was a bad first impression to leave the judges with.

Our class started and my number was called; I walked into the show ring knowing for sure that Jake and I had started off on the wrong foot.

[To be continued]

Part Five