I've never done a Sunday Still's before! I've been wanting to, though, so here I am! :D My next thing to try is Macro Monday...we'll see.
This week's challenge was fences...this pick is kinda lame for the topic, but I took it with my camera on a fence, so you see the fence and stuff soooo yeah...here I am....welll, the first one was taken from below, but you STILL SEE A FENCE! Ok so lame-ooo, but I tried! :D I just liked the pics, I guess. :)
It's "I Love Jesus" (ILJ), back when I visited her in April...that's her and her lesson horse, Abel, who is AWESOME. He's a huge Appaloosa draft cross (right?...I think I'm missing something)...he's cool. Sooo anyway, that's my first Sunday Still! :D
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Check out http://sundaystills.wordpress.com to see more "fences" all over blogland! :D
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Btw, she also raises Guiding Eye's puppies, and is sending her first puppy she raised off to training today (His "IFT")! It's a bittersweet day; wishin' you luck, Beau! You did a great job with him, ILJ! We'll miss him; can't wait to see how far he goes. You did so well with him, I'm anxious to see how Dahlia turns out! Good luck, I'm thinking of you!! <3
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Western day was GREAT! I didn't think we'd do as well as we did. I had a bit of time in the beginning of the day, so I did a kinda 'spider web" pattern with Daisy's mane. (More pictures on my mom's blog, http://cdgagudl.blogspot.) I love how it turned out!
We went in the classes feelin' pretty good...Showmanship kinda messed me up because we entered the ring one at a time, which was weird, so I didn't do well...I think I got 4th, I don't really remember.
I don't remember what we actually placed in classes, but we must have done well. Daisy got her leads right the ENTIRE day! She was awesome.
One of the best parts of the day was when we lined up to speak with the judge after one of the first classes. The judge went to the first person and informed her she had had a wrong lead. She got to me and simply said "You were fine", then moved on to the other 3 people. Each person she said either "You had a wrong lead" or "You didn't canter well". But with me I was just fine. :) I got first in that class! It was a great feeling, but I could so sympathize with the other people; I was in that situation last year!
Trail class was GREAT, we got 1st place as expected! We side passed over a pole (OH YEAH!) which is something I had worked on with Daisy first with groundwork and then on her back last winter. I think I was the only one who could side pass. Then she barely hesitated going over the bridge, backed in a crooked back-up station, went to a mailbox, trotted over poles, etc. She was great; that's the class we really shine in :).
At the end of the day I did a Versatility class! In the class, you started out riding English and did a flat work English class. Then all the riders in the ring (7 maybe?...8?) went to the edge of the arena to meet their "pit crews" and changed into western clothes and western tack and did a western flat class and a timed barrel pattern. I luckily got some AWESOME fringed half chaps just the day before (first picture) so I only switched regular half chaps on my breeches to fringed and pulled off my English show coat to show my western shirt. I had one of my 4H member's Dad on my pit crew, and I grabbed Lydia last minute and she very willingly helped me out, too (THANK YOU, Lydia! :D). It was SO fun! Once everyone started changing, people always cheered really loud when another rider finished and mounted again...the first rider to get re-mounted finished in about 60 seconds! Daisy had been getting more and more edgy and excited as the day wore on; our cantering wasn't as good because she only wanted to run fast, so she was in the perfect mood for a barrel pattern. We did it (FAST :D) and in the end, we got 2nd place in the class!!!! It was SO much fun; really worth it.
My Mom took the first two pictures, the second picture is of my trainer, Jean, and I...I lived in her house for the week, too...she's great, many thanks to her! :)
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th pictures are by Lydia! OH! I forgot to mention that class. There's a class called Western Riding where you go through a pattern where you weave cones at a canter, serpentine cones at a canter, and back up. It's SO fun! Last year I loved the class even though I think I only got last place; it's just fun! This year Daisy did FLYING CHANGES throughout it! :D It took her awhile each time we changed directions for her to realize she had to change leads, but she pretty much got it; it's a great class. So Lydia's pictures are of that class :).
The last pic is by Jean's mom, who took pictures EVERY DAY all week long! She's great; our club is soooo lucky to have her! Anyway, it's from the Sunday game show before the fair; it was a sit-a-buck class, bareback :). I love the photo, and how Daisy's really stepping under!
That's about it!
Until later,
Wednesday was mounted games day at the fair. Junior and Senior members were combined and divided into two teams to compete against each other; walk/trotters were divided into two against each other as well.
We did fun relay games. One was "baton race"; you weaved poles holding a baton and handed it off to the next person. Another was "Special Delivery" where you had a mail bag with magazines in it. You had to weave down some poles, stop, put a magazine in the mailbox, and weave back. I love the picture of Daisy and I; Daisy's just standing there, all patient. That's only funny because she goes racing back like a mad women as soon as I'm ready for her; she's a good listener. :)
One of the last games was "Tennis Tournament". You had a tennis racket and had to carry a ball on it to the end of the ring, drop it in a bucket, and run back. Daisy would have nothing of the racket. Normally when she's afraid of an object (like the mailbag) she gets over it after you wave it around a little, let her smell it, and talk to her. NOT so with the racket! She didn't like it at all; I had to be really careful that I didn't move fast with it or let her see it too often :-P.
The 4th picture is of Can Stack race...
The first picture is (kinda blurry) of the team I was on; the second is of our "rival" team. They ended up winning most games and got high point for the day, but oh well. It was still fun; mounted games day is always laid back and fun :).
One of the races was "Potato Race" which I think we won, but you had to run down to one barrel, pick up the single potato on it, run to another barrel, and drop it in...I have a great picture somewhere where I'm practically falling off Daisy leaning down for the potato, and I missed it :P. I didn't at the time think I was falling, but the pic makes you think I am! I'll try to find it. :)
Next is Western Day...hopefully tomorrow I can find the photos for western day...they aren't in my possession so far :-P.
Until then,
In case anyone wonders, this is my 200th post! I started this blog May 4th, 2007...See the first month of blogging here.
Sorry it's taken so long to post! I have SO many pictures, and I only just got to this...I'll break Fair week into day-by-day posts. Today I cover the first day, English day...
We actually did an open Games show the Sunday before...it was fun, as game shows always are, but nothing really notable...Daisy was a speed demon, no surprise. :)
English day started out with Showmanship, which 4H requires. I dislike showmanship, let me just put that out there. Last year, I didn't even place, I literally went out and just got it done. This year, I wasn't really meaning to care so much...but I did. I looked over the patterned and helped the walk/trotters (first picture) and then cleaned Daisy up, spent FOREVER braiding her mane, got cleaned up myself and went out. We were awesome. Our "walk from first cone to second" was fine, we got our trot from second cone to judge in the end...not right away, but she started trotting next to me, and we stood for "inspection". When judged in showmanship, you have to pretend the horse is split in quadrants, and when the judge circles the horse you have to make sure you are never in the same "quadrant" as the judge, but are always looking at them...so that means switching from one side of the horse to the other. We got that down pat. :)
The pattern ended with a 270 degree turn to the end of the ring and walk away. Daisy actually PIVOTED the turn; I wasn't really sure she would, but she did! :)
We ended up getting first place showmanship, and a trophy...I'll make a post later with trophy pictures.
The second picture is of the Showmanship line-up(Can you spot us? Second from the left), and the third is Lydia and Stewy! She hasn't even posted about fair yet, but I figured I would! :D
Then we did English classes...the first class out, I thought Daisy felt great. She didn't pick up her right-lead right away, but she did after the 2nd or 3rd try, and I still thought she looked good and she DID do it in the end...so I was super surprised when we got last place (6th). The judge came over and informed me that Daisy's left hind was swollen. I knew that already; she stocks up (swells) sometimes when she's at Jean's house because the stall is smaller there so she doesn't pace as much at night...he said that that may be why she was hesitant to pick up her right-lead. I told him that she's always had trouble with it. He said she looked "off" in her hind end and that I should really think about what classes to enter with her. I couldn't believe it! I went out and, as someone said I should,I iced her leg for awhile...it didn't help. I really didn't want to scratch because she felt so awesome; I hadn't thought anything was wrong. Other people also said she seemed fine. Then finally Jean pointed out that maybe the judge THOUGHT she was in pain because her ears were back all the time. *Light bulb goes off in my mind*. DUH! Daisy always has her ears back; he probably confused that. I went back out, Daisy got her leads right away, and we got 2nd place. I will say, though, it was awkward going back in the ring, because the judge was totally eye-balling me, like "So you decided to join us despite the fact that your horse's leg is swollen?". But we got through, and he didn't hold it against us...
We did decently in English; I had a lot of fun, even though we aren't the greatest at it. At the end, I entered a Hunter Hack class, and Lydia and I had to fight over who would get last place; her because Stewy wouldn't canter (OR SO SHE THOUGHT) and me because Daisy is flat over jumps...Daisy felt pretty good, I collected her, but Lydia DID canter, so she got 2nd and I got 3rd (last place)...it was one of those classes where I didn't expect to win, so I entered for fun...and it WAS fun! :D Loved it!
By the way, I almost cropped out the golden edge on the last picture, but then decided I was too lazy.
Did you recognize it yet, Lydia? It's Stewy's hind end :-P lol.
I wonder what I'm looking at? I look silly in English clothes; my hair is layered so under a helmet it looks funny...oh well. :)
Just want to point out, do you see the second-to-last picture? I LOVE it; too bad I'm looking down (at my diagonal??? :P) or else it'd be perfect...but anyway, Daisy's actually stepping under herself in it! She seemed to be a lot better this year; she leaned more on her hind end like she should; she wasn't as "fore-handy". I think she and I really (in Emeril's words) "kicked it up a notch" since last year. Wait until you hear about the rest of the week! :D
