Will Some One Please Shut Off My Brain!

Five days till our first show.  I am so nervous, and terrified, and excited.

I play different scenarios over in my head...

1. He wins a halter class even though he won't stand still, because he is just too gorgeous to pass up! (Ha!)

2. He wins a halter class because he is the only one in it.

3. We are asked not so politely to leave the halter ring because he won't stand still and keeps farting at the Judge. People laugh and point fingers as we shamefully walk back to our stall.

4. We never even enter the halter class because the night before he rips off his dress and wraps and chooses to roll in poop and it takes me all morning to get him clean again.


We move on to the Ranch Pleasure class...

1. After a great warm up we go into the class and he does perfect transitions and decent lead changes.  His spins are slow but accurate, and his stop, although not pretty is still a stop and doesn't cost us many points. The crowd goes wild, people hoot and holler for us, and tears are running down my face because I am so proud!  I jump off and hug my horse, and although we do not win because there are horses better than us, everyone is so impressed by how far he has come, and can't wait to tell me so.   (Its a scenario right out of a PBS afternoon special)

2. After a less than stellar warm up, we go into the class and are all over the place. He turns into a run away freight train.  I end up having to use both hands to get him back on track, and we are DQ'd.

3. After a decent warm up we go into the class and I forget the pattern and we are DQ'd.

4. After a decent warm up, he goes in and completes the pattern on his own... right after he face plants me for giving him a bath two days in a a row. (see option 4 of halter class)

5. After what seems like a decent warm up, we go into the class we do our very best but I'm nervous and forget everything that Mark taught me. We complete the course but just barely and  I can hear everyone saying "I can't believe she even entered."  and  "OMG, she thinks she can ride?" as I ride away.  We go to our stall in shame.

6. We never even make it to the class because I am still at the stall puking my guts out because I am so nervous.


Next is the trail class...

1. We did great in the Ranch Pleasure class, our confidence level is high, and we are calm and ready for this class.  Luckily the course calls for the rope gate from the left and we ace it.  He tackles each task with precision and perfection and once again the crowd goes wild. Many of them remember the clinic where he wouldn't even go near a rope, and everyone is amazed. Again I cry the tears of joy.   We place but we do not win, but couldn't be happier. (I obviously watched way too many of those after school specials)

2. We have DQ'd once already and my confidence is shaken. The course calls for the rope gate from the right and although we have been working steadily on it, he executes it, but not without some coaxing and we fail that task. We fight on the right lead right lead, and balks at the bridge, because it isn't his bridge. We are not DQ'd but we end with the lowest score. Once again I can hear people laughing at me behind my back.


3. I have picked myself up out of the dirt and grudgingly got back on my horse. The course calls for the gate to the right. Even though we have practiced diligently, he chooses this moment to loose his mind, he takes off running dragging half of the rope gate behind him because it is stuck on my boot.  It swings wide behind us catching the judges table and table cloth, which he decides is a monster.  He takes off at mach nine, I have no control and he wipes out the entire course.  When I finally get him stopped we are banned from any CWPHC show ever again.  I slink to the trailer in shame, he on the other hand is quite proud of himself and carries his head high.  We get to the trailer and he says to me....

"I TOLD YOU I AIN'T NO SHOW PONY!"

4. Still puking, pack up and go home vowing to never show my face at a horse show again.


In reality, my goal is to go in and not be DQ'd.  We might achieve that goal, we might not.  If we complete the courses at all, it will be amazing.  Seriously I am nervous, and I will be until the day of the show.  It isn't even about winning or losing for me, I'm just afraid I'm going to do something really stupid.
But then I think, who cares if I do?  I mean we all have to start somewhere right?  One thing I know is that although some of the horsey folks in this town are pretty clicky, there are a bunch who aren't, and the folks putting on this show are trying to get rid of that clickiness so that everyone can just have fun.  That is my goal right?  I just want to go have some fun.   In the mean time if I can just get my brain to shut off for a while.....