The other horses that went to the saddle club show this weekend were Highboy, Dewey, and Shambhu. We told Shambhu he could be an honorary OTTB since he's a Connemara/TB cross. The day was incredibly fun, mostly because Highboy kept us laughing hysterically with his overly dramatic antics all day.
Because of the way circumstances worked out, Dewey hadn't been ridden since the horse expo in March where I presented him as my alumnus Equine Comeback Challenge horse. Fortunately, he is a quiet level headed kid. Especially since he only JUST turned five. It was no big deal for Sara to clean him up, take him to this show, and ride him in the walk/trot classes without any warmup. Mostly Dewey likes to eat and nap, which makes him a very easy show pony!
Shambhu also rode in the walk/trot classes because he and his owner are just beginning canter work in their riding lessons. I was so proud of them and how they handled themselves in the pattern classes and the hunter/hack over ground poles. Carol is starting to really enjoy these shows, and has even gone as far as to purchase her own show bridle and hunt coat. We may have a convert! They will always be trail riders at heart, but it is so fun to have them join us at these schooling shows.
Highboy was full of nonsense the entire day. He was ridiculous on the lunge line.
He tried to run over the judge and ring steward in the pattern class.
Highboy jumped the flowers and the poles just fine in the little warm up area. He spends many long hours holding plastic flowers in his mouth while chasing his friends in turnout. Not to mention the time spent free jumping over tires, hula hoops, pinwheels and pool noodles to name a few things we have at home. Despite all this, he was absolutely convinced that the flower boxes in the hunter hack class were of the horse-eating variety.
While as a horse trainer I never want to see my horse stop at a fence, the photographer in me loves this photo because of the action and muscling it captured. Highboy cantered right up to it and slammed on the brakes to stare at the flowers. After honking and snorting at them a few times, he sedately marched over them just like at home.
The next time through he had to take a second hard look at the flowers.
Which led to jumping them, from a standstill, as though they might grab his toes.
The third time through (yes I did enter every level of hunter hack in an effort to get him jumping normally) was even funnier, if that is possible. He just about sat down in front of the jump, then went over it pointing his toes with legs as straight as possible.
Each time we went through, the spectators in the stands just erupted in laughter. It was pretty funny, and everyone at the show knew I could ride it, so we all just guffawed and slapped our legs at the hilarity of a 17 hand Thoroughbred declaring he could not possibly jump the 6" high plastic flowers. All day I found myself quoting the rule book from the Estes Park Show, which states, "if you can't do it well, at least be entertaining". I'm pretty sure that rule was added because they knew Highboy would be in attendance.
Otherwise, Highboy did pretty well at the show. I really enjoy him, he makes me laugh every time we do anything together.
We always have fun with our old friends at these laid back shows, too. Such a fun group!
