What a weekend, what a weekend. It’s Friday, and I’m still not recovered (though that may be because, after four days of horse showing, I got in the truck Monday morning and took Midge and Fender up to Michael’s, proving that, among other things, I’m a complete nut). But my team came, saw and conquered.

We started Friday off with a big win for my 2-year-old Cleo filly, Fairvoya, known as Farrah to her friends. I know virtually nothing about in-hand showing, but everyone was VERY excited, and I certainly know what the color blue means. I got to watch her contest the Championship class and was really amazed. This creature is TWO and stands quietly, trots when told, steers, and was the very model of the modern major general about plants, people and a scary indoor coliseum. Bear in mind that this was her first horse show ever. Wow!

The hits kept coming. Nathalie and Rochet smoked their first outing ever. Michael and Kathleen took home blue ribbons, and Lisa and Kristin also took home 70 percent+ scores. We got seven horses qualified for the BLM Championships (a regional-championship-type show, a holdout from the days before the USDF regional championships), got three scores towards a bronze medal, and put three riders into the awards ceremony for the Amateur Challenge. And we did it all thanks to some amazing teamwork, terrific preparation, and my new scooter, which allowed me to cover the entire grounds in minutes.

Yeah, I’d say it was a fine weekend.

There are only two shows left in my neighborhood, both of which I’ll have to miss – one in August because I’ll be at Camp Barisone before we’re off to the Championships in Illinois, and one in September because it’s the same weekend as the Saugerties CDI. So my students will be in assistant trainer Allison’s capable hands for that show. And the memories of this big weekend will have to carry me through until October. I think they will!

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