Both of my kids are involved in sports. Thank the high heavens the girl rides (begin questioning my sanity here). The boy, age 9, plays hockey. Having not been much of a team sport participant myself (I ran track), it’s been very interesting to watch the boy as he’s progressed from mini-mite to cross-ice mite to regular mite to his current level, squirt. The horse show equivalent would be walk-trot, short stirrup, maiden and novice. Having never had brothers or male cousins, it’s even more intriguing watching the little male ego evolve through sports.

We spent the weekend in Cowansville, Quebec, at a three-day hockey tournament. And before I get myself into trouble, let’s see if I can find a P.C. (parentally correct) way to explain the differences between horse shows and hockey tournaments.

1. The hockey tournament schedule is……not straight forward.
Horse show prize lists pretty much spell it out regarding the order of the day. Get there before it starts, be ready for warm-up. Hockey tournament: if you win Friday night you play Saturday at 11:30 a.m., if you lose Friday night you play Saturday at 10:20 a.m. If you win Friday and lose Saturday, you play at 4 p.m. on Saturday. If you lose Friday and win Saturday, you play Sunday. If you lose Friday and lose Saturday, you play…….I have no idea what the heck is going on and where my kid is supposed to be when.

2. We’re in Canada, and it’s cold.
I live in Vermont, so this really shouldn’t be a surprise or difficult to deal with. But, holy crap, it’s really, really cold! Our horse show season here is short, which generally stinks, but it also means that the show season is May-September so it’s usually NOT 10 BELOW ZERO.

3. The waiting is really, really BORING.
As we strolled through Canadian Tire to kill time between games (not a tire store, by the way, more like a cross between the auto parts store and Bed, Bath & Beyond), the husband tried to tell me that “this” (meaning the BORING) was what horse shows were like for him. Puh-lease! The boy’s first game was over at 9 a.m. which meant (oh yay) his team was in the championship game which started at 4 p.m., seven hours later. Too far away to drive home and not really a whole heck of a lot to do in Cowansville, that left us strolling through Canadian Tire, which was, to put it kindly, not the equivalent of spending quality time in the mobile tack shop.

4. Did I mention it was boring?
At a horse show, you can sit in a lawn chair, even lay out a blanket and take a little snooze. It’s not quite the same sitting in the truck with the heat blasting. Although the heated seats are nice. Without my Sookie Stackhouse book to keep me company, I would have been cranky. I’ve actually eaten some healthy food at horse shows. I usually pack a big cooler with drinks, snacks, fruit and sandwiches. At the hockey tournament I was pretty much condemned to snack bar carb hell. There were French fries, cheeseburgers and generally white bread everywhere I looked. The carb hangover on Monday was not pretty.

5. There are no horses at hockey tournaments.
I spent three days without horses. (OK, I did fit in two hours of chores on Saturday afternoon). But still, I didn’t get nearly the amount of time I am used to having at the barn. And it felt…. weird. I missed the horses.

6. Parents are not allowed in the locker room.
Which is generally good, because it’s really smelly in there, and my son is the goalie, so I have no idea how to put his equipment on. But, and this gets back to THE BORING, I have nothing to do and no way to “help.” At horse shows, I’m brushing a horse or tacking one up or braiding a mane or giving a leg up. I am a part of what is happening. At hockey, I’m just mom. Which is OK, it’s just really different and hard to get used to.

The good parts of hockey tournaments are just like the good parts of horse shows. You love your kids, all of “your” kids and want to see them do well and have fun. The boys and one adorable girl on the hockey team are just precious to me and very fun to be with. The rest of life just kind of disappears and you are completely in the moment.

The boy’s team played outstanding hockey and came home champions (complete with champion-emblazoned hats and a twirl around the rink with an oversized trophy). He was delighted, which was apparent in his little puffed up chest and talk of world domination (what is up with that male ego?). It’s amazing to watch such young kids generate so much decisive energy and turn that into incredibly intense hockey.

It’s almost like watching a grand prix………