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25-12-2012 - Nice start for Vinnie & Will in community shows
Smart Color Stable organized an endurance race, which Will decided to tackle with Vinnie pretty much in the last minute. Runs in the family by the way - Mike and Zack do the exact same thing - so DWH participation in everything tends to be quite last minute thing... But since that hasn't seemed to effect how well we do, we'll keep doing it. And because everyone are a bit creatures of habit, busy, forgetful... you get the picture, right?
Regardless of last minute heading off, the day was successful and the "two old amigos" enjoyed themselves. Vinnie was surprisingly sharp all day, considering that this wasn't an arena event. He could have taken the competition as a rather regular all day ride and come up with several goofy moments during the day, but no. He was just like any other experienced mount and perhaps for this the duo was rewarded with third place in class of eight.
Regardless of last minute heading off, the day was successful and the "two old amigos" enjoyed themselves. Vinnie was surprisingly sharp all day, considering that this wasn't an arena event. He could have taken the competition as a rather regular all day ride and come up with several goofy moments during the day, but no. He was just like any other experienced mount and perhaps for this the duo was rewarded with third place in class of eight.
27-11-2012 - Community show success continues
Drovers Run organized versatility weekend for AQH and APH, Friday was about cow disciplines, Saturday reining and speed/agility of barrels/poles and Sunday ended the weekend with halter classes.
11-11-2012 - We have a community show winner!
Since Sheena has grown up to be quite a lovely sight as well as promising performance horse, Kat decided that her show debut could very well be in pleasure class. So she packed up Sheena for the trip and decided to take Windy as well to accompany her. That decision got quite long looks from the lads, since Windy is the best cow horse at DWH, not really one to shine in pleasure classes...
In the end the show was rather small, so it was rather good one to enter with green young horse as well as only decent pleasure horse. Windy did nicely, but especially in jog/trot it was quite clear that Kat wasn't riding a pleasure horse. Windy goes nowhere near the lines of pleasure bred horses, which to be honest are quite ridiculous these days. Most of our horses are quite a pleasure to ride and none of them nearly touch the ground with their muzzles. And the funnies thing is that even Kat, the one doing pleasure, agrees with this and always has, so it's not just years of the "Dunn genuine cowboys" vicinity having an effect on her. But getting back into the show report. Windy was rewarded with third place for her nice performance and later it was pretty much decided that this was it for pleasure entries with her. She fits much better to other arenas.
And Sheena, Kat was right predicting that she'd do great in pleasure despite being cutting/reining bred. She's got much more "pleasure friendly" lines in every required gait compared to Windy or any other of our current performance horses. Sheena performed like a pro while looking like a little more than just a decent pleasure horse. This was rewarded with first place! Granted class was small, only four horses, but Kat's convinced that she'd done great even with more competition. Unlike Windy, in the future Sheena will be somewhat regular sight on pleasure arenas with Kat.
So, just our second community show and we've broken our maiden! Everyone's quite overwhelmed by the success so far and keeping fingers crossed that we aren't heading to 180 turn with it...
In the end the show was rather small, so it was rather good one to enter with green young horse as well as only decent pleasure horse. Windy did nicely, but especially in jog/trot it was quite clear that Kat wasn't riding a pleasure horse. Windy goes nowhere near the lines of pleasure bred horses, which to be honest are quite ridiculous these days. Most of our horses are quite a pleasure to ride and none of them nearly touch the ground with their muzzles. And the funnies thing is that even Kat, the one doing pleasure, agrees with this and always has, so it's not just years of the "Dunn genuine cowboys" vicinity having an effect on her. But getting back into the show report. Windy was rewarded with third place for her nice performance and later it was pretty much decided that this was it for pleasure entries with her. She fits much better to other arenas.
And Sheena, Kat was right predicting that she'd do great in pleasure despite being cutting/reining bred. She's got much more "pleasure friendly" lines in every required gait compared to Windy or any other of our current performance horses. Sheena performed like a pro while looking like a little more than just a decent pleasure horse. This was rewarded with first place! Granted class was small, only four horses, but Kat's convinced that she'd done great even with more competition. Unlike Windy, in the future Sheena will be somewhat regular sight on pleasure arenas with Kat.
So, just our second community show and we've broken our maiden! Everyone's quite overwhelmed by the success so far and keeping fingers crossed that we aren't heading to 180 turn with it...
04-11-2012 - Great start for community appearances
After some pondering we decided to enter couple of our horses to halter show available in the community. Horse choices ended being Howie and Windy, despite the fact that neither Howie or Mike really enjoy going around the arena in such manner... Halter is more of Kat's thing just as pleasure classes are, but alas Howie needs Mike to be on the other end of the rope, so that's how it needed to be.
Turnout for the show was rather big with over twenty horses being entered, but in the end it only made things more interesting for everyone. Well, Howie wasn't that pleased with all the annoyance of socializing, but he still restrained from making it too clear by acting up - outside the arena. When trotting around the arena on their turn, he did let Mike know what his opinion of the whole thing was, but luckily in rather slight manner of not really trotting as much as half cantering ears turned back. That's Howie for ya. Windy was her usual obedient and lovely self, but was a bit energetic in the trot making Kat really run to keep up.
Despite Howie's little acting up, judge liked his looks and awarded him second place! That made Kat very happy, because without that place the way back home conversation would have been Mike complaining how the whole trip was waste of time. Mainly because Windy didn't unfortunately place and if Howie, shown by him, wouldn't have either... there would've been so many useful things to do at the ranch instead of wasting time in a halter show... That's Mike for ya.
So, second place for our "flag ship" in our very first community show, very nice start!
Turnout for the show was rather big with over twenty horses being entered, but in the end it only made things more interesting for everyone. Well, Howie wasn't that pleased with all the annoyance of socializing, but he still restrained from making it too clear by acting up - outside the arena. When trotting around the arena on their turn, he did let Mike know what his opinion of the whole thing was, but luckily in rather slight manner of not really trotting as much as half cantering ears turned back. That's Howie for ya. Windy was her usual obedient and lovely self, but was a bit energetic in the trot making Kat really run to keep up.
Despite Howie's little acting up, judge liked his looks and awarded him second place! That made Kat very happy, because without that place the way back home conversation would have been Mike complaining how the whole trip was waste of time. Mainly because Windy didn't unfortunately place and if Howie, shown by him, wouldn't have either... there would've been so many useful things to do at the ranch instead of wasting time in a halter show... That's Mike for ya.
So, second place for our "flag ship" in our very first community show, very nice start!