horse show

Didn't update since the 15th since I've been sick. God! Stuffy nose, sore throat, cough (-demonstrates hoarsely-) high fever, lack of appetite, and weakness as a result of the lastly stated symptom. I made it through the horse show - barely - and was so exhausted thereafter that I went to bed at nine o'clock PM! I'd better be well before the next show.

I'm amazed I did so well. I was sick, for one thing, and the show company... err, thing, had just moved to a different location, and Tonka isn't the greatest in new places. ;)
If I was one of those people who get really nervous before they show, I couldn't have competed - I just about threw up because of the sickness, anyway.

The first two classes were bad... Tonka was very lazy! I only got honorable mention in those two - that's like 7th place; you don't get a ribbon. In the 3rd class, I got Tonka to be more energetic - but now he was naughty, ugh. He yanked on the reins any chance he got, and attempted to be bad in front of the corner almost every time. I was shocked when I got a 4th in it! I hadn't expected to place.
The fourth class was much the same; another 4th. Then came the fifth/last class - jumping a simple X.

First we walked and trotted around the ring, as usual, and finally we were told to line up behind a specific rider. I was last - lucky!
My two-point was okay. Ish. Well, I thought it sucked, but apparently it looked fine (but needed to be a bit bigger). I trust Bonnie's judgement here more than mine - like I said, I was basically delirious from throat pain and withheld coughing by that point.

Tonka did a botch-up jump, but our halt was nice. I expected maybe.... 5th? But no, sixth and fifth, then fourth, passed without my name being called. I didn't even get honorable mention - I was pretty sad.
"Second place is rider number (removed), Carly (removed) riding Tonka (removed)." Oh my god. Wow!

According to Bonnie, if my twopoint had been bigger, I would've gotten first - but then again, Laura said that the judge was terrible - he gave all of the first place ribbons to an average rider with a poorly-performing, but very flashy horse. (No, she wasn't saying I should've gotten more than that - there were other girls in the class, and almost every one was better than her...)

Still, my twopoint could've been better. I was pretty pleased - 2 4ths and a 2nd when I could hardly speak? Not too bad! Later, Bonnie's dad, Carl, asked me if I picked up my reserve champion ribbon (if I haven't explained it before, the classes make up divisions, and there is a second [reserve] and first [grand] champions of the entire division) yet. I got reserve? What? Cool!

So, yeah. I got the ribbon.
It was fun.
I died later, since I'd gotten up at four freaking thirty AM.

But it was fun.
Sometimes not.
But for the most part.
Fun ;)

But hey.... that's life at the barn!
written from my mom's laptop; 3 35 PM [Mon, Jan 19, 09]