Sun Pony Ranch

Diary of novice (clueless) ranch owners

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Fun Show, that was actually fun!

Seeing as how I've become incredibly conscious of the fact that about ALL I have posted this summer has been SCA related, I decided I needed to do a non-SCA post first. (There are more waiting in the wings too... to be posted soon)

Anyways as I alluded to the Fun Show was a good day for everyone this year. A very LONG day, but then that was to be expected. I groaned when I realized that we were not only loading the trailer in the dark, before the sun came up, but so too unloaded in the dark after it had set.

Several competing events the day before meant that we would not be able to load the tack into the trailer on Saturday -- which really would be the ideal way to do this. So we got up at 6 and started loading. Also brought the horses in and fed the breakfast. Took the first load over to the fair grounds only 20 minutes late from our 7 am goal. And the second load arrived about 8:45 -- we were FAR and away better timed than last year which had us scrambling, arriving after the first class had started.

And as we only had 17 riders, we had plenty of time for the waiting around part of horse showing. Even consequtive classes with tack changes seemed to be no particular challenge. So - like the title says, it was actually a FUN day for all. Pics:



































Oh, right. This picture reminds me to mention Jordan's little hissy fits throughout the day. See him here? WAAAAYYY off on the other end of the shed under which we were grooming all day?



Yeah, well this was because he caught a glimpse of these:



OK, admittedly the costumes were pretty strange, but I don't think it was even the costumes he was freaking out over - it was the miniature horses. Because there were several at the show, most of them NOT dressed up, but everytime he saw one he just started going ballistic!

Jessica, one of our students who showed Jordan, and I while getting ready for the demo, both had the misfortune to have someone riding a mini in the warm up arena at the same time we were warming up. OMG you would think a large, predatory carnivore was after him! Actually just as I was leading him into the warmup -- being our first time EVER to wear his medieval costume so I was already a little antsy about his reaction -- and this kid riding a mini came barreling across the arena, out of control, and nearly runs into us. Oh yeah, that just did wonders for his presence of mind! Thank goodness we don't have any minis on our demo team, and none showed in the same classes he did, so his jitters didn't for the most part affect his performance inside the indoor arena.

Never the less, I told him I was rather unimpressed with his portrayal of an experienced lesson horse -- much less a medieval war horse!

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Fun Show and Demo

This weekend was the annual BCHA Fun Show, to which we take riders to show. Last year was nearly an utter disaster, as we'd unwisely planned for ALL of our lesson students to come to the show - and ended up with 50 students in that session!!!

This year we were far more strategic in asking folks to sign up for the show in addition to lessons. This way only the kids who really had an interst in showing went, and it was a much more relaxed, controlled day all together. We had 17 riders and 8 horses.

But this year I'd also managed to help coordinate the SCA Equestrians to come and do one of the demos during the day. We had 4 riders in costume and demonstrated 5 skills - Heads, Rings, Quintain, Pig Sticking and Birjas. I think we were wildly popular.

Unfortunately.... could you imagine that we didn't personally get ANY pictures of the demo? Seems Dave had the camera but was in the arena. Ginger in the stands. *headdesk*. Oh well, we know lots of other people did get pics, so we just need to get them collected up. Same with the fun show pics - we got 'em, I just need time to sort through them. So look for more posts soon on this topic.

However, we did get some before pictures. This is us, trying out our new barding!!! This one is much more period authentic for my 14th century Welsh persona. I tell you -- I'm really looking forward to the event that we get to attend and AREN'T having to sew madly to prepare for it!



We made quite the splash -- got lots of nice complements. Here are my fellow demo-riders




Lady Anne


Mistress Rossilin


Lady Morgan

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