Big pat on the back for Katie

Katie competed in her first horse show on AJ today. Out at the stables by 7.30 this morning it took us a good 30 mins to do the first plait in his mane (we are such amateurs!). Eventually his owner and I battled through (in our defence, it's a very thick and wiry mane) to make him look presentable ... just.

I think I was more nervous than Katie, although once we reached home she admitted to be nervous once she'd reached the showing ring. Kitted out in all her lovely finery she looked fabulous, and so grown up. We polished tack and jod boots until they shone last night, and I made sure we had a spare white shirt, needle, cottons, spare buttons, polishing cloth, hair nets, hair grips, comb, food and drinks (although in the excitement nothing got eaten), camera - everything it felt except the kitchen sink! A portable loo would have come in handy - the show ground only supplied one, which had a continuous long queue and was pretty blogged by the time we used it at lunchtime!

Katie entered two showing classes, Best Rider and then a Best All Round (horse/pony and rider). For each show she had to follow the judges instructions to walk, trot and canter with all the other competitors round the arena. Once they were all called into line, each in turn had to present a short show doing the same moves but on each rein (so doing a figure of eight at some point so the judges could see the moves from both angles). The Best All Round class was the same, but she had to include a small jump in her show. She came away with 3rd place (out of 5) for each class - chuffed or what!


Coverage in the local paper here.