calmolly
Member
Week before last we went to our first Mini show and I wanted to share our experiences with everyone. It all started on Thurs when we picked up our truck after it was repaired from a rear end collision in Feb and it looked like brand new! On Fri I packed and loaded and picked Steve up from work. It was so exciting, going over mountains, driving through the night!. We arrived about 1:00am and unloaded and settled the guys and headed to the hotel. The next morning we spent getting measured, walking the horses around, getting them used to the atmosphere. We met a few people and watched some classes. Then at lunch time we headed half hr away to watch our daughter ride in the ISHA Nationals (for once needing to be in two places at once actually worked out
). On our way there we noticed a funny smell but thought is was the local industry. We got a bit lost and while trying to turn around in a very bad neighborhood the truck made a horrible noise and boiled over. Oh boy, what fun in 90 degree heat, trying to direct our daughter to where we were, all in an area where the local businesses keep their doors locked during business hours and we abandoned the truck there! Nine hours later we got back to the barn (Our daughter went Reserve Champion Open Reining!
) We then had to wash stockings, slick manes etc...we were there to show, weren't we?
We laughed so hard we cried when Steve found his paycheck at the bottom of a bucket so wet it was in tatters. Don't even ask how it got there. We found out the trailer is very comfortable to sleep in and it was great being right near the horses.
Next morning we got Indy spiffed and gorgeous and went inthe ring. He loved it, in fact had to be persauded to leave the area after the second time! He looked competitive, got a 2nd in Halter and a 1st in Newcomers Halter. I learned alot, saw he really needed more condition, but was very proud of him. I only wish we had gotten to meet some more people as I would have valued their opinion, but I am quite shy and only one or two other newbies approached us. Later that day good friends of ours arrived with their truck and hauled us home.
Tuesday night we headed out over the mountain again with a very old but reliable truck (so we were told) with a 30ft car trailer attached to retrieve my husbands pride and joy, or what we imagined was left of it after 3 days abandoned. The heart stopping moments going down the mountain with the trailer empty and the shock that the truck was in pristine condition, and the gangbangers riding up and down watching us load it paled to insignifigance to the ride back down the mountain with a 4500lb truck being pushed by 12000lb of dually and trailer.
OH! I have never known such fear! Steve was laughing at me until about a mile from the bottom when he even got worried! But we made it.
so a week has gone by, conditioning has started in earnest, the trailer finally got unpacked, I'm not so shell shocked or tired and guess what? I WANT TO DO IT ALL AGAIN!!! Am I crazy?
Next morning we got Indy spiffed and gorgeous and went inthe ring. He loved it, in fact had to be persauded to leave the area after the second time! He looked competitive, got a 2nd in Halter and a 1st in Newcomers Halter. I learned alot, saw he really needed more condition, but was very proud of him. I only wish we had gotten to meet some more people as I would have valued their opinion, but I am quite shy and only one or two other newbies approached us. Later that day good friends of ours arrived with their truck and hauled us home.
Tuesday night we headed out over the mountain again with a very old but reliable truck (so we were told) with a 30ft car trailer attached to retrieve my husbands pride and joy, or what we imagined was left of it after 3 days abandoned. The heart stopping moments going down the mountain with the trailer empty and the shock that the truck was in pristine condition, and the gangbangers riding up and down watching us load it paled to insignifigance to the ride back down the mountain with a 4500lb truck being pushed by 12000lb of dually and trailer.
OH! I have never known such fear! Steve was laughing at me until about a mile from the bottom when he even got worried! But we made it.so a week has gone by, conditioning has started in earnest, the trailer finally got unpacked, I'm not so shell shocked or tired and guess what? I WANT TO DO IT ALL AGAIN!!! Am I crazy?
