A hard and happy day

I spent 9 1/2 hours at our chapter's League show today, and I'm beat! It was cold and damp, and I spent most of the time on my feet and freezing. It was tinged with sadness, too; our oldest member had recently suffered a fall and brain bleed (or brain bleed and fall), and I learned she passed away yesterday. Here is JoAnn just a year and a half ago, on her partner Tong. She will be missed very much.

But my student and her Paint mare did great at their very first dressage show (and the mare's first outing anywhere besides coming to my place for just four lessons!). They successfully completed Intro Tests A and C and Training Level Test 1, and the judge's comments confirmed what we have been working on. So we'll keep working and she wants to keep showing; next time maybe we will both enter.

It was SO tempting to go get my boy and show TODAY. There was just one rider doing Second Level tests and I think Lance and I could have delivered comparable if not superior performances. But there were no available ride times, so I just stayed the rest of the day to volunteer where needed and catch up with chapter member-friends that I have had little time to socialize with in the last few years. So besides being cold, it really was a good day.

Oh, and I got more information about an upcoming event. Just before the deadline I sent in an application to be a demo rider at the NW Horse Fair & Expo, and found out last week that it was accepted. Lance and I will be there on Friday, March 24, for Jec Ballou's "Cross-Training Exercises for the Dressage Horse." I learned today (our show's videographer is the demo rider coordinator) that we have to be there all day, and perhaps board Thursday night as well. Oh well, a friend is planning to come so we'll have fun hanging out and window-shopping when I'm not riding. I'm looking forward to the opportunity, and am hoping to take a lesson with Julie this week, too. Onward and forward with my handsome Lance!