show time!

I think I have spent the majority of my summer inside. Not because I particularly want to, but because I've been working so much that I don't have a lot of time to spend outside. The few mornings or evenings I've found myself without anything to do are usually spent at the barn. Sometimes it's riding Lex, the ex-racehorse who needs to learn some manners. The best times though are spent with Fireball, my 23 year old Arabian.

After a few lessons to get me back in the groove of the things, I decided to go to the VAHA District 6 July Wakefield show. I figured I didn't have much to lose and it would be my only chance this year to show. So, after a couple of months of riding, we loaded up the trailer and headed to Wakefield. The only problem was, though, that it was supposed to be record breaking temperatures of over 100 degrees all weekend.

Saturday, we got to Wakefield around one. We got the stalls ready, unloaded the horses and fed them. It was so hot, though, that nobody wanted to ride. I waited until five thirty when my instructor John said I needed to ride. Even at that point, it was unbearable. The lesson was a disaster and by the end, I could barely breathe it was so hot. Fireball kept acting up because I couldn't focus, which just made me upset and then he would act worse. It was like an endless cycle.

Luckily, they say that a bad lesson the day before means a good day at the show. I don't know if that's always true, but it was for me. I got up early and rode around seven thirty. He was great. He got scared at the corners of the ring, but all of the horses were doing that. He set his head nicely and really seemed to be calming down by the end of the ride. It was much more enjoyable than my ride the day before. Around eight thirty, they made the announcement that riders could ride in their tank tops instead of the usual show shirt and jacket. Thank goodness. I would have died if we hadn't. The first class we went in was just a walk/trot class and it went by so fast. The judge only had us trot once around the ring and then we were done. It was literally two minutes long. She asked us to line up in front of her at the end of the ring so she could see our numbers. The announcer began announcing and said "First place goes to number 957..." and I looked to the person to my left and they were number five hundred something. Before I could look to my right, she continued by saying "ABF Fireball ridden by Sarah Russo." WE WON FIRST PLACE! There were only four people in the class, but the fact that we had won after not really riding together for three years was pretty incredible. I was so proud of us. The fact that we overcame a bad lesson the day before and an incredible heat wave just topped the whole moment off.

After that, I could have cared less about what happened, which was good because we didn't do well at all. He basically decided that he was hot and didn't want to be bothered with any more classes, so he started dancing all over the place and throwing his head. Honestly, I don't blame him. He's 23 years old, it was hot, and he just wanted to go home. As John said, he's a grumpy old man. I did three more classes and called it quits. It wasn't the best day ribbon wise, but I think he did amazing. When he wasn't dancing around, his head was set and he was moving out at a nice pace. I don't really care what place we get, as long as he does what I ask the majority of the time. My mom pointed out that this was probably his last show ever. I don't really plan on showing him again and no one else rides him, so he can rest easy knowing that he will probably never leave the farm again.

One person who deserves more credit than anyone this weekend is my mom. She joked all weekend that she was there as my assistant, but she truly was amazing. She was there every time I needed a brush or a carrot. She packed everything I needed, plus more. She was so worried about me and everyone else getting overheated that she came with a whole cooler of water. After my lesson on Saturday didn't go well, she tried to calm me down. She was my rock this weekend and honestly couldn't have done it without her. She understands the stress and disappointment that can come with showing, but she has also experienced the reward that comes with doing well and the bond that can come out of a relationship with a horse.

A lot of people don't understand horseback riding. They don't understand that the rider can be doing everything perfect, but things can still go wrong. There is a partnership in horseback riding that can't be found in many other sports. The horse has a mind of it's own and it's all about listening to the horse. Regardless of what the rider does, if the horse doesn't want to do it, sometimes it just can't be done. Once the rider and the horse find that partnership, though, the results can be incredible. After five years of riding Fireball, I can truly call him my best friend. He can tell when I'm upset and has the ability to calm me down more than any person I know. He may not be the easiest horse to catch in the field or the best horse at the show, but he's my guy. I miss the days when I could ride him every day all day. I love you Fireball.

ps. you should know that my new riding boots lived up to challenge this weekend. They were extremely comfortable and durable. Not as great as my old ones, but they will definitely do.