Can't Win 'Em All

Sun Jul 18, 2004

Day Two of our first show! Interestingly, this was about the "loneliest" show I've ever been to, *sigh*. There's just as many cliques in the real horse world as in the model horse world.

Quzqo wasn't in a good mood, I think he was sick of being away from "home" and had just about enough of me, the fairgrounds, not having any grain, and the HUGE leopard appaloosa stalled next door to him (gorgeous mare!). Miraculously he had NO poop stains on him in the morning, He must have just missed all the piles when he slept last night, LOL!

Wisely we didn't enter Novice Showmanship...no need to go looking for humiliation at a horse show! BUT we DID enter the Halter Jackpot class ($10 entry fee!)! Only five entries in there...four stock breeds and Quzqo! I did try the "kinder, gentler" approach...i.e. a shorter lead when we trotted (he still had plenty of room to float), no carrot in my left hand to make him want to climb on top of me to get it, in fact, I focused on getting his feet in the proper position and let it go at that, not worrying about making his neck arch or stargaze or what have you! The placings in the Jackpot class only went to third, and the first two placing went to Professional "A" circuit Paint trainers...and third place was QUZQO!! WhooHOOOOO!!!

Of course that left me all super-confident about our chances in his Breed class...hopefully the judge would remember him from that Jackpot and place him (first!) accordingly! My hope sort of sank as the morning wore on...the fairgrounds seemed to be SEETHING with Arabians!! They weren't here YESTERDAY...but they were there today! Including a VERY cool majorly-fleabit gelding...he looked almost Appaloosa, the fleabites were so huge on him! There was another fleabit grey with slight dappling on his butt, and a very classic profile...a gelding...*sigh*. A beautiful dappled bay mare...that's okay, it's a mare...

Finally Pleasure Type Gelding class came, we were first in the ring, he floated at the trot and even circled to the right at a trot with me...I swear, I had goosebumps, he did so good! I got him set up and left him in that pose!

Four in the class...Quzqo ...the afore-mentioned fleabit Arabian with the classic profile...a GORGEOUS Morgan (who won both Saddleseat classes the day before), and the TWH (#100) that took the Championship yesterday. Yes, I was disappointed when we took 4th out of 4...the Morgan took first and went on to take the Championship..he WAS beautiful, so I took some solace in the fact we were beaten by the Champ.

Quzqo DID have a spate of diarrhea before the class...I thought maybe, since I forgot to clean his butt off, that may have counted against him...the other fleabit took 3rd...the other Arabian also had a very white tail, where Cusco's was still vaguely yellowed..

However in the evening, when Bob, the barn owner, was leading Quzqo towards the trailer for the trip home, I looked at him objectively...and yes, he is sort of rangey and thin...ribs visible, all angles..the other Arabian was rounded and more mature...maybe that's it. But Crikey, considering 50 days ago Cusco was at a livestock auction in Chicago...I think he's come pretty
damned far, eh???

Next horse show is August 21 at the barn where I board (no trailering, and he can sleep in his own stall!)!

I DID tack him up after his classes and rode him a little bit in the warm-up ring at the fairgrounds, but he'd reverted almost back to his old wacky self, with the bolting for the gate, head-tossing, spinning, and just being BAD...so maybe ridden classes won't be in his future this year. I prefer the Halter...less stress. In fact, watching the ridden classes this weekend, I felt absolutely NO desire to do one. Been there, done that. Halter's fun enough for me, you spend a lot less on tack & clothes, LOL!