A Show In Every State

Well not that it makes much sense but it is something to do. I'm going to start my quest to judge a show in every state. I will pay my own expenses but will need help from many to find shows especially in western states. I will judge these shows free of charge and bring a small award I like to handout called the 'Judges' Choice'. I like to award this small trophy to an exhibitor that I feel has been an all around competitor throughout the day or one who displays sportsmanship 'above and beyond'. It's not usually associated in any way with points or the high point winner. If I don't have a stand out in mind half way through the show, I ask the secretary or others who help at the show, if they know of a worthy recipient. They usually do.
So that said, if you know of a show in your state, let me know. I judge halter, showmanship, western pleasure & horsemanship, trail, hunters & hunter equitation & jumpers. I have some limited experience with non trotters (not pasos), driving (reinsmanship, obstacles, pleasure) and miniature horses.
I will not be able to judge at shows that are not within an hour of an airport except possibly a few east of the Mississippi so if I turn down something it's because of a conflict or geography, please don't take it personally.

Thanksgiving

Of course it's cliche and redundant but I have to say I'm thankful for....
My even keel rock of a husband, Capt Dan
My beautiful daughter, Sabrina
My new 2 month old grandson, Bentley
My one eyed wonder horse, Private Eye (PI)
My redheaded sometimes nightMare, Scotch Pine Zip (Belle)
My always quirky, always green Knight Flight (Jack)
My graceful, lovely pony, Le Petite Rose (Rose)
My aging but still a jumping bean purebred black dog, Dollimama
My serious and always on guard purebred black dog, Bear
My sweet and ever mannerly purebred Jackita (Jack Russell/Akita) Chloe
My ever thankful Pidesian (Pitbull/Rhodisian Ridgeback) Teddi
All of the experiences in life that led me to this point.
It may be cliche and redundant but I'm not sure I ever wrote it out like this.....
And thank you for reading my blog. Send me your questions or post them in comments and I will gladly help to answer them.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone and to those in other countries, have a fantastic day!!

Time and Again

Well I suppose I'll just have to settle for being here time and again. My health is not exactly as it should be and strokes, heart attacks, etc, have sidelined me several times in these past years. So instead of apologizing for not writing in quite sometime, I'll just write as if there was no break in continuity and I hope it all works out.

I'd love to hear from other exhibitors, parents, judges and the like, about that one person that when you see them coming to the secretarys' table, you run and hide (especially if you are the secretary). I remember a few  that really mellowed out towards their elder years but there was one that was horrid. He considered himself Adonis and gift to all pony hunter queens. His use of foul language to demean his students at the out gate was enough to make you want to crawl away or punch him square in the mouth!

I don't understand people who pay for that kind of 'training'. It's not training. I have always viewed this type of behavior as a safety issue. They shake the confidence and focus of their riders to the point the riders' usually turn in a much less than perfect performance which just brings on more berating and bad trainer behavior. These types of trainers can also leave an exhibitor thinking they did very well but the judge didn't like the color of their pony or some other such nonsense the trainer will convey to them in their infinite 'trainer' wisdom. It's hard to even explain your pinnings (placings) to a trainer such as this as they will not listen to anything you have to say. They ask the question but argue the judges' every answer.

These are also the ones that will come right to the judges' or hunt you down and ask really lame questions like 'why didn't my student win'? Well that's usually a whole 'nother Oprah show but I usually can pick that one person out that no matter what, you cannot please them and no matter what, you will not be able to avoid them that day either!

PS I have no idea about the horse in the picture or what the circumstances were but I thought it was cute and was hoping that the kids were just meeting on the roof of a barn so please do not chastise me. I don't know where the picture was taken; who the people were nor their circumstances.