August 19, 2007 - Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Watsonville, CA
=Double judged=
Beginning Reinning Class (2nd & 3rd place)
Senior Horse Reining class (Two 3rd place)
Photography - Photography by Nicole
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We were not the first rider in the beginning reining class. Ruby walked in nice and slow. We had the same pattern as the AA yesterday, starting with the spins. Ruby wasn’t as supple in the spins as yesterday. Had a good left lead departure and our circles actually had a little speed to them. Two big, then one little circle, then a good lead change. Then all hell broke loose as we completed the first of the big right lead circles. She fought me to change, but I kept her on the right lead. She didn’t fight so hard the next time we went around, but boy, after the small circle, she tried to take off on the lead change. |
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We went around for the rollback on the right side of the arena and she flopped to a stop and her rollback was sloppy. She did better on the next rollback. There was no chance that we were going to get a sliding stop and when I started to back her up, she thought we were going to rollback again and started a turn, but I got her straightened out quickly. Ugh. It wasn’t pretty, but we got 2nd place with judge Lisa Shields and 3rd place with judge Sable Myers.
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The AA class was the same pattern as the Senior Horse class yesterday. Started out with a nice little slow right lead circle. At the middle of the pen, she picked herself up to change leads, but I kept her on the right lead and went into the two big circles. She was good the next time around. She flew into the lead change with her head up, but I got her slowed down for most of the circle, then the two big circles were pretty nice. She had some pretty good speed. By that time, I was having fun with my left to right lead circles and smiled at the judges and photographer as she expertly executed that move. |
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Went around to the top and did a rundown. This time I tried to collect her and she did scotch. We petered out into a stop and our rollback was sloppy. Ran down the other end and again not a good stop and she actually stepped back and rolled back. Our sliding stop was awful. Our back up was okay. The spins were okay. She tried to slow down and stop on a couple of the spins. I know I was counting the spins out loud to myself so as not to lose count. |