September 14, 2007 - Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Watsonville, CA (and then a trip to the beach)
Region 10 horse show during the 2007 Santa Cruz County Fair
Beginning Reinning Class (DQ'd - too many steps in the rollback)
Adult Amateur Reining Class (3rd place)
Senior Horse Reining class (2nd place)
Photography - Best in the West Photography
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The patterns for my classes 61 Beginning Reining, 63 Amateur Adult and 65 Senior Horse were all different. The first pattern (No. 2) was the one we are worst at where you go from a fast right circle-lead change-slow left circle. I don’t think we have ever done this one well. The second pattern was pattern no. 1 which is what we did last week at Graham Hill, starting with rundowns. The third one starts with spins and I think we do better with this one. |
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There were just two of us in the Beginning Reining class and I was first. We walked right in and settled in the middle. The first maneuver was the slow circle and we did this well and then went around for the fast circle, but when we came around for the second fast circle, Ruby tried to take off at a bolt and lead change and it was a struggle to keep her under control. I don’t think we went off pattern cuz we stayed in the center and I got her back to the next big circle, but then it was time for the lead change, and I was going to keep her in the right circle until we got to the center, but she had other ideas.
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As soon as we came around and started back up the middle, she started to take off. I instinctively pulled back on the reins, I’m sure, and she came to a dead stop. Okay, so we muffed our lead change … onward. Our slow small circle was not real good nor slow, but the two fast ones were very good and our right lead change was pretty good. I think we went down the middle to change. I slowed her down going around the top of the circle and when I did that, I think she changed leads, so when I asked her to get back on the right lead, she only changed in front but not in back so our rundown was wild and cross cantering. |
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It sure was a bumpy ride. At that point, I felt I’d lost control of her body and mind. When I pulled her to a miserable stop, I made a point to settle her down. We must have sat there at least 10 seconds before I turned her around and we ran down to the other end. She was a little bit better. The stop wasn’t good, another collapse and the rollback was real sloppy. Our sliding stop was another collapse. Well, that’s over with. The backup was pretty good .. we took our time. I think we only went 10 feet. Our spins were slow and controlled. The judge was busy writing, and when he looked up, he motioned for us to exit. |
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Amateur Adult was announced and I was first. As I was getting ready to go in, I asked Rachelle in the announcer’s booth if I DQ’d my beginner’s class and she said both riders DQ’d. I asked what I did wrong, so she checked quickly and said that I backed up more than 4 steps on one of the rollbacks. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop thinking about this mistake as we started our next class which began with a rundown and rollbacks. Ruby did a little bit better in this class. I think everything was a little bit better except our right lead circles and that damn left lead change – she stopped again. What is going on? |
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The pattern was rundown, rollback, rundown, rollback, rundown to center, backup, spins, left lead departure and fast-slow-fast, change, then fast-slow-fast, then lead change. After she stopped and threw a fit on this lead change I was fuming and spurred her hard going around the top of the circle, along the gate. She was going at a pretty good clip when I asked for a stop. She was pretty upset about the abrupt stop and backed up a few steps. Fortunately, the judge wasn’t watching. He was busy writing. When I turned Ruby and asked if he wanted to see the bit, he again, waved me out of the arena. I was so frustrated. I felt like we must have DQ’d again. |
There were 4 riders in the Amateur Adult class that followed me: Elaine, Donna, Sandy and Robert. I didn’t watch everyone because I was trying to dismiss my frustration and concentrate on the Sr Horse pattern for the next class. I had turned Ruby away from the arena. As it happened, Elaine got first place, Donna second, Sandy and Robert DQ’d and surprise! I got third! I was shocked. I didn’t know the placings, however, until AFTER my next run, so when I went in for the last class, I was resigned to failure. I didn’t care, so what. Once we get through with this class, that's IT for reining! |
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I told Ruby when we went in the gate as the first rider in the Senior Horse class that this was the last one and please try to relax. My sour horse again played all her tricks, but I think we got our best stops of the summer and even had a little speed. Cindy Ficher (Best of the West Photography) was the show photographer and she only took one picture of us in this class. Donna got the first place and Ruby and I got second. We didn't stay at the Fairgrounds very long because the Fair had opened up and there was chaos. We needed to do something to decompress, so I loaded Ruby and we went to the beach, about 20 minutes away. |
Salinas River State Park - Moss Landing, California Ruby had only been to the beach a few times before, never without other riders with us, and she was real scared and nervous. We spent a lot of time just standing at the ocean's edge and watching the waves come up to her hooves. We were probably there at least an hour, walking the seashore or watching the waves before she got her hooves wet at all. |
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 Lots of seabirds were hanging out on the beach |
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 Ruby watches bug-eyed at the waves coming in. |
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 This is the PG&E power plant at Moss Landing, across Highway 1 from the boat harbor. |
 Ruby never stopped watching those waves, making sure they didn't come up and get her. |
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 That's the Santa Cruz Mountains in the distance, where we live. |
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Beautiful day! |
