One of my favorite things about horse show weekends is not so much the wins, trophies,and championships. It is the relationships and camaraderie that occur around these events. It is the building up of a friend when they are feeling low because they did not accomplish what they wanted to. It is a father who loves his child so much he waits around all day for those two minutes to watch her go in and try her best in the show pen. It is the grandparents devoting so much time and effort into their precious girls. It is the coach who dedicates himself to his students so they can reach their goals and dreams...and to be there on the other side rooting them on whether they do or don't. It is the relationships that form and bond from a group that cheers each other on through the good and the bad. And it is also the family that extends beyond even the borders of competition. Okay, sometimes the borders become a little higher when the heat gets hotter. But in the end, we all appreciate each other because we know the sweat and sacrifice that takes place in order to do this thing we do...reining.
Having said all that... the thrill of competition is a blast! The stakes were higher because this weekend was the last show of the year for FRHA. Some of the horse/rider teams had a lot of lea-way and easily sealed the deal for the year end awards. Others just barely squeezed in there by a few points. And some fell just short of their needed points.
Lucas and Bobby were the ones who came through at the last minute! They were leading the 14-18 Youth Division by 2 points for the year end buckle going into the show. On Saturday however they had to be at the cow horse show down in Sarasota. While down there they won the Non Pro, the Novice Non Pro, the Youth Bridle, and were second on Luke's new mare in the Non Pro Hackamore! Pretty slick work for one Day!!
Here at the reining someone had jumped ahead of him by one point for the year end buckle. So Sunday came and Bob and Luke marked a "70" to win the class but he still needed one rider to score in between him and the other rider who was currently leading the division. We had Lana at the show for Ashlyn to show in the Green so we took advantage of that and stuck her in there to see if Luke could pull it off. Well before Luke showed Lana another boy placed between Luke and the year end leader! Luke and Lana followed doing the same so in the end Luke and Bobby won the year end buckle by two points!! That's close after a whole year of showing! Congratulations Lucas for sealing the deal! Another great triumph this weekend was Kyndall and "Chicken" clenching the 13 & Under Youth Division Year End Championship! Yeah!
We also want to give a shout out to our two Green riders who are graduating out of the Green and on to the Rookie. Congratulations Burl White and Karen Anderson for winning your buckles. They will receive them early next year at the awards banquet.
A new up and comer that deserves a praise is Ashlyn Harper (Kyndall's little sister). She won her first class this weekend.....only her 4th time showing and only her second try on this particular horse. She won the Green 1 on Sunday and got her first ever trophy plaque!!!! Thanks to Jean McCullough for allowing her to borrow "Lana". They made a great team! Yeah Ashlyn, we are so proud of you!!!
Brad and Dually (Smart Doc Dualittle) also finished the year out strong, winning the Novice Horse Open Division by about 20 points on Cathy Voit's talented stud!
Dually is also the sire of the three year old that Kyndall showed in the Non Pro Futurity on Saturday night! Kyndall and Funny Face (Dualittle Sweet Gun) put forth a great effort in their ride. Funny Face was just not quite into all the crazy people screaming in the stands. These young ones take a little time to get their feet wet.
Colleen Smith and Dallas (This Playboy Dunnit) also competed in the Non Pro Futurity. They really gave it their all and were looking like strong contenders for the lead when a little glitch in the end put them out of the running. Again, three year olds....anything can happen! But they looked great out there.
Good job also to Jeremy and Stormys Fancy Twist who qualified to compete in the Rookie division at the affiliate finals! Jeremy has really brought Stormy a long way this year and has done really well at a bunch of Quarter Horse Shows!
Okay, so things were going amazing for Ginger and Juiced Up in the Rookie 1 & 2 Divisions. She was about 10 points behind for the year end buckle going into the show but you know, who's really counting?...haha. On Saturday the pair one both divisions bringing them with in 4-5 points of the leaders!! On Sunday they gave it their all and had a very nice ride but basically tied with the ladies she needed to beat so no points were changed. She fell just short of gaining what she needed for the Rookie buckles, but came in Reserve Year End Champions! Also its very exciting that Ginger and Juice up are qualified for the affiliate finals and is still able to win NRHA Rookie of the Year! Reserve Champion in both Rookie 1 & 2 is really an excellent achievement!! Congratulations Ginger!!!
Next stop for Kyndall, Ginger, & Brad.....South Eastern Affiliate Finals in Williamston, North Carolina!!!
One of the highlights of the weekend, other than all that stuff....was the Doggie Costume Contest! Grace and Ruby, Ashlyn and Lemon, Cain and Charley, and Karen's dog Zack all were contenders. We had so much fun watching them strut their stuff and the whole crowd was wild about them. Here are some pictures of the cuteness! Okay and Cain was very handsome!
Esther
