5 Day Challenge - Day 5

21. Favorite classes to watch

Hmmm, I don't know if I have a favorite! I love to watch it all. I guess eventing is my favorite thing to watch, with cross country being first and dressage being second. I also love watching upper level dressage and jumping too... Really, if it has horses in it, I like watching it.

22. What’s in your cooler at horse shows?

Cheesesticks, applesauce, water, gatorade and probably a Subway sandwich. And if it's a show I'm staying at overnight, perhaps a few adult beverages :)

Hanging out at the endurance ride camp

23. One thing about showing (or riding in general) you wish you could change?

It's hard when you have a horse that you've trained yourself and you're competing against people on push button horses. I remember distinctly going to my first jumping show with Jetta and there was a girl on an absolutely stunning dark dapple gray 10k plus horse that was trained to the 9's. I was talking with the girl's father since he asked about my horse and commented that he wished his daughter was as driven as I was with horses... I guess he bought this horse for her and she didn't like it. I think I would have died if I was given a horse like that.

Really though, I don't mind too bad. Of course I'm super competitive and want to do well, so it's hard when someone has a horse that's ridden full time by a trainer and the rider only gets on it to win at shows, whereas my horse has never had a trainer ride in her life and I'm working really hard to get where I want her to be. But, it makes success all that more sweet when you do well on your own horse that you've done all the work on. So far one of my greatest successes was at the last dressage show of the summer when Jetta got first place in one of our first level classes. Watching all of these horses go, I was convinced that we weren't going to place high. There were some really nice movers (much nicer than Jetta), one of my dressage instructors rode her horse in a really great test and some fancy warmbloods were even thrown in. So to not only get our personal best score and have a great ride, but to be competitive and place above all these other great riders, was a great feeling because I know I can say that I did that with my horse.

24. Your ringside crew

Me, myself and I. But recently, I've be able to convince my mom to come along to a bunch of my shows this year, which I really appreciate, though honestly she's not that much of a horse show mom. She tries. Sort of. I think she's finally realized that this is one of her few chances to hang out with me since I've been going to shows alone since I was about 16. As soon as I could drive the truck and trailer I was on my own!

25. Best prizes

Belt buckles. OMG I love them. I have 5 horse ones that I've won doing mountain/cowboy/timed/etc competitive trail  with Jazz (and I have 4 non-horse riding ones that I've won too from showing rabbits and 4-H and hippology). 

But I also really love saddle pads, coolers and big rosettes or neck ribbons. I LOVE ALL THE PRIZES. I've never won a cooler or a saddle pad so those are on my to-do list. I did get a turnout sheet from doing High School Equestrian Team, but I don't consider that too prestigious... And I do have one neck ribbon that I got at a tiny little show with Jazz, they had the most awesome prizes there - I also got a portable saddle rack that I use at every show and a little crystal trophy for winning overall high point.