Bartlesville Ride

These are a couple of pictures after we got back from the Bartlesville ride.

GCC-ODS Fall Classic

Lovely show - incredible horses; talented riders; hot pink shirts on all the volunteers, and an artist wins the Jaime award - congrats to Shannean. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate my GCC/ODS club for their remembrance of Jaime every year. The world keeps turning, life goes on and the hardest thing for me is the thought of Jaime being forgotten. Thanks.

And the show did go on, I saw some lovely rides, and Patty and Dante did a wonderful freestyle with music perfect for the pair of them. Mallory and Raffles did a good job as well coming together during this first show-year for them and it sure is fun to see Roberta and Nicole have such elegant rides. Yeah for the home team. I would like to say that I was so inspired that I got home, saddled my horse and rode. But, exhaustion set in and I needed to do the dishes. So, Splash and Pico got more vacation than either of them need.

Ivy and Alaina along with Roxanne and Bonnie were runners for the morning and Sherry kept all four in line and claimed that she got work out of them too. They look cute in hot pink.

The GCFC is such a fun show for me every year. I get to see my horsey friends that I somehow miss at other shows and I love being paddock/gate since I have the illusion that I am in charge of something. Perfect position for seeing the warmup in beautiful morning light and to watch Patty and Dante handle a power outage in the middle of their test. I jumped higher than Dante and Patty should have extra points for poise.

So, fall is really here even if it hit 90 degrees today. So, perhaps I ride tomorrow evening?

Promise Acres Schooling Show

Hello YaYas,

Well today I worked in the schooling show around preparing a presentation for my class tomorrow and Ron baling some more hay. Had to make him breakfast before I left as I knew he would work all day and not eat anything significant until we got home. However, I guess it's my turn to be disappointed. Our scores were 65 and 61 for Intro A and B, respectively. I felt it was our best ride for Intro B ever. Evidently the judge did not share their enthusiasm. It was our worst Intro B score ever.

It was a beautiful day and the facilities were nice. Mel went to help me as she knew I was already exhausted. She is a great help to me. It was nice to see the old neighborhood again. The facilities and the folks there were all real nice. However, Cathy the arena was dark and scary though, even Lil did not want to approach the judges stand at C. Despite all that was against us, we had two good rides. I got to try out my new looped reins which I think will help me alot. I might need spurs though.

Cathy, I'm glad the girls did well and enjoyed their rides.

Carol, I’m glad to hear you had a great ride. How nice is it to see evidence of all our hard work with a good ride??

We got to see Larry and Patty and Rita and Sandy and meet some new folks. The new folks had no idea of what was going on or how things work at a dressage show. I tried to explain as much as I could but it's so good to see some newbies getting involved... :) How can I remain disappointed for long?

I hope all have a good week. I'd upload some pics but Mel said the arena was too dark for pics.

Plus my system at home is too slow for uploading pics in a timely manner.

Learning to take it all in stride, Marsha

Tulsa State Fair - 4H Show

The girls and I went to the Tulsa State Fair 4H/FFA horse show - now held the weekend before the state fair really starts. Because of huge parking issues during the fair, this new timing is pretty civilized. The show starts at 10am and the last class is done around 7pm.

Right away, the girls were having fun because we parked right next to Abby Nolan (and her mom Jan and Dog Jack). Abby is a very accomplished junior rider just a little older than the girls and the three (4 if you count Jack) have been best buds since they met at the Will Rogers Classic early this year and bonded some more at the State 4H horse show in Shawnee in June. Abby's horse Cloud is a very nice and well trained POA who Ivy believes is related to Splash. Who knows... it could be true.

The girls had fairly good rides and the competition is pretty stiff. Ivy placed 6th in Hunter Under and Alaina was in the top 8 (called back) in both english and western equitation. They were having so much fun that we stayed and both girls "ran" speed (barrels and stakes). Ivy and TC mostly trotted the patterns with a little canter toward home but Alaina had lovely canters for both her patterns. No winning times but big grins when they heard the crowd cheering for them.

I have not ridden at all this week because of travel and the horse show - maybe this evening Splash and I will work a bit. There is a re-scheduled dressage show today, but I did not have enough energy to consider it. Kale came by the show yesterday to help and see the girls and he was sad not to be riding himself.

Yeah! I can update tonight that I gave Splash a light workout this afternoon. The girls and their pals Rhett and Riley (twins next door) played together and when I suggested riding, Rhett was game. So, he got Diez, Alaina rode Sunny, Ivy on TC and me with Splash. We did a little arena work and then did the Wild Orban Ranch circuit. Splash got some trail salad in and was pretty well behaved as were all the horses on this lovely afternoon.

What a Great Day for a Ride

What a beautiful day for a ride. Morning temperature was pleasantly cool. The air sparkled the way it does in the Fall. After all the rainy weather of the last few weeks, an amazingly beautiful day. Shiloh started the day off looking more like a Western Pleasure horse than an English horse. We evidently found his tranquility point yesterday. We had a good ride Thursday evening. Today was even better. He feels wonderful at all gaits and is being very responsive to the seat. We're both able to go longer as we progress. Yea! With luck, maybe we'll be able to ride in the next schooling show.

Looking forward to hearing how the 4H show at the Fair went today. I was tied up at an Appaloosa club meeting and didn't make it in to see the kids show. Hope everyone had a good time!!

Rogers County Fair and IKE - yikkes

I am soooo happy to have blogging buddies - thanks Marsha and Carol!

The Rogers County Free Fair was on this past week and the fair just keeps shrinking. NO rides of any kind - not even the pathetic few we had last year and only 2 food vendors (one was closed half the time). Inside vendors were about half of usual and it seemed as if the basic fair entries were down as well. But, the horse show scheduled for Sat. went on and considering the major rain from IKE, was pretty well attended. Adult English entries about 4 and western about 8. I really think junior kid numbers were up and intermed. and senior about the usual. So, if the weather hadn't been so awful, we might have had a really good turnout.

Halter was Sat. am starting at 10 and Ike was in the area by then. Ivy/TC placed 4th in Qtr Horse Geldings 3 and up. Alaina/Dies were 3rd in Misc. Mares 3 and up and Ivy/Splash were grand champ Appaloosa! Woo hoo. Rita brought Jasmine the fabulous vanner pony but the judge didnt' seem to appreciate her; Jasmine was very well behaved and has a great show future. Weanling futurity entries were very light. The 4H mare and gelding classes were very large which is great since its a new class and didn't include any premiums.

The horse show (English/Western) started at 2pm and by then it was really raining. Needless to say, NO warmup in the outdoor arena (rain, mud, more rain) and the judge did not allow adequate warm up between showmanship and English. Adults who showed in western were completely out of luck. I managed to get about 2 min of warmup because I showed in my English attire so just had to saddle Splash. Also, because there was no outdoor area to wait at the gait, there were way to many horses in that small covered area. Ivy was standing by with Splash and couldn't get through to compete for Best in show after winning grand appy. Oh well, maybe next year. We did have 2 people injured by one kicking horse (incidents 2 min apart) - not good.

Changing for western was a nightmare and I didn't get back in time to warm up although Ivy and Alaina got about 5 minutes. and I had show helpers with Kathy B and Julie H. Splash was so unimpressed with my cues in a western saddle and western snaffle bridle that I resorted to spurs. He did respond then although we were not pretty. Ivy pointed out that I placed last in every class, haha, but I didn't fall off. Considering all the rain and all my work travel, I was really pretty happy with Splash - especially in English. I didn't use spurs and had only one whip and we didn't break gait and even got the correct lead both ways. Western not, but ....

Ivy and Alaina had pretty good English rides although Ivy got dumped during warmup and was a little tentative with TC the rest of the day. The judge was really awful and even DQed both walk/trot kids - one for the wrong bit and the other for not having a number on her back (not her fault since she was only 6 and at her first show). He DQ'd quite a kids through out the show including 7 of the 11 in the wst. horsemanship class several for very iffy infractions. I hope we don't have him again, he should stay at recognized shows and away from county fairs and 4-H. If he gets happy from making kids cry then he had a great day since i saw at least 4 in tears. I and A didn't cry about it (they were both part of the 7) but Ivy was outraged on behalf of two of her friends one who had a fab pattern and the other who had a really nice ride but got the wrong lead. I suggested she become a judge herself someday and do better. Rules are rules, but sometimes fun should be more important....

All in all, a very soggy day and we had to load in the monsoon. Then, a miracle! sunshine for the Fun show and Cloverbud show today. We had about 9 juniors and 2 seniors for Key-hole, egg/spoon, tennis ball poles, ride-a-buck, and surprise. only a few eggs were smashed and the kids had fun in the covered arena although the outdoor was still to soggy to ride. Marilyn rode Splash and even got canter in ride-a-buck. TC regressed and wouldn't enter the keyhole but I knew he would do that. Then! 13 Cloverbuds and 6 older 4-H members to run the show. The kids had a great time although we did have a couple of incidents. We have to prohibit spurs from child riders - who would think!

Anyway, the county fair is over and the only show 4-H has left is the Tulsa State 4-H/FFA show next weekend. I sure hope the weather is better since that will be awful at the Tulsa fairgrounds with parking eight million miles away.

Meanwhile, I can dream of the next dressage show with wonderful weather and well behaved horses and all my horsey friends and horses to hang with. I miss you already since I am off to Kansas again tomorrow.

Schooling Show Canceled! Vacation tidbits

Bummer YaYas! No-ones riding tomorrow as Hurricane Ike has brought a flood... Lil and I were ready too! Well guess it's off to prepare for the show at Patty's in October.

Vacation was awesome. Taos, NM was just my style. Hot breakfast each morning compliments of the hotel and ranches to visit, wine-tasting, arts & crafts fair, galleries, pottery, rugs, jewelry, lots more good food and a large hot tub at the hotel! We topped it off with a visit to the AQHA Hall of Fame in Amarillo, TX. Saw pics of Leo, King, Wimpy, Poco Bueno, Top Deck, Moon Deck, Jet Deck and more. Did you all know that the AQH is descended from the Turk, Arab and the Barb? There's a NICE saddle there for President George Bush when he leaves office (due to the economy, I might actually like to give him a boot right now but that's beside the point). :)
Hope all is well with you and yours. See you soon! Marsha C.

Rainy Ride on Shiloh

It was raining when I headed over to Patty's this morning with Shiloh. Today is the Rogers County Free Fair show, but I'm just getting back on track, so I opted for a regular ride. The rain was lighter at Patty's, so we got to the barn without really getting wet. Shiloh was full of beans with the rain and weather changes, so that his pre-ride lounge work took a little longer. Once he was moving, he was happy. As we started under saddle, there was one moment of "I don't think so", but we got through that quickly. Shiloh was very forward and willing to go. He was really wanting to canter, so . . . today was my first day to canter since falling off of Bullet and "dinging" my bum. Everything went well - nice to be moving forward again! Fingers crossed that we will continue to make progress. I have to get better as my "girls" will be coming home from their starting under saddle training. I'll definitely be busy then .

Hello YaYas

Hope to see everyone Sunday at Promise Acres. This is the area where Curtis and Melissa grew up. I am excited to see the old neighborhood! :) Hoping for nice weather. Marsha

Splash 'n Canter

Well, Patty ordered up some cool weather with just a threat of rain (if you don't count the soaking we got tacking up) for our lesson this weekend. It was just Kathy B and me with Casper and Splash. Kathy has located a prospect to check out so Casper may get to find a new home - I can't wait to see the Palomino paint Kathy is looking at.

Meanwhile, the 2-whip tango has really helped our steering but Splash did NOT want to canter EVER! He 'bout wore me out but we had to keep trying and Patty had to re-enforce trying - Patty helping with a lunge whip pop until FINALLY, we got a few transitions. The good news - no bucks. So, it just shows how much riding I should be doing but can't get enough of what with work, school, rain, etc....

We also worked on backing and turns on the haunches and Splash was very stubborn and so was I. Patty pointed out that I wasn't giving at the first step and I realized that I was missing the chance to reward the step waiting for the give to the reins. Once I tried to respond quicker, he seemed to get it. We shall see.

Meanwhile, the girls went on a bear... I mean bug hunt for the ugly bug contest at school. They found a couple of creatures including a caterpillar, fly (that got away), and TICKS! Dozens of seed ticks went right through Ivy's socks and attached to her ankle and lower leg. So tiny you could hardly see them and very hard to remove. I spayed bug spray, peroxide, then covered them with baby oil and tried to drown them. Yikkes. They were ugly I am sure, but I destroyed them rather then saving them for the contest.

And finally, we took the old gray mare, TC, and Splash to Westside Elem to visit the girls' classes and let the kids get close and personal and get a leadline ride. More than 50 kids got a quick ride on TC and Diez, Splash got snacks and brushing. Steve and I got our exercise but the kids got to feel the difference between the ex racehorse and the little Arab. All three were really good.

I am off to Kansas again this week, so Splash gets another week off. Then, the county fair this weekend, so no lesson either. Ride some happy trails for me. c

Patty and Silka at Lily Pond

I'm not sure why the photos didn't come through on the previous post. Putting a few in a separate post in case I hit a size limit of some sort. Click on the photo to see the detail.











Patty seems to be having a great time. Look at her grin as she and Silka canter a corner.

More Lily Pond Photos

I was only at the show for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Hot, muggy, and just a little breeze. The exhibitors are amazons!!

You can see more photos of the Lily Pond show by going to http://appy2.myphotoalbum.com and selecting Rocking C Stables, then Schooling Shows.

YaYa at Lily Pond

Cathy and Pico started their pattern with a nice, big trot. Between the arena dust and the haze, we got some interesting effects on the shots.

Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but Pico has all four feet off the ground. The sun reflecting off the arena dust makes an interesting effect, don't you think?

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Patty and Dante looked amazing, especially with the storm clouds making a dramatic backdrop

Marsha and Lil had a very pleasant ride. Doesn't Lil look relaxed in this shot?

Lily Pond and Lightning

Lucky Splash didn't get to do a lesson because i took Pico, TC, Diez and the girls to Lily Pond for a dressage schooling show. The girls had sluggomatic rides again but haven't been riding much and need some regular lessons badly. Pico was pretty good without any big spooks. Operator error because of a big storm causing distractions nearly caused a DQ in F4. The judge (Louise Waring) liked Pico in T4 and we scored 59.4 although we needed more stretch in the walk and in the trot circle at C. Louise said Pico has good gaits staying in rhythm and balance even when I don't. F4 was 56.579 - better than i expected based on her comments in the ring. I will try to work on 'bungee cord" arm connection and improving my sitting trot which was rough.

Ivy and Alaina recieved 55.5 and 54. The judge recomends that Ivy increase energy and to use full arena in circles and bends. Alaina needs to work on full circles and more forward. Roxanne had a great show onTrouper and then the girls played the rest of the day. Mallory handled Raffles really well when he spazzed at C.

Marsha and Lil had a good show with Lil much better moving than the last show. Patty had lovely rides on Silka and Dante and Denise and Jurgen did well also. Poor Elizabeth didn't feel up to riding Pico - hope she is feeling better now.

We had a lovely day today when Mallory and Roxanne brought Trouper and Raffles over and Kathy rode Pico and I worked Splash a little. With Brittany on Diez, Ivy on TC and Alaina on Sunny, we took a little trail ride around our place and then went to Goldies for lunch. Way fun.