2016 Shows

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm not showing, but I love to hear people's experiences, win or lose. I hope anyone who is showing this year will share.

 

[threeten]

I went to my first show of the year last weekend in Glen Rose, TX. I'm showing my 4 year old gelding in Country and he placed really well with some stiff competition. One judge gave him thirds in 2 of my classes so I considered that a big success! He is a high energy guy and this is his second year to show so looking forward to several more shows this year. Had a great time at this show.

 

[paintponylvr]

Congratulations!!

I really enjoyed the Glen Rose Spooker Show in October 2012 that I got to go to. I don't know if/when I would be able to go again, but that is one I would always consider going to!! Friendly people, good competition, decent facilities. We took our ponies to the "Spooker" show after taking them to visit my dad and spending a day giving his Assisted Living Home residents rides in our new wagon! My girlfriend and I had a BLAST that week.

 

[Strangeaddiction]

I am going to my first show of 2016 this coming weekend! I will try and get someone to take pictures or video. It will be Hercules' first show ever! We are going to show in pleasure driving (Pinto shows don't divide out between the different pleasure classes which I think is odd so everyone is in together, it is just divided by size....), In-hand trail, hunter and driving disciplined rail. The driving obstacle courses are pretty simple in pinto but I don't want to push him too much...

 

[paintponylvr]

OOOOOOOOOOO, NICE! Good luck!

 

[Strangeaddiction]

As promised here are some pictures! A friend of ours only came the second day and we only had one class so she just took some pictures in the warm up pen. I am SUPER proud of how well he did this weekend! For being a 3 yr old stallion surrounded by mares all weekend, his first show and he's only been going in the card a couple months maybe. He was a gentleman and we beat horses 3-4x his age and ended up reserve highpoint mini A

Results

Pleasure Driving- 5th-5th-5th-2nd

Disciplined Rail- 2nd-2nd-2nd-4th

Hunter in Hand- 3rd-3rd-4th-4th

Halter Obstacle-6th

Driving Obstacle-2nd-4th-5th-6th

The classes had 10-12 minis in them and going in the hunter and obstacle classes was a last minute thing, we worked on hunter maybe a handful of times as well as obstacle. The only thing that got us in halter obstacle was the bridge, it was a good 5" off the ground we got on fine, we jumped off though haha! I was super proud of driving obstacle, he did everything perfect, but he decided to back into the chute crooked so that's what got us.







That last one he had flipped his tail into the cart haha!

 

[MiniNHF]

My gelding has his first ADT event this Saturday (Arena Driving Trials, recognized ADS event) and then the following sunday both will be doing their first pleasure class of the year which will be their warm up before our big show in May.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My gelding has his first ADT event this Saturday (Arena Driving Trials, recognized ADS event) and then the following sunday both will be doing their first pleasure class of the year which will be their warm up before our big show in May.

O my goodness! Good luck to you both!

 

[MiniNHF]

Thank you should be an interesting time this weekend lol Neither one of us has ever done an event like this, the closest I have been to an event like this is when I did eventing.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Thank you should be an interesting time this weekend lol Neither one of us has ever done an event like this, the closest I have been to an event like this is when I did eventing.

How did it go?? Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[MiniNHF]

The show was a total flop for the minis. The indoor was supposed to have wood chips down and instead it was newly added 3" of sand. All but one mini completed the dressage test and cones bc she had something other than an easy entry cart and special tires.

There were only two mini that were fit there, mine and one other and both of us got 3/4 through our tests and our horses gave up and wouldn't trot any more. I retired him bc I wasn't going to beat him for the sake of a dressage tests. For what I did finish he got 6.5's to 7.5's and that's having to pull a cart with 100% drag around an arena.

As soon as we pulled into the arena and got going I felt my cart sink straight down it was insane. Ive been in a lot of sand arenas but not one where my cart sank down. My friend went in with her mini her cart sank and she turned right back around and went out.

I was afraid when I was walking him out of the indoor he wasn't going to make it and I would have to get out and lead him because he was exhausted and walking just made it harder for him.

Needless to say we were extremely angry about the situation. Both our boys were exhausted, we were soaked, it was raining and snowing. If it wasn't only 30 mins away we would have been more angry than we already were because it was a total waste of a day.

 

[Strangeaddiction]

That is how my first driving class was, they just fluffed the arena after the warm up and all of us drivers had the "NOOOOOOOOO" face! Sometimes sharing a show with people who ride is tough. My class was only pleasure so not as long as a dressage test but all of the minis were very tired, and our strong trot was not very strong to say the least. It really sucks when we pay money to show and footing ruins it for us all! I am sorry that happened to you!

 

[MiniNHF]

Yeah that was the main problem, they made a judgment call not to use the wood chips bc it was raining and would decompose to quickly but didn't notify anyone (the show form published months ago said wood chips as footing).

Our trot was the same as you described and the judge put "needs more impulsion." Seriously o.0' you couldn't see all the mini's struggling through the sand so I was a little offended by that statement. It was supposed to be a schooling test/show and she had nothing nice to say, way to discourage newbies to CDE shows. I am use to dressage judges so I know how some can be and it doesn't bother me but for others they may just say well screw it and not do the discipline.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Oh, that is too bad. I went to a show once and I think fill dirt had been used. There were clods, rocks and trash! Very strange.

I cannot use the arena at our riding area because it is prepped for riding horses. No way can I work my horse and cart in there. It would be fun to do the barrels or poles, but out of the question.

With that many miniatures entered, one would think the show organizers would have been more prepared.

 

[MiniNHF]

They said they also do barrel races there etc, so that's probably why the sand was so deep. But I had an indoor at one time with 3" sifted sand but had a stone dust base and never had any problems. Ive also been in multi versed arenas over the past few years and never ran into this problem.

 

[Barefootin]

We went to the Orange Blossom show in Ocala, FL last month. We added 3 new classes this time. I entered the Obstacle Driving for the first time ever and naturally it was the most difficult course I've seen anywhere. Julie was a dream and we came out with a 2nd, 3rd, and a 4th. Then my daughter used Julie in the Youth Versatility class. They came out with a couple 4ths and a 5th. Not bad for a first time. Then they did the Youth Hunter class. This was the first time they paired up for that class. There were 12 awesome horses in that class. Emily made a small mistake and cut a corner a bit sharp so Julie broke to a walk for a stride or 2. I really thought they had the round to beat until then. They still pulled in one 5th place. That shows how great their round was and just how fantastic the others were. I couldn't be prouder of them. But then I say that every time and they both keep getting better!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Well done!!!

 

[MiniNHF]

We did our first big rated show this past weekend in Lexington VA. Since both of my boys are in classic I have to put some in open. I did Amateur Classic Pleasure with my gelding and got 4th out of I think 16 (that's only my second time driving him in a show since a youth usually competes him). And I did the Ladies Classic Pleasure driving class with my stallion with 18 horses, but he was so wound tight I couldn't get him to relax and put his poll down and lengthen out his stride so we didn't place. He is a 50/50 in the ring he will either be fantastic or completely blow it. I was supposed to do the 32" and under classic pleasure but I ended up having a migraine by the end of the day and was exhausted I just scratched him.

My youth and gelding did their first versatility together and I think they got 3rd/5th/5th and did Youth Classic Pleasure driving, which im not sure how she did bc I had to start packing and loading the truck but I know they did decent. She needs more practice at this point or I know she would have been placing in the top 3 every time bc I know the gelding ability but she lets him get away with to much.

Not a driving class but my gelding debuted in the stock type gelding classes and the show offered a non-rated supreme class which he won under one judge for amateur stock

. My first supreme win to date with my horses so I was tickled and was a big win for me being an amateur and only showing for 3 years.