The Results Are In

After having a fun day at the farm with with Kirby and Wyatt on Friday, Teddy had his big debut in the ring on Saturday. We trailered out to Heartland Stables for their "Beat the Blues" winter show series. It's a nice laid-back series of shows with no show clothes required, and it's a perfect environment to practice with your young horse. And that's our Teddy, a young horse, barely ready for the ring.

Teddy took it all in stride. I expected no less (did you see 5:27?). He just looked around at all the horses, from ponies to Saddlebreds. He took a great interest in the mirrors on the wall in the warm up arena. When Sara stood, he stood. When Sara walked, he walked. We couldn't have been happier with how he just absorbed everything.

His first class was showmanship. For a fun show, the pattern was kinda complex, and it had a pull turn, which is something they've never worked on. Sara and Ted went first, their back tag number being 404.

They nailed it.

I was making a mental checklist of the errors that the competition would make. Everyone had a flaw. I'd watch the judge scratch some notes down on her pad after every flaw. Teddy and Sara were standing on the far side of the arena watching the same thing I was. I hoped she was thinking the same thing I was: could Teddy really win his first class ever? The last horse came in the ring and performed a really nice pattern. Oh boy. Did the judge ever scribble down any notes? I wasn't sure.

The announcer got the judge's card, and put the mic up to his mouth.

"In first place, number 150."

Damn.

"In second place, number 404."

Woohooo! Yay Teddy!!!

To even place in the ribbons was an accomplishment. To get a second was fantastic.

The rest of the day followed suit. Teddy just went in the ring and did what he knew without any fuss or worry. His first riding class was English walk/trot:



That ride earned them a 6th place out of eight horses. Not bad at all.

Next was English w/t equitation. I didn't video that one. 2nd outta ten.

Sara wasn't going to enter him in any canter classes at this show - he wasn't ready to hold that canter together just yet. At the last minute she changed her mind and signed them up for English Pleasure. They did really well:



That ride earned them a 3rd outta ten.

The next video is both Western walk/jog pleasure and Western walk/jog horsemanship:



Those rides earned a 3rd and a 2rd respectively. Both classes had ten riders.



In the short six weeks that he's been here he has never failed to surprise and please us. He's gonna be a good horse, that Teddums.