A Horse of a Different Color - part 1

Last weekend we spent 2 days at a horse show but didn't take Stanley!  No doubt he is enjoying is 4 weeks off but Equestrian Girl had other plans.  Our friends Shannon and Don had asked her to show their Gypsy Vanner, Ace, in an open show in the 13 and under classes.  Eventually he'll be for sale and it will be good to advertise that he's been shown by a youth and did well.

Equestrian Girl was all up for this.  The last time she rode him, a quick Horsemanship class at his first show, she got 1st place!  So we loaded up all the show clothes, a cooler full of ice water, and off we went to Alma, Michigan to the Gratiot County Middle of the Mitten Open Horse Show.

Ace is 3.  This was only his 4th show ever but he handles them like an old pro.  Equestrian Girl was ready to drag him into every class possible and boy oh boy did she.  She started both days with the Halter Class for Geldings.

Her red showmanship outfit really set off his pretty black coloring the first day.

The next day however, Equestrian Girl decided to try showing him in hunt clothes since it would allow her to carry a crop.  It seems Ace wasn't real big on having to trot on a lead line and the crop might offer some "encouragement".  In the end, it didn't work in helping him to trot.

It was a great experience for both of them - Equestrian Girl has a pretty good amount of experience in showing at halter and appeared to be the only kid that really did know how it was done at breed level shows and better yet, Ace has his first halter points with a 3rd on day 1 and a 4th on the last day!

Next up was Showmanship.  This is one of Equestrian Girl's favorite classes and she's good at it.  She was really excited to give it a go with Ace even though he had NEVER done it before.  Going in she was a bit concerned about the trotting thing given that he hadn't cooperated in that department so well in the halter class.  Other than the trotting parts, Ace totally did great!