QVPO 2015 part 2

As promised, here are the results of my showing in the sporthorse, English and costume divisions at QVPO last Saturday. The competition was fierce in almost every class (I may have to edit these posts once the results are out with the class counts) and every ribbon received was exciting.

   My first class in the sporthorse division was Jumper. I have screwed up Jumper in the past. Many times. I have forgot boots, my jump flags, put the horse too close or too far from the jump, etc. Jumper is not really a hard class for me to mess up! For this class I just had one horse showing. This is McQueen wearing tack made by Jennifer Buxton. I made the doll and the jump. We managed 4th place in this competitive class.

The next class was Hunter/Handy Hunter. I move McQueen and his jump to the next ring, took off the boots (I remembered!) and used fewer flowers with the jump.I was incredibly happy with second place.

I also showed my custom Stone pony Halestorm in Hunter/Handy hunter. She is wearing tack by Pat Coulter, a doll by me and that amazing jump was made by Marci Dricoll.  For that entry we got 4th place.

The next class was dressage. Originally I had planned on showing both McQueen and Halestorm in dressage but I only have one set of dressage rails and while I could have borrowed some more I thought it would be easier to just show the one horse. So Halestorm went in the class and I agonized over it. Many years ago I never even considered showing dressage. It's extremely technical and I just didn't think I could handle it. My friend Marisa Evans taught me about dressage and helped me set up for the class with an OF Strapless. Before that day I really didn't know that lower level or training level were a thing and that I didn't need dressage tack etc. Well fast forward to QVPO 2015. I put Halestorm in dressage and I fiddled and moved things a tiny bit and then back and triple checked the documentation, put the bridle number on and remembered to take the back number off the doll...and then I left it alone.

When I saw the first place ribbon I grabbed my cell phone, texted a picture to Marisa (who was sick and couldn't come to the show). I asked her if she was proud and she said she was. I have done well in dressage before now but doing well with my pony is sort of a new thing. We had a rough start. We did finally start to do well but it took several shows and a lot of changes to get there.
   Next were the sporthorse division callbacks and I didn't get any rosettes but that's OK. I was at this point having a great time and was feeling pretty zen about showing. Not something that always happens at a performance show.
   Onto the English division! Here again was the start of showing 3 entries in a class. Stress! But only a bit of stress. I put Fabian's horse, King of Sarrow,  in my awesome side saddle tack made by Jennifer Buxton with a doll made by me and fudged my side saddle game documentation so I could use it with a cantering horse. This photos is included just to show off my beautiful Braymere side saddle tack some more since I did a whole post on Fabian's horse the other day.

I also showed Caramel Latte in tack made by Jennifer Buxton and we did musical stalls for the game. Very pleased with second place!

Halestorm also did a game. She was doing a Candy Race. I made all the tiny candy and the documentation with photos I took at a show last summer. It's a cute game but not always exciting depending on the competition. Still, I was not displeased with 4th place.

Next was Other English and everyone went in the class again. King of Sorrow did a side saddle riding lesson (check out the other blog post for a pic), Caramel Latte did a versatility challenge and Halestorm did a therapeutic riding set-up. Caramel Latte got 4th and Halestorm didn't place in that one. My dolls were sort of wonky though.

My written notes say that Caramel Latte was supposed to be in natural trail but I think I scratched her from that since I didn't want to change the doll. So next was arena trail, another 3 horse class but since I was stressing a bit I pulled King of Sarrow from that. I had the needed NAN card so I didn't feel awful about it. Caramel Latte did a rope gate and earned fourth plac. Halestorm didn't place in this one either.

I had no one to go in pleasure-sport type but all the horses went in pleasure-other type. Halestorm got first

Caramel Latte got second

and King of Sarrow got third! Holy cow! I don't think I have ever managed something like that before. It was pretty cool. Then it was time for the callback. Caramel Latte ended up with champion in the English division! I was very happy with that! 

Next was costumes. I put Hurricane Deck in Indian costume and he got second place.It was the largest Indian costume class I have seen in awhile. It's good that people are getting into some of the more specialized classes.

Next was Arabian costume and I had two entries. Time Lord went in with this showring style costume and doll I made and grabbed 4th place...

..while Jazira in her new teeny tiny Arab costume, complete with tiny rider (also both made by me) got third!This also was a pretty big class. It really is great to see them growing.

At the end of the show there were overall performance champs for anyone that got either champ or reserve in any division. I was super excited when Mocha Latte ended up with overall reserve champion!

So this is the end of my QVPO 2015 show report. But in grabbing links for this post I realized I never did the write up of the head-to-head CM Stone pony competition between Marisa and I. It did in fact happen last fall at NEPC. Maybe I will have to write about that tomorrow...