NEPC 2015

Yesterday was the who-knows-what-year-we-are-on of the New England Performance Challenge. It is an awesome performance show held each October by Nancy Timm. I haven't gotten to do a ton of performance showing recently so I was really looking forward to this show. I volunteered to judge the Novice division but because of a last minute cancellation by another judge I also ended up judging OF harness and OF English. So my focus needed to be mostly on judging and showing could happen if I had enough time, my focus of the show changed a bit.
   First of all I had to show my Mule, A Little Mayhem, in a bunch of English classes. She got new custom made-just-for-her tack from Jennifer Buxton so she had to come out. Her first class was Other English and I showed her in a versatility set-up. She and her new tack (and new doll and my Elecktra doll) did quite well.

Here is a photo of her with just tack in case anyone wants to see. 

 I also decided to show Mocha Latte in English. I was going to show my pony Halestorm but then while tacking up I discovered I accidentally sent her girth out with some tack I sold (oops). I did get that situation worked out but I have no other pony-sized girth so I showed Mocha. She is also wearing Braymere tack. Her first class of the day was English games. I think this may have been the first time I ever showed her in English. Anyway, just 7th place but there was a lot of show left.

A Little Mayhem also showed in English games and she managed 4th against the tough competition. Looks like this team is going to do OK.

Next was Arena trail and I had completely forgotten to look through my documentation ahead of time to see if I had an appropriate trail pattern. I was very pleased with second place. I did notice when uploading photos that my long poles are two different colors. I was in a bit of a hurry.

Mocha Latte also did Arena trail but she only got 8th place. The judge said she would have liked to see her a bit further up in the obstacle because her head is turned a bit. I agree with that assessment. I do like this obstacle though so I will likely use it again sometime.

One of my show goals for the day was to get Caramel Latte a NAN card in Other Performance (anything) so she would qualify for a NAMHSA Performance Versatility award. She got it with her pink panther costume but now that I have looked around the Merit awards page I might try for a Performance Legacy award with her (I think that's the one). I need some more cards for that but not really that many. 9 or 10 I think. So maybe that will be the new goal for her.

I only own one set of dressage fence pieces so I decided Mocha Latte was better suited for dressage than A Little Mayhem (though mules can totally do dressage). So I found a pattern that worked for her, set it all up and it was worth it! Mocha finally gets a nice placing.

To finish out the English division Mocha Latte also got first in Huntseat pleasure other type

 and A Little Mayhem got 3rd. Both of them went to callbacks but I has skipped so many classes in the division they didn't have a chance at any champs. I wasn't looking to get them so it all worked out.

Next was the western division and Flash in the Sky started off in roping with tack by an unknown maker. I think the bridle was made by Pam Perkins.

And then Bootlegger did Other Stock work with this team penning entry. I was very pleased with his second place.

Bootlegger also did the Housewife Scurry but he only managed third because I forgot (and the judge noticed) that the other vegetables that should have been in the bucket were not in it! Oops. Sometimes in a tough class it's the little details that make the biggest difference. Oh, this was speed games. His tack was made by Pam Perkins.

Flash in the Sky did non-speed games with this two barrels and a pole game. Reference is from Jennifer Buxton's website. I think this would have done better if Flash was actually paying attention.

Flash in the Sky Redeemed herself in Other Western with her Extreme cowboy challenge entry. The bendy doll probably helped.

Bootlegger also did an Extreme Cowboy Challenge entry in Other Western but the doll was just sort of sitting there (I was running to judge and not paying attention) so it didn't look too convincing.

My real focus of the day was OF Showmanship. Lady Liberty has been working on a NAMHSA Superior Event Horse award for a long time. Showmanship can be a tough one to get because it sometimes gets lumped in with Other Western. Lady got her Register of Merit in 2012 and we have been working on the rest of her qualifications since. She has just missed a NAN card a few times (third place is very sad when you are working towards a big award). It was great to get a first in this event. I completely stopped showing after this class (I skipped CM western trail and CM western pleasure with both of my western horses) and I just concentrated on finishing the judging.

The few near-misses on this last card inspired me to revamp nearly everything in this entry. There's not a lot that goes into showmanship but I made her a new doll, a new fancy show halter and new, very details documentation. When I set up the entry I paid careful attention to everything I know about showmanship. I didn't want it to be one of those days when I spaced and put the doll in the wrong quarter or something. That would suck.
   So tomorrow I will send in my cards and application for Lady Liberty's Superior Event horse award. I may bring her to TRXC in 3 weeks and show her one last time in showmanship but I think now she will get to retire. She's earned it.

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...

QVPO 2015 part 1

 Yesterday I posted about The Plan and my adventure with proxy showing performance. Today I will talk about my horses and how they did at the show. My day got off to a bit of a rough start. I showed Bootlegger in a working cowhorse entry and the judge pointed out my bridle was illegal. Crap, it had done well with that bridle before but I am pretty sure she's correct. I also think I KNEW that and forgot. So no placing at all. My second class with Bootlegger was a team penning entry and my breast collar hook had come undone. No placing again. At this point I was getting nervous. Was this how the day was going to go? I needed to up my game and do well with Fabian's horse at the very least.
   My third class was also with Bootlegger and I switched his tack to this saddle by an unknown (to me) tack maker, a bridle by Danielle Hart and a doll by me. I paid super careful attention to every detail because I needed to have a better day. My attention paid off and Bootlegger got his first placing and it was a great one!

The fourth class of the day was Extreme Cowboy. I have done an extreme cowboy event before, usually with my Matriarch Flash in the Sky, but she didn't come to the show this time so I showed Hurricane Deck in the same event. His tack is by Pam Perkins and his crazy bendy doll (made specifically for this event) and the props were made by me. This entry usually does pretty well and I was not disappointed with our third place.

Bootlegger also showed in this class. I needed an event that would be interesting and good for a loping horse. I decided to make a cowboy curtain. Apparently you get more points for loping through that obstacle without hesitation on a loose rein. Perfect!The judge liked it as well and since I didn't screw anything up on the tack we got first place! I have no idea who made the awesome saddle. The bridle was made by Sara Kucharski and the doll was made by me.

 Bootlegger went back (or stayed up) for the callbacks and ended up with champion in the stockhorse division! The day was certainly looking up!

Next was the Western division and my first class was natural trail. Phazes of Godiva was the only horse I showed in this one. Her tack is by Pam Perkins, the saddle pad and saddle bags (which are super awesome and I want more) are by Desktop Stables and the doll and diorama are by me. I was very pleased with second place.

The next class was arena trail and the first truly terrifying class of the day. I had 2 entries for myself plus Fabian's entry. At that moment I was VERY glad that the usual showing limit is 2 entries per class. But I wasn't rushed and started setting things up as soon as I got the go ahead and didn't feel too frazzled. A little frazzled, but not too much. I didn't get a photo of Phazed of Godiva and her gate entry but there is one taken by Brenda Bednar on Jennifer Buxton's blog. Maybe the reason for not placing was the doll really WAS reading the bulletin board. Not sure on that one. Fabian's entry didn't pin either. To my shock Mocha Latte got 1st! Holy cow, how did I manage that? The saddle on Mocha is by Pam Perkins, the bridle is by Danielle Hart, the doll, some of the poles and the flowers are by me. The other (nicer) poles are done by Joan Fauteux. I did actually fiddle with this entry for several minutes to make sure everything seemed to be in the right place. I am enjoying the results of careful attention to detail.

The next class was western games. Phazes of Godiva (still wearing her Perkins tack and pad by Desktop Stables) with a new doll by me (which I made to go with the saddle pad. I have never done that before on purpose) did very well doing the 2 barrels and a pole game. I really think the reference, both photos and description, from Jennifer's blog are what helps this entry do so well. You can't be disappointed with first place.

 Mocah Latte did a flag race entry and got 3rd place. I was pleased with that. This entry was a last minute idea. Originally I had planned a mounted shooting entry. The night before the show I even made the gun holsters I didn't have, Elecktra and I lost one of the guns and did a very frantic search for it. We did find it but then on show day I realized the doll was dressed much too fancy to do mounted shooting. I didn't want to switch to different tack for one class so I did this instead. It worked out pretty well.

 Fabian's entry got an honors ribbon. QVPO only places to 6th, the classes were huge so I took that as an accomplishment. I was starting to get nervous though since I was running out of western classes.
   Next was an easier class; other western. It was easier because I had only two entries and neither one was fiddly to set up. For Fabian I did a western riding set-up and it received 4th place. Mocha Latte did a versatility challenge. That only needs the already dressed horse and an extra doll holding English tack (or western tack if the horse is wearing English tack) and the documentation. I like this entry because the photos I used for reference were taken by me at a show a few years back. Sometimes this entry does really really well. This time it was worth 5th place.

The next class was western pleasure stock type.I put Bootlegger in though he doesn't seem to do well in pleasure and he got 4th place. Just the fact that he placed makes me pretty happy.

Mocha Latte also showed and she managed 2nd place!What a good horse!

The next class was western pleasure- other type and was a bit scary since it was my last chance to get a western NAN card for Fabian. I showed Phazes of Godiva and she didn't place at all but Fabian's horse got second and the needed NAN card! I was so happy!
   Phazes of Godiva, King of Sarrow (Fabian's horse) and Mocha Latte all went to the callbacks. Mocha Latte ended up with reserve champion! 

The next division was the Other Performance division. I showed Hurricane Deck in showmanship with a halter I made and the dolls are also by me. He got third place. I think I am slipping, I am usually really good at showmanship. Still, I was happy to see how many entries were in the class.

The next class was the Scene class. Hurricane Deck was in my fun picnic at the horse show scene. I wish I had taken more photos. I added a whole bunch of recycling to the bin and there is a new Iphone and Ipod on the table. Before the class the judge teased that she was bothered by the electronics on the table while everyone was eating. I pointed out that no one was using any of them. This entry was good for second place.

Hurricane Deck ended up with champion in the other performance division. 

So the day started out rough and I had a few crazy moments but mostly I didn't freak out at all and managed to do really well. 

Oh, I meant to add sculptor/painter credits:
Bootlegger- Rose Reiner sculpted by Sarah Rose and painted by Meghann Lorei
Hurricane Deck- Bold Endeavor resin (can't remember who sculpted him) painted by Mindy Berg
Phazes of Godiva- Godiva resin sculpted by Morgen Kilbourn and painted by Liesl Dalpe
Mocha Latte- Loping Leggs resin sculpted and painted by Liesl Dalpe

Tomorrow I will have the results from my showing in the sporthorse, English and costume divisions!

Proxy showing performance

 I had a plan. It was a good plan, both color coded and detailed. When I said I would proxy show my friend Fabian's new Knightly Cadence resin at Quabbin Valley Performance Open in the hopes of getting him some NAN cards so he could show there this year I was confident I could snag him some cards. I am a pretty good performance shower most of the time so I figured I could do it. Then after I said I could probably do it (no guarantees though, I live in the real world where you can't always win even if you work hard at it) I started to get nervous. Not only was I going to show a horse I don't own IN PERFORMANCE but this was the difference between NAN and no NAN for a good friend. Holy crap, what did I get myself into! So I made a plan. As I mentioned it was color coded; my horses and what they were doing in each class were listed in blue. Fabian's horse was in green. Details (tack, doll, etc) that needed to be changed was listed after each in red so I couldn't miss it if I spaced out a bit. Did I mention it was detailed?
   QVPO is a very cool performance show with a Stockhorse, Western, Other Performance, Sporthorse, English and Costume division in both OF and CM. Really, if you have never gone and get the chance to be in Region X at the end of April (it is always held the last weekend before the NAN cutoff) it is absolutely worth attending. So since I was still showing my own horses, though I did keep my entries down to make it easier on myself, I decided to show Fabian's horse in Western, English and a class in Other performance. There was a reason for this but I will get to that later. So the first class was western arena trail. I think I did a carry the bucket from on barrel to another but I forgot to pay attention to the doll (I had to borrow one because I didn't have enough. Yes, I am ashamed) and she wasn't looking at anything in particular. The class was huge so that detail really mattered. Crap, time to start paying more attention. The next class was western games and I decided to do a rescue race because that is often my lazy go-to set-up for a fast moving horse. Well he got honors (the show places to 6th) in a very large class but still no NAN card.

The good news on this is Fabian had never seen the set-up before and was interested. It IS a good one for a faster moving horse...just not overly interesting.
   The next class was other western performance and I decided to do western riding because while it's a fairly simple class it often does really well. We managed 4th place on that one. Still no NAN card and I am almost out of western classes!

My last chance for the western card was in western pleasure-other type. I was a bit nervous because I was really hoping to do well for Fabian. The classes were HUGE and as anyone that has shown in Region X knows, the competition is fierce (friendly, but fierce). But the good news is...

...I managed to snag second in western pleasure-other type! I was so excited! I grabbed my camera and my cell phone so I could text Fabian the good news about the western card. I almost didn't make it but I was VERY happy to have gotten it in the end.
   After the western division was the other performance division. I put Fabian's horse in a Liberty set-up because again, it was what I could think of that was sort of easy. And this wasn't about a NAN card so the placing didn't matter overly much.

I did at least make up some Morgan horse specific liberty documentation but that was also my downfall! The judge pointed out that in the second line of my documentation it says the exhibitor will wear the show number. I didn't put a show number on my guy or the set-up would probably have placed higher according to the judge. It really does come down to teeny tiny details at times. But we got 5th which is placing and that was cool.
   After that I had to wait through the sporthorse division (not really "wait" I showed my horses in all the divisions) for the English division. That started off with English games. I decided ahead of time that I would show Fabian's horse in side saddle because side saddle is his thing and I have learned A TON from him about side saddle. Plus it gave me a chance to show my awesome side saddle tack made by Jennifer Buxton on another horse. That was a bit of a challenge because the stuff I am used to is with a standing horse! So For Fabian's horse I did a simple looking tennis ball carry game. You ride to the first cone (which has a tall extension for the tennis ball) and pick up the ball. Then you ride to the second cone and put the ball on it. My beautiful side-saddle specific (with a photo) documentation says walk to the second cone. Crap! So last minute I covered that up with a hand written piece that says generically to move it to the next cone. Well it was worth it.

The set-up got 1st and I got to text Fabian a picture of his English NAN card! Boy was I excited about that! My two biggest goals for the show were complete! 
   Next was other English performance and I did a side saddle riding lesson. I had only a card saying side saddle riding lesson, I had to do a doll change and play with all those reins but I thought it was kind of cool.

and placing at all in the classes was fantastic because they were very large and full of awesomeness. 
   I was getting a little bit stressed then and since I had the English card now and I didn't have a cool set-up for arena trail I skipped it and just got the horse ready for English pleasure-other type. I got third in that one but that class as well was very large.

So my last goal of the day was to try for one of the special awards. For the Versatility Challenge you needed to have 2 western classes, 2 English classes and an other performance class. You pick the classes that you want to count towards the award at the beginning of the show and write them on an index card with the owner and horse info. At the end of the day the hostess tallied the points from the people that entered the special performance challenges and awarded rosettes for champ and reserve. And this is what Fabian's horse got

Reserve Champion in the CM Versatility Challenge. I wanted to be able to send one of the beautiful rosettes to him with his (still really new) horse. I was very happy to have gotten both the Western and the English card and then a really pretty rosette to send back to Colorado. Proxy showing performance is a bit scary since it's not my horse and I want to do well for a friend. But it was fun and not too crazy. I might even be willing to do it again sometime.