OTTB Success Stories

Posts Tagged ‘First Show’

Yesterday I took Dakota Spirit and Chilletecaux to a schooling show at Ashland Farm. They were so good. First time in the horse show atmosphere had them big eyed and on their toes. Even laid back Dakota got an extra burst of energy!

We did two show jump classes each as I didn’t want to over do it the first time away from home jumping.

Chille jumped like they were all 4′ of course the over achiever in him showing thru… so proud of himself.

Dakota was cautious to start but jumped like a star once he got the idea. Looking to the warm up a couple of times for crowd approval. Small crowds count too.

The judge was very complimentary too. We had lots of fun and plan to go out again soon.

Thanks for finding such fun rides!

Jane

“Woody” aka “Blind Date”. No matter what his name he’s a winner!

Your timing is impeccable. I was just thinking the other day that I need to write to you both and send you some updated photos. I will get some photos for sure and send them your way. “Woody” (Hollywood Pegasus) is absolutely wonderful. We couldn’t love him more. He is very very handsome and he went to his first ‘AA’ show several weeks ago and did wonderfully. He placed 5th in one of his over fences in the Baby Greens and couldn’t have looked better or been more confident. There was a professional photographer on the show grounds. So, if you go to http://www.shawnmcmillen.com/. Then click on recent events, next choose 2009 Aiken Spring Classic Week II he was number 516, his name is Blind Date. There are about 30 pictures of him there! I am sorry that I am not more diligent about keeping in touch I will try to be better in the future!

Just wanted to give you a quick update. Our first schooling show was rained out but we had another this weekend and “Goldie” (Gold’s Anatomy) was great. It’s hard to believe his last race was four months ago; he trucked around in the warm up arena in traffic like he’d been doing it all his life. He bonded to a tiny pony and even though it looks like he is eating him in one of the photos, a second before they were grooming each other.

I LOVE this horse!

Leslie

Chancey (Finder’s Chance) did great in his first show. Intro Tests A and B. I think he got 69% in Test A and 68% in Test B (even with an error). Except for the entrance and exit, he got all 7s and 8s. He really doesn’t yet have the concept of halting at attention.

I don’t know if there will be pictures available, since the tests were ridden in the covered arena, and it was pretty dark in there, the weather being overcast or rainy. If there are any, we’ll surely send them along.

Mary Sue

Fast Commander did his first schooling show this last weekend! We trailered about an hour & 45 minutes away and arrived to find a huge attendance at what is typically a fairly small show. As I parked the trailer, Commander started getting antsy in the trailer after riding quietly all the way there. I am convinced he was sure we were at a track with all the trailers. After he walked around & watched from the side of one of the rings, he was calmer but not totally convinced.

We started with two flat classes in an outdoor ring, with at least 15 horses per class. He had to be lead in & then was nervous & about twice as fast as everyone else, but basically did what I asked (except stand in a line up). This was an awful lot for a horse who has been at most getting ridden with one other horse around on my property.

So next, we went into the indoor arena for the over fences classes. Yet another new experience. Luckily, we were able to school in there. He was surprisingly perfectly happy in the indoor with less commotion & suddenly seemed to figure out we were just doing our regular things. We did one pile-of-poles & two crossrail classes. He couldn’t have been nicer or more rhythmic, & I couldn’t have been more proud of him.

We pinned in all three, with two seconds & a first out of 18-20 horses. We then trailered just a few minutes from home the next day to a local stable to ride in the ring with other horses again & he acted like he’d been doing this all his life. What a fun weekend!

Stephanie

Congratulations! Former Thoroughbred race horse Fast Commander pins in all three of his first horse show classes with a first and two seconds! Not bad for a four year old Thoroughbred just ten months off-the-track! We are proud of both Stephanie and Fast Commander.

You probably remember when I said in my last email that Vilas County and I are still miles away from competing.

That was around 3 weeks ago. We made quite some miles in the last few weeks. From my last email till now he improved a lot and I decided to give it a try and entered in the Poplar Place schooling show last weekend. And I can tell you he was great…I had entered us in a 2′ jumper class and the Intro A Dressage Test.

When we arrived at the show and I got Vilas County off the trailer, you could really tell that he was the MOST excited and nervous guy around there. I think that he guessed we are going to race – even so I took him to other places three times before – he was still very nervous. He didn’t want to hold and stand still, but somehow I was able to get him tacked up and ready for the class.

Mounting up wasn’t also the easiest thing since he was ready to go – too ready. But just after 10 minutes of walking in the warm up arena of the show jumping (I always talk a lot to my horses) he instantly calmed down and I was able to work with him. He now understood that nothing bad is going to happen to him. I warmed him up and he was getting better from minute to minute. Finally our number was called and we entered the ring. Read the rest of this entry »