So it turns out it’s hard to be a blogger in May with two teen daughters during the last month of school, while also doing my other work (OH, that?) — and preparing for our first 4-day show of the season. I have started and abandoned this article countless times, but here I am, determined to keep this little blog of mine going. Onward!
Horse moms of riders who show know: getting ready for shows can be a lot, especially when you don’t do them year-round and it’s the first one of the summer. We have to make sure all of our annual memberships are up-to-date, or in some cases, get registered for the first time. Last summer Riloh only did schooling shows, so she only needed to be a member of the Red Pine Horse Show Association. (You don’t have to be a member to compete in RPHSA shows; read details on its website.) This year, Riloh and Nikki kicked off the season with the Minnesota State Fair Hunter Jumper show, which is a rated show, so I also needed to sign them up for memberships with the United States Hunter Jumper Association, United States Equestrian Federation, and Minnesota Hunter Jumper Association to be eligible to compete. It can be a little tricky to navigate all of the requirements for shows — this month we also had to get Nikki a microchip because she didn’t have one — and costs add up. Because, horse. So it’s super important to read the fine print (several times), and double check with your trainer. And your horse mom friends.
Every show has a rule packet, or prize list, or schedule that outlines all the unique requirements for that show. This document lists deadlines for registering, which might be different than the deadlines for reserving stalls or submitting paperwork like vaccines and Coggins. It should outline the fees and other costs for things like hay, shavings, etc. The preliminary class schedule is usually included, although this will likely have some changes at the show.
Here’s an important note: horse show fees are typically NON-REFUNDABLE. In our experience, last summer Nik had an abscess in her hoof that we had been treating, but we had to pull out of a show the day before because she was deemed not healed well enough by our trainer (last-minute call; we agreed). The people running the show were kind to explain they wouldn’t require us to pay the entire amount stated in the contract (!), but we still had to pay the several hundred dollars for the stabling, hay, shavings, etc. that it would have cost to have her at the show for the weekend because shows are expensive to run. That was a tough check to write. But as is the case with horses: there are a zillion variables all the time and you should prolly just always keep your checkbook nearby. (Yes, I wrote checkbook. Wifi can be sketch in barns and trailers.)
Most of Riloh’s show clothes from last year still fit thank goodness. Of course she needed tan breeches. She allllllways seems to need breeches. Nikkerdoodle needed standing leg wraps and hoof packing (and hock injections, ca-ching), and I needed an insulated backpack for my big coffee thermos. We made several trips to our favorite tack shop St. Croix Saddlery before the show — and then every day AT the show because they are wonderful to set up a remote shop and we of course needed MORE things like horse shampoo and treats!
Rounding out the expenses for the horse show weekend for those keeping track (are we even keeping track?)… our barn owner trailers our horses to the shows, so we get billed for mileage. Plus there are fees for our trainer every day she works with the riders during the show. We also have fees for horse medications, supplements, and other shared expenses like tack stalls. And I got one more little bill for the Bemer blanket therapy session Nik received at the show. Because the ol’ girl deserved it.
There’s a total in there somewhere………… okay, moving on to the show itself! <wink>
Super fun, super proud, super tired. Great experience, learned a lot, would do it again. Cannot underscore enough how. damn. tired we were at 5pm on Sunday, ha. We bathed Nikki on Tuesday night after her riding class (because I was mean and made Riloh go to school on Wednesday.) Then we met our humans and horses at the fairgrounds around 4pm on Wednesday to school and finish setting up. Riloh and Nikki showed in classes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They started in the smaller arena Compeer on Thursday, which was great to manage some nervousness. Friday classes in the big Coliseum felt like a big step up because it was so much bigger, brighter, and louder. Nikki refused the first jump, which she rarely does, but then went over on the second try. In their second round Nik knocked down one pole. We (almost) all agreed: both faults were no big deal because it was so great they did the classes in the new space. (Riloh eventually came around and agreed.)
Then on Saturday, trainer Mary put Riloh and Nikki in the Handy Hunter class, which is essentially a derby with 10 jumps. Riloh was NERVOUS. She was like rider #31 — so it was also a huge class. When it was finally her turn, the score to beat was 84. They went out there and rode BEAUTIFULLY. It was awesome. She couldn’t hear the announcer after she left the arena, but I could — the woman said, “well this is going to be a good score… it’s an 81!” I looked at Riloh and said, “Did you hear that?!” She shook her head no. I fast walked up to her and Nik and said, “YOU GOT AN 81.” She looked at me with huge eyes then smiled. Then I inappropriately said, “You got an 80-f*cking-1!!!” She said, “Geez MOM.” And big smiled. That landed her in second place and after the final riders finished she ended up in fourth place. So FUN!! No classes for Riloh and Nik on Sunday; instead we watched our friends and loaded up to go back to the barn.
It was great to see Riloh feel so accomplished after working through her nervousness and doubt. That continues to be one of the hardest but also best parts of this sport. She’s becoming an impressive horsewoman and rider, and I’m very proud of her in and out of the show ring. And dare I type this: our mother-daughter duo of two strong-willed, first-born blondes is becoming a pretty good team. Now we have the first show of the summer season under our belt. Onward!
Here are some links for fun:
