A Horse by Any Other Name

        Okay, let's get the horse name thing over with right away.  Her name is U-Princess.  She is a registered Holsteiner mare.  In that breed, the fillies are named with the first letter assigned to the year of their birth.  2004 was a U year.  Ursula was taken January second.  After that it was slim pickings.  Someone thought she looked like a princess, the requisite U was added, and we have U-Princess.  Colts are named starting with the first letter of the sire's name, a much more traditional approach.  But girls have to work harder.

        This weekend, U-Princess and I competed in our first show show together at Sonoma Horse Park.  No matter that the jumps were as big a door mats.  With the Infinion Sear Point Raceway busy and Blue Angels over head, it was a stimulating environment for our first show.  But show horses are a different breed, they have to deal with many challenges that Equus Przewlaskii (which all of you know was the species from which domesticate horses derived) never dreamed of.  I entered 4 Hunter classes on Saturday and 3 Equitation classes on Sunday.  With her shampooed, her five pointed star shown like a high beam and her 3 white stocking stood out like Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader boots.
        Enough build up.  Now for the results.  We got a first, second, third and fifth on Saturday, earning enough points for a reserve champion in that division.  On Sunday, noticeably more organized and purposeful, we earned a respectable first and 2 seconds and another reserve championship, for adults jumping door mats.

        I did not have the option of picking my own first place prizes, but would have been drawn to the fine red wine or tailored picture frames.  That is what happens when you are sitting on a horse and they are out of reach.  So my trainer and assistant trainer chose for me.  Saturday, a pink beaded coin purse embellished with a pony profile (hard to do using pink on pink, but they managed) was chosen.  Sunday, I came home with a tell-all book about the A circuit (they jump higher than door mats) written by the daughter of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  Guess what I'll be reading tonight.

        I was told that in previous blogs, there was only preamble and no details of the actual rounds, or classes.  So here goes.  This is what I vaguely remember (cognition and retention happen better when you are breathing).  Keep her head down, keep up the impulsion, keep her in front of your legs, land on the correct lead, or half halt and get a flying change without loosing impulsion, get to the perfect distance to the fence every time, and trot out of the ring with a smile on your face after squeezing with 8,000 psi because you refuse to wear spurs because she doesn't care for them.
         This would not have been possible without UP's first trainer Nathalie Guion and my coach and trainer Hugh White, huge thanks.  Hope you had a great weekend too.  Love Joan