Rose put all the grapes on their picks and had a great time doing it. She had strawberries, bananas, peppers, a piece of turkey, cornflakes, and grapes displayed in a big piece of tupperware until I can find some more bento gear to replace my temporarily misplaced lunchbots.
In other news:
The work has started on our new house in Berthoud, though it doesn't look like we will actually get to move in until July.
Rose's very first horse show is May 2nd. She will be riding Daisy in the leadline class. Stay posted to hear how that goes!
The first horse show of the year was the Rocky Mountain Paint Horse Association Paint - O - Rama in Denver. I took my mare, Miss Bonita Dry, at the last minute. Braden had the day off and we didn't have plans, so I figured I shouldn't pass up the opportunity which is a good thing because now I will be missing the Memorial Day show to attend a wedding. I have never shown Bonita but she warmed up nicely and was unconcerned with the atmosphere. For those of you who aren't horse folks I show my horses in an event called reining. It is basically work you would do with a cow, but without the cow. You are judged based on your horses talent to do the manuvers, but even moreso on the obedience of the horse to your cues. In the novice amateur class, I placed 6th out of 6th. Obedience went out the window when Bonita kicked out at my leg twice and took the incorrect lead starting in a cicle. Really? She is 13 and has done this plenty. It was not a pretty moment and I was so shocked instead of flying change (changing in motion) I completely stopped and started again. Like the judges didn't notice THAT. I usually run the novice amateur class very reserved, because I have a good chance at winning it so I just take it easy and do the pattern nice and corect and don't try to get any "bonus" points. On this day, I saw I had some competition so I decided to run the pattern really hard and ask alot of my horse and it, obviously, did not work out. In the amateur class, I usually have less of a chance of placing well, so I usually go out there and run it really hard. I changed my plan after the results of the previous class. I took off my spurs. I didn't ask her to run as fast, spin as fast, or stop as hard. And you know what? We won. Out of 10 entries, of at least a few who were World Show competitors in the recent past and most whose horses were plucked directly out of their stall at the trainers barn and brought to the show. Not out of their owners backyard, out of shape, still hairy from winter, and ridden sporadically. Needless to say, I was very happy with our run, we earned 9 APHA points which puts us 1 point away from Register of Merit I am hoping we can earn that at the next show in June.
I would post pictures, but unforunately my scanner does not want to talk to my computer either, so when they work out their difference we'll get them up.
