Local To Circuit Shows
By Kathy Keeley

Our family became involved in horse showing through a gradual process of local farm shows, to local association shows and onto regional and national AAA Circuit shows. It was a process of learning each step of the way

Local farm shows started out as single day long shows - great ribbons, prizes from the dollar stores and some scary moments learning those cross rails. My daughter was tense, we tried to figure out the registration process (who else leaves a blank check for a number?) and began acquiring clothes and tack from our used tack store. I remember tailoring a jacket to make it fit, learning about hair nets, and working with a horse tied to a trailer for a long day.

We were doing pretty well and a day every month was not too bad. My daughter became interested in qualifying for year end ribbons which meant joining the local state association. We then went and showed during a season with a final horse show in the fall at a real facility instead of a farm ring. I have tapes of this first final show - it looks a little exciting.

Unfortunately, local shows do not necessarily bring out the best in trainers who seem to spend more time arguing than role modeling sportsmanship. The judging can be pretty inconsistent. Children and their parents (who got up too early) spend their day in the sun and demonstrate to all the drama that can exist between children and parents.

My daughter took it very seriously, watched her points, and really wanted that year-end cooler, halter or whatever. I tried to keep her away from the points, tried to make the point that all of this was about achieving your best ride and not thinking about points. Most times, I think this fell on deaf ear. To a 13 year old who practiced several times a week, these weekend shows meant the world. To an aging mom who was getting up at 4:30 am and physically working hard, the emotional drama seemed just too hard some days.

One day my daughter began discussing the "A" show circuit. We were one of those many mother /daughter spectators who watched the "A" shows at the Olympic Horse Park. It look fun- we had a retired broodmare that had shown at Nationals. My daughter thought these shows were great and started talking about how she wanted to qualify some day. I did my research and was truly shocked at the idea of writing thousand dollar checks for weekend shows. No way... Not for us.

At about the same time, my daughter had been diagnosed with dyslexia and several learning disabilities. The school wanted her to find something she was good at. They wanted something that would build her confidence and self-esteem. Well, in her mind that was horses and showing. She wanted to add to her wall full of ribbons and gain more experience at a higher level. She began dreaming of qualifying for a Nationals - this would set us on a path that would influence her choices throughout high school and her first year of college.

For us, this decision meant a new trainer, upgraded horses, new and more expensive tack that was not from the used store, and a farm with a riding arena for practice. We started down a road that brought many new experiences, a focus and time commitment that took the whole family, and a way of life that had both positive and negative experiences.

Our first task was to find a trainer - someone who showed at this level, had the skills and experience in our area, and could work with a child with learning disabilities. We found a young women in our area that had the demeanor and attitude that I believed would work with my daughter. We signed on with a lesson program and an evaluation of our existing horses. We passed, but our horses flunked so now I had to sell two horses and raise the money to buy another.

Horse shopping became our next task. (I also got the word that our tack would not make it on the circuit - it was my task to make sure this all fit our budget). Horse shopping is always an interesting experience - all kinds of trainers, brokers, and sale barns come out of the woodwork to show you their sale horses. We read the ads, tried many horses at shows and at people's barns - in the end, price and affordability became the real issue. We found a nice, but very green horse who needed training and experience.

My husband will now walk through our barn and point out what seems like thousands of dollars of tack, blankets, trunks, saddles, grooming supplies, protective boots and all accessories. I remember buying the first GPA helmet or shadbelly - the price tag gave me heart burn and took saving to work it into our family budget. I learned to use ebay, look for annual tack store sales, and set a show season budget.

Grooms were not an option in our budget so I learned to drive a truck and trailer, can load and unload, put up show curtains, neatly store way too much stuff in an aisle and wash and brush a horse. I can administer shots, talk about performance feed and supplements, look for splints and stocked up legs, water and feed horses, clean a stall, and stand for hours at the ring holding a horse. I can pack and unpack a trailer, organize a stall tack room, and remember details like clean wraps and saddle pads.

The shows became a twice a month affair with travel to many states. I remember my first trip to Biltmore in North Carolina with all of the tents and the long walk to the show rings. I thought this was the top until I went to Capital Challenge where you could feel the tension and competitive spirit in barns. Capital Challenge was my first experience with that nervous total focus on the rider and the horse being presented at their best.

West Palm Nationals is an unique experience with the horse set coming out to watch, a family carnival atmosphere on part of the grounds and a deadly serious competitive show spirit at the rings. People would be decked out, sipping wine or cocktails in the stadium tents as if at Saturday brunch, while I was dirty, anxious, and very quiet. I had gone from spectator to nervous supporter of the competitors.

We made a deliberate decision to go from the local circuit to the "A" circuit. I tried to maintain a perspective that my daughter wanted to be a horse woman - not a show queen. She had to earn her privileges and the right to show. She had to work hard, practice every day (except Monday), take lessons when others went shopping or to movies, give up many Friday night school parties, and spend more on her show clothes than her school clothes. She learned to compete, that the world is not always fair, having the best horse (aka money) doesn't mean you will always win, and that practice and hard work can pay off. Only time will tell what kind of an adult she will become but she got her A average even with her learning issues, she is confident and has a leadership presence that comes from working hard and problem solving, and can pick her self up after a tough score and move on. What more can a parent ask for!

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