I entered Abby ( Wolf River Fashion) in the Pleasure part of the draft show..... The weather for the hitch horses was Perfection. For us entered to show in the Pleasure draft show ? Rain, cold, miserable. And then ? It cleared up a little so it turned out to be a decent day. I'm getting ahead of myself here....
The Sunday before we were slated to show, my husband n' I went to get our bi-monthly grocery shopping trip accomplished. He'd taken a Whole Week from his vacation time for the show ! We got it done, got home, put the groceries away, and at dinner, I had some of my favorite chicken salad that particular store made to sell. All was fine until mid way thorough the night when I began having severe stomach cramps. Needless to say, I spent the rest of my Monday night in the bathroom.... Food Poisoning. Tuesday found me so exhausted, I literally spent the day in bed or the bathroom. NOTHING was done in preparation for our trip to the Farm Show on Wednesday.
Wednesday afternoon, with a damp unhappy Percheron mare, we hauled out to the show grounds. Abby hauled like a dream, and finished drying in the nice cozy stall inside the building. We stayed to get the brass polished on the harness and cart - then headed home . Me- to bed.
Still dragging along but not so concerned about hitting the bathroom as much, we got to the show grounds early Thursday morning. Abby was eager for her breakfast, and had done a good job of sleeping it seemed. Notttttttttttttttt.......... I doubt she laid down at all. Breakfast was accomplished easily with just One mare to care for, and we sat around, chatting with folks, and watching the others preparing for the show that day.
We were to be the second class in that morning, and Abby was SO excited ! She didn't want to be still to be hitched, nor wait for me to even get in the cart hardly before we were Off. Where, Abby had no clue, but she was going there. Her head was up, she had no walk, but just a show "bounce" like my other Percheron mare, Dixie, used to have. We drove at a trot around the parking lot until Abby began listening to me instead of fighting to be able to GO. She's such a pleasure to drive- but This mare, I sure didn't know. This mare had Never ever shown up before !
And then our class was called. We ended up behind a slowwwwwwwwwww Belgian horse... which kept going slower & slower. Must have been a real "pleasure" to drive because it never went faster than a jog....
Belgian horses are notoriously slow in a show ring- and I ended up behind the Most Slow one. Normally this is fine but not when one is sitting behind a big black trotting machine !
Good grief ! Even the camera speed was to slow to create an unblurred picture.
Eventually it was time to line up, thank goodness. We had Not done a good drive, thanks to Abby being so forward, and my having to keep telling her to do a slow trot so we'd not run over that Belgian in front of us.
I even tried stopping to wait, but sheeesh, they only got about 25' in front of us, and that ground was covered easily by the little black 'engine that could'.
In the line up, drivers and horses are supposed to stand quietly, as the judge looks over their turnout, asks them to back and to award ribbons. When the announcer began announcing the winners- from last to first, of course, the crown applauded. Abby had never heard such a ruckus and chose to try to leave the ring . Glenn caught her and told her to stand quietly. She did, thank goodness.
We placed 3rd in that class; both Abby AND her human were glad to leave the arena .
I am Very pleased with her ! She faced a big fear, dealt with it, and did a fine job of attempting to listen to me. So now to hang out until springtime and get hitching in earnest !
