Monday, April 20, 2015

FCE blog hop: favorite ribbon / prize / award?

I'm gonna give this whole blog hop thing a try. Other bloggers have come up with a whole world of interesting questions to ask, and I've enjoyed playing along - hope you do too! 


So, without further ado, here's my question for y'all:

What is your favorite ribbon / prize / award that you've won in relation to horses? Is there a story behind it? Or was it a bucket list prize you'd been chasing for ages? It doesn't have to be from a traditional horse show, and ribbons that are the favorite bc they are the prettiest are just as awesome as awards with a great story. 


I was pretty active with a local h/j show barn while away at college in Rochester. They hosted and participated in all kinds of schooling shows designed specifically for lesson students and riders who didn't own horses. And playing around in the adult divisions at these shows left me with mountains of satin. Really, it's not too hard when you're competing in divisions where 4 makes a big class. 

This meant that I got some fancy year end awards - including having my name engraved on a big trophy that travels around from barn to barn, some nice long tri-colors, mugs galore, medals, and these weird but neat embroidered tartan lap blankets. 

(yes those are half chaps...gotta do what ya gotta do sometimes lol)

I definitely enjoyed all the swag (who wouldn't?) - but no one element from those experiences really stands out as an exceptional or defining moment. 

But, as a whole - my time in Rochester CAN be summed up by a show I rode in about two years ago, long after I had already moved away. 

I usually visit Rochester once a year and schedule a lesson while I'm up there. A few years back tho, the weekend of my trip was a show weekend so trainer A would be at the show rather than teaching. In a moment of bravery impulsive recklessness, I told her, 'what the hell, I'll just ride in the show then. Pick my horse and division and tell me when to show up!'

Ha. Never mind that I had only just started riding again after a 4 year hiatus and hadn't really done 2'6" coursework since I left Rochester... 


I can't remember exactly how many classes were in the division, but I *think* it was two flat classes and three over fences. And the best detail? The only other rider in my division was a former barn mate that I had always lessoned with - and she was riding my main Rochester squeeze Lad. So definitely a pretty friendly class haha. 

My horse on the flat - Rosa - was one I used to ride pretty regularly in lessons and was a very smooth ride. We won our first flat class but flubbed a lead in the next for second place. 


My jumping horse was Indy, who I had ridden once in a lesson on a different Rochester visit a year or so prior. Pretty straight forward and forgiving ride. He was fabulous, but my eye sucked and I added in almost all the lines, tho not consistently. All in all, pretty mediocre - and we were 2nd in all three rounds.

But ooooh boy did I have fun - and it was like the most awesome reunion, with my former trainer and barn mates and favorite horses all there, and the added bonus of a sweet reserve champion ribbon and sparkly green crop as a prize. Woo hoo for small classes!











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18 comments:

  1. Love the photos.
    And I especially love the bloghop poster child photo of Isabel. LOL

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    1. thanks! haha all the riding pics are video stills, per usual, and the drawing of isabel is MS Paint...but it works!

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  2. Nice story! That poster though... It's really cute! Did you make it?

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    1. yes i did - thanks! very likely i spent too much time on it, but i'm happy with how it turned out so... yea lol

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  3. Glad you're hosting a blog hop, I haven't joined one in ages and I love the Isabel image haha. The first one is a goodie too.

    That show sounds sweet! The small stable yard where I kept my horse in England put on a fun show like that for us four owners, it was a LOT of fun and we had such a laugh!

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  4. Oooh, I actually have an answer for this hop, even though I'm not really into satin. What a fun memory to share!

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    1. ooooh exciting - sounds like it's gonna be a good read :D

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  5. I have a few really memorable ribbons, but my fave is the first 4-H ribbon I won. I took my pony to our first show and he FREAKED OUT including bolting across a field and I fell onto concrete. Luckily we were both okay and went into our first class - English Showmanship - and took home 3rd. I still remember that class and proudly display that ribbon!

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    1. yikes - falling on concrete is a major fear of mine! glad you were ok tho - and major kudos for putting in a solid ride after that!

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  6. A hop about prizes! Will definitely need to participate!

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  7. wah! i have never shown or have anything like this... :(

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    1. aw boo :( still plenty ahead of you tho! and this hop doesn't need it to be any traditional ribbon or win - any good story is welcome!

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  8. I won a beautiful tri-color Reserve Champion ribbon when I was 16 competing on a horse I had never sat on before, and beating the woman that would later be my instructor! It was the best award for the craziest class ever. I think it was an Eq Over Fences class, and I must've done something right because I felt that horse was running away with me for the entire round...I guess I did a good job faking being in control? I got to compete that horse, a chestnut OTTB named Luciano, many times after that in the Jumpers. He was a super brave guy that LOVED to jump. I loved my time with him.

    My favoritest award, though, was the belt buckle I won for completing the Old Dominion 50-mile ride on Lily last June. It was our first distance ride, our first endurance ride, and our first 50 and by God we fought that mountain and freaking completed the ride with only a minute to spare. I have the buckle on one of my belts and I wear it with pride!

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    1. awesome memories of Luciano! i know exactly what you mean about 'faking being in control' haha. really tho - i love the story of completing OD with Lily.

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  9. I joined too late to get into the official hop, but here's my post. Great hop prompt!

    http://eventingincolor.blogspot.com/2015/05/fraidy-cat-blog-hop-fav-prize.html

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    1. thanks for doing the hop! i really enjoyed reading everyone's stories and memories :)

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