Show of The Year!

My Show Of The Year Re-Cap!

There we were.... back up at Rancho Murieta Equestrian Center for the CPHA Show Of The Year!  The first few days the rain was streaming through the showgrounds and pooling in the arenas again.  It's deja voo - almost the exact same scene from last months AQHA show.  From where I sit inside the M-Box I'm watching cattle dogs and corgies wearing rain coats follow behind girls wearing hat covers and plastic rain gear as they tough out the storm.  As I watch these diehard competitors scurry from their barn rows to the refuge of the giant covered arena to warm-up for today's trail classes I'm thinking this cannot be happening....two shows in a row hit hard by storms and the flooding rain is keeping us shut in again!

Now it's evening and the sky is finally opening up to clear blue after two days of heavy rain......I'm certain that sunny 70's are in our future.  As we wait it out the storms are passing and we're buckling down and doing what else?  Cutting sequins, sewing on giant crystals and studying up on this years' Paint Horse Directory.  I love reading about all the young ladies and youth accomplishments, victories and awards.  Pretty impressive and inspiring seeing their dedication to showing.... it's enough to make me want to break out of the M-box, dodge some puddles and make my way over to watch a few of todays' trail classes.

At the show some of the other vendors were our friends Dina and Lorin Short of Seriously Fancy Show Apparel, who carry our Sample Sale items, as well as Carlos of Carlos Silver, a familiar smiling face who can hook you up with all your custom silver needs!

The sound of the rain on the metal roof is a soothing sound and the quiet from wind sets the stage for a mellow day in the trail pen.  The classes seem a little small and the course looks a little easier than I had expected.  The course wasn't laid out very tight and it didn't have many elevations either...... I guess that's easy for me to say from the bleachers!  ha ha!  I never really cared for trail in my riding/showing days...I think it's just way too hard to memorize patterns under pressure!  I've definitely watched my share of patterns though, cheering on my sister at tons of her AQHA shows!  (Dressing her and barnmates is how I got started after all!)  Even now I still get nervous for her sometimes, especially watching her at the World show.  I may be biased, but she and her horse "Trooper" (Big League Look - our mascot on the website) always made trail look so pretty.  I remember some of those quarterhorse courses looking just about impossible with everything so close together and rows of walkovers elevated at least a foot high.  I think they decided to go easy on the entrants this time, maybe with all the nasty weather they deserved a little break!

I wanted to show you all some pictures I took while waiting for the storms to pass. We were visiting with some friends, other vendors and of course what could be more fun than shopping!  My next entry is expected to be bright and sunny.  The forecast from here is bright with lots of sparkle glistening from silver saddles and tons of Swarovskis blinging up my view from the rail.

Happy Showing!

Heather