This was awhile ago now, but still sits in my mind as one of my most favourite days ever.
The first time I showed, I sort of lost my mind, forgot what a cow was & marked a 63. Which was a gift.
So the second time I showed I went into the show pen with a specific goal, "I want to have clean herdwork." I felt that if I centered myself around one goal, it would help me focus on that, and remember... ya know.. how to ride.
I decided to enter a herdwork jackpot class, the objective of this class is to cleanly cut a cow from the herd and drive it up into the chalked square in the centre of the pen. I went out there on our cow-ey, but certainly not a cutting trained, turn back horse and marked a 72 to place second in the class. I was happy, and it was a good way to head into my next class of the day.
& the best part about our turn back horse? His registered name is "Chicks Dig Yellow" - how great is that!
Herdwork Jackpot
Video isn't the best quality, enlarge it to see better.
My next class of the day was the 2000 Limit Rider on one of our client's horses, Tulip. I've ridden Tulip a lot to get her ready to show, and at home before the client, or my boss has ridden it. However, i'd barely ridden her on cows at home. Despite that, I felt comfortable, and a lot more centered than the first time I showed.
2000 Limited Rider
There was just something about this run, Tulip worked amazing for me, I felt like I was riding better than I ever had before (... and some days it feels like better than I have since haha) & it all just fell into place. I ended up winning the class with a 74. I was beaming ear-to-ear.
Me, Tulip & her owner, Diane.
Marana was such a special day for me because it really reaffirmed for me that I love cutting, I want to show more and I only want to work more and more to get better. It also reaffirmed that I am working where I should be, who I should be working for, and surrounded by people that will only lift me up. It was a great feeling.
& getting my first two cheques wasn't so bad either!
=)
Very cool! I would have loved to come and watch. I live pretty close to Marana.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty sweet! We don't have a herdwork jackpot class, i would kinda like that, sometimes my brain goes to much when i am getting a cow out of the herd.
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