2018 Show Season Recap

This is a bit late as we're about two and a half months into the 2019 season, but we just had our local association banquet and I wanted to wait to post this until I had all the requisite photos.

Read all about my first season showing with Pam Herman Farms.

2018 was my first show season with Pam Herman Farms and my first show season without Wow.

The season began for us in late April and ran through November for VHSA Finals held in Lexington, Virginia

As I compiled all this photographic and video evidence of the season I was pleased to see the improvement in my riding. I've become a smoother, yet stronger rider. I'm more confident in myself and my ability and I have my wonderful trainer Pam Herman and Stella's owners, Signature Sporthorses to thank for the opportunity to ride Stella.

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VBHSA Show @ Pam Herman Farms - April 28, 2018

My first show of the season, and first with Pam Herman Farms, and luckily a home show. The local circuit is a little different in Virginia Beach. Instead of showing at an equestrian center or typical show grounds, each barn in the area that's part of the VBHSA (Virginia Beach Horse Show Association) hosts two shows per season.  

The Adults typically ride towards the end of the day at most of these shows, which is fine with me as that allows the trainers their pro rides in the Green and Working divisions.

Here's one of my rounds from my first show aboard Sorority Girl, a.k.a. Stella. I watch it now and while it's good, it wouldn't be good enough for the 1st it received now. But that's life and that's horse showing....continuous improvement and change.

We ended up champion with a clean sweep of the over fences classes and topping the field in the hack (which I didn't know at the time, we'd end up unbeatable in the hack for the year!). I also ribboned in the Open Hunter under saddle class with Stella; finishing second behind my trainer and another mare she had in training at the time.

Results:
1st O/F
1st O/F
1st U/S
Champion

Not bad for our first show together.

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VBHSA Show @ Crafty Fox Farm - June 02, 2018

This show was the epitome of a learning experience. I had just found a new home for Wow and I didn't know just how hard that would impact me. I was flighty and my mind wasn't in it and it definitely showed. Pop chips and long spots were the norm for me that day. The only bright spot was we won the hack. 

This was the only one of two good photos from that day, and it doesn't even begin to show my crazy ride on the struggle bus that day.

Results:
1st U/S

PC: Epic Beard Photography

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VBHSA Show @ Pam Herman Farms - June 09, 2018

I wish I could say this was my redemption show from the Crafty Fox Farms show, but sadly it wasn't. It wasn't nearly as bad, but it wasn't the comeback I'd hoped for.

Everyone in the division was on their game and I just wasn't good enough. Again though, that's horse showing. Any. Given. Day.

Stella and I brought home a 5th over fences and a topped the field in the under saddle. 

Results:
5th O/F
1st U/S

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VHSA Associate Summer Show @ Deep Run Hunt Club
​June 29-July 01, 2018

What a weekend this was. It was my first multi-day show with PHF and my first stakes class. I rode better than the previous two local shows, but was still a bit inconsistent in the tack. I was happy though. I could start to see some improvements.

I'm also super proud of a 4th & 6th place over fences and another hack win in a good group of 14 good-riding adult amateurs!

It was a great, albeit ridiculously hot, weekend with my PHF barn family who really knows how to take care of each other. 

Results:
6th O/F
4th O/F
1st U/S

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VBHSA Show @ Princess Anne Farms - July 14, 2018

This show was where I started to hit my stride...no pun intended. Ok, maybe the pun was intended. But for real. This is where something clicked between Stella and I. The results weren't the best -- we didn't' sweep the division -- but it was some of the most consistent riding in the show ring I had done all year.  We even ended up reserve champion!

Results:
3rd O/F
4th O/F
1st U/S
Reserve Champion

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VBHSA Show @ East Coast Equestrian Training Center - August 18, 2018

Again, some of the most consistent riding of the season!

It was a H-O-T summer day so the show was a little smaller than usual, but we still rocked it! We rode smooth down the lines and nailed the single oxer in each round. There's no video evidence of it, but I was super proud of the mare for trucking me around in the summer heat and humidity. 

Results:
2nd O/F
2nd O/F
1st U/S
Reserve Champion

Summer show success!

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​VBHSA Show @ Roseoldian Farm - August 25, 2018

PC: Sean Reilly Photography

Another SUPER hot summer show day. I was a bit nervous heading to this farm to show. Their neighbors are home to some guinea hens and peacocks and horses aren't usually fond of small (or large) creatures rustling in the bushes at the back side of the ring. 

We schooled great in the morning. I'm guessing the critters hadn't been let out at that point. We hit all our distances and even got semi-used to the judges stand/gazebo on the far side of the ring. Oh, yeah. Stella is not a fan of gazebos or the judges stand usually. It's not like we have TWO on each side of the ring at home or anything. 

These courses were a little more technical. Had some short approaches both to singles and a line, a bending eight-stride, and a four-stride. Not that those are super technical, but more technical than we'd seen all year at shows.

We were consistent and placed well in a division of six combined with the children's hunters.

Results:
2nd O/F
3rd O/F
1st U/S
Champion

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​VBHSA Show Cooler Show @ Bridlewood Farm - September 22, 2018

Schooled beautifully that morning over some more decorated jumps than normal. This show is called the Cooler Show because it's a fundraiser for the local association for end-of-year awards. 

Watched as Stella ROCKED it in the Green Hunters with my trainer Pam, let her relax for a while before it was our turn in the ring. We warmed up well, but she was a little on the lazy side. We decided to use spurs for my first trip just in case I needed them. I probably could have done without them, but I liked having them. I wouldn't say it was a safety-net kind of thing, but if I needed a little extra *umph* to my leg aid, I had it!

Our first trip was good. We got a 2nd. Then....as with horses, our luck ran out. We had a little bobble in the 2nd o/f class and we decided to scratch the rest of the division. Safety and well-being always come first. 

Results:
2nd O/F

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VBHSA Show @ West Neck Creek Equestrian Center
​September 29, 2018

WE ROCKED IT!

The morning started off great. We trotted some jumps to familiarize Stella with the ring. She was wonderful! My trainer rode in one o/f class of the Open Hunter (2'3") as a warm up and Stella went around without a hitch. She returned to the stall for a while as there were two big divisions before the Greens started. When she came out for the Greens all was as it should be. She was nice and quiet. Then, as fate should have it, as she was going around in the first class of the Greens, a spectator was flailing around something, we think it was a baby stroller or something, trying to get it in their car which was right outside the ring. Stella is wonderful, but she's only 6 and is still green and has moments that show that to a T. Needless to say the Green trips weren't the best. They made it around but to emphasize how it went, I was a little nervous watching as the Adult Amateurs went after the Greens (after a water and drag break, of course). "Do I want to ride that!?!" I thought to myself. I asked Pam as she came out if I should ride, and her response was, "Oh yeah, she'll be fine now." I sighed.

We took her back to the stall to chill a bit, changed tack and I got ready.. I rode up to the ring and with no warm up jumps, nothing, I went straight in to ride my courses. I rode as if there could be a problem; purposefully but not aggressively. And what to my surprise happened?! We rocked around our courses pretty much foot perfect! SO many pats for Stella! I came out of the ring with a huge smile on my face. I'm SO glad I rode and didn't chicken out. I'm glad I had my barn family's support no matter what I chose. I'm glad Pam reassured me it'd be fine. Even if I wasn't sure it would be. 

Results:
1st O/F
1st O/F
1st U/S
Champion

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​VHSA Associate Finals @ Virginia Horse Center - Nov. 7-11, 2018

COLD morning walks.

OMG - IT WAS COLD!

First of all the Virginia Horse Center is amazing! It was my first time there and I loved it. I'll definitely be back in 2019!

Stella was great for Pam despite it being her first time in a 'real' indoor/coliseum setting.

I rode well, but the stars just didn't align for us in the over fences classes. It's ok because I'm still very proud of how I rode and handled myself. It wasn't the fairy tale ending to the year I had hoped for, but it was a great experience I will never forget. 

Remember what I said about being undefeated in the hack for the year. Well...we were!

Every show we entered from April to November we took home the blue ribbon in the under saddle class. 

Results:
1st U/S

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Some other photos from VHSA Finals.

Year-End Awards

Ok - so this is the BIG reason why this blog is up in February and not December. 

The VBHSA year-end awards banquet was just held on February 23 so I didn't have any good images to include...buuuuuuut....

Stella and I were CHAMPION in the Adult Amateur Hunter division!!

AND...to add the cherry on top, we ended up FIFTH for the year in the VHSA Associate Adult Amateur Hunter Division! Despite all the ups and downs, I am SO HAPPY with how the 2018 show season went; I couldn't be more proud of myself and my barn family. 

Cheers to 2019! 

LOVE this mare!