Not being first is sometimes still winning

We found out last weekend that Chookie's riding school was having an informal show today at the yard and would we like to attend. Chook surprised me a bit by giving an enthusiastic "yes, please" so we drove up early this morning to give her time to help with tacking up and things. Here she is with her mount of the day, Bracken. She's a cob-like little horse and only 4 years old so very green and a complete novice at competition - much like Chook. She loves her, though, so was very happy to take her out and accepted that big prizes were NOT going to happen.

First up was the clear round* which should have been a shoo-in. The owner was worried she wouldn't have enough rosettes for everyone who had turned up. Ha! Nope. There was this one jump that at least half the horses ran out at (where they run past instead of jumping over it) and our Bracken was no exception. Oops. So Chook thought that was her one chance of a wee win - there were much more experienced showjumpers (girls and ponies) than her in the next round she was in. Never mind, eh? It's all experience.

Well she had a go at the middle height round (65cm) and did really, really well. The yellow fence that saw her come a cropper before was no trouble (tactics!) and only an unlucky trailing hoof saw a pole come down so she didn't get into the timed jump-off. A much happier (and sweatier!) girl was my companion for a barbecued roll on sausage. Bracken was desperate for a bite!

Her success bolstered her confidence so she decided on the hoof (ha!) to enter the largest height competition, too. She was the last to go from 7 girls and 5 of them were riding their own ponies. Again, it was going to be a lesson in experience. And then the other girls one by one started having nightmares of rounds with multiple refusals and runouts and there was a pretty huge chance that Chook's round was going to be a Keystone Kops style comedy.

See the green on her saddle? She came forth!! **

I took a wee bit video and you'll know how badly the others were messing up for this to be fourth place!! Bracken hasn't jumped this high or a course this size, though, and it's a long time since Chook did a full course. I think they both did splendidly.

Aaw. She's a pretty wee horse, right? But Chook's old loan pony head collar is a bit wee!

And then she went and got second in the pony games. Heh heh. 

A most successful first show. And we are both knackered! Fresh air, y'know?

*a clear round competition gives a rosette to everyone who gives a clear round - no refusals, no runouts and no fences down. The fences are often set fairly low so people who won't win a placed prize later (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th) go home with a little something.

**I still think she should have been third. One girl had the jumps put down to an easier configuration for her round and got 3rd place - how's that fair?!