My second time helping out at the western show

Do you remember last year when I helped my neighbor at the Western show? The neighbor with the super fancy arena and Russian Arabian? And she wouldn't let me do anything to help her all day? And when I arrived I asked what can I do to help and she said, "Best thing is for you to not speak, I need to concentrate." And that was my day. Not speaking a word, and not helping. "You're scaring my horse!" when I tried to rub some dirt off his saddle.....

She's an interesting piece of work. But I need her for her arena (at 7Euros per visit) so....

Not this year.

This year my awesome friend S2 said she would be showing her awesome horse Chilly at the Western show. I volunteered immediately (months ago) to be there to help.

And SHE LET ME HELP! *lol*

She's a normal, nice person. Totally laid back. Just like  her horse.

Her dorky East German boyfriend Andy was there also helping, but mostly he too videos of her classes, which is cool, but I teased him from time to time, "Hey, HELP her get on her horse, don't just stand there!"

He teased me back once, "Hey, say the word HALTER correctly!"  I was honestly embarrassed.

Then Ulrkike arrived, also to help. She's a lady I knew from taking Mara to a TTEAM clinic, but I hadn't spoken to her since. She keeps her horses in S2's barn/various neighborhood pastures.

It was so fun to sit with Ulrike and hear her praise the goregeousness of every Paint horse that came in. And there were lots, it was a Western show.

She seems to be a nice person, I'm so glad I got to know her that day.

At one point between classes, the question went up, "Who wants coffee?" and I raised my travel mug high in reply.

HOWEVER...

The person selling the coffee was my nasty neighbor lady. The one with the chickens who have literally destroyed our relationship this year. I haven't spoken about these nasty chapters of my life on my blog because it's just so depressing. Trust me, the lady hates us. (And just this week my good neighbors up the hill said, "What, you didn't know she was full-on crazy?")

I gave Ulkirke a 5 Euro and said, "Coffee please, I don't want to buy it from my next door neighbor goat." (Goat is a nicer word for bitch). As I type this, seriously, she just arrived home with her three dogs and the newest one, a Dachshund, with the most ear-splitting bark, is going nuts about some hikers going by. Yah, they have THREE dogs now. The Dachshund will stand in her yard and bark at me the entire time I'm cleaning poop. That dog actually drowns out the awful noise of the chickens. Their screams/yells/calls.

I suddenly found myself holding Chilly and my rider was getting me a coffee. What a turnaround from last year, where I wasn't allowed to touch the horse.

Then, Ulrike put the 5 Euros back in my hand. She'd paid. How nice!

I saw my very-short-term riding instructor Katharina. Remember her!?!? I have no bad feelings for her even though she quit me as her teacher, most likely based on Mag's outrageous behavior, rearing up and kicking the walls of her family's arena. I had just arrived and needed help finding the warm up ring. She helped me.

Then I saw Chantal, our farmsitter! She was flustered, running around with a clipboard. I shouted, "CHANTAL!" to her and she said, "Oh, YOU!" She said she's volunteering and doesn't have time to speak. I was happy to see her again.

Ulrike said, "You have to pay a housesitter, but we just let the others in our barn care for our horses when we're gone!" Yah...there's that.

***

Then there was an outdoor class called Ranch Riding, which was a version of trail. There were three entrants. Chilly, a big QH, and a tiny grey mare. It had a garroucha test involved, very cool.

I saw the QH fly back as if she'd never seen a bridge, gate, or barrel before. Unbelievable!. Even in the indoor I'd seen a rider gouging her mare's flanks to get her to the bridge, what she was terrified about. That poor horse! I can't say Mag would have been better, if he'd never seen a bridge before in his life. But I wouldn't be spurring his groin!

***

I looked at the next mare, I couldn't get my eyes off her. What is it about her?

I finally handed Andy Chilly's reins and went to the grey mare's owner. I said, "What kind of horse is this?"

She laughed, "GREY!"

I said, "What is her name?"

She said, "Wally,...hey! I know you! You are her leasor!"

Yeah, 7 years ago I leased a sweet grey mare for a little while.


Today I saw her in Western tack, and I must say, my endurance tack was lovelier.



Wally!



I'm proud of her owner cuz when I leased her, the lady was too busy with her new children to ride much. I was thrilled to see her take Wally into another ring later with her youngest kid on board, a lead-line class.

When I met Wally, she was the same. I greeted her, rubbed on her, and the lady's oldest daughter said, "You are from America? I love your accent, it's so pretty. I dream of going to America someday."

I said, "Then you will, cuz whenever a kid tells me they dream of having a horse, I answer, 'You will, if you want it enough.'"

She had a sweatshirt on that said, "Portland Oregon University." I told her I come from that area, and that if she has the chance, she should zoom in on that region of my country.

Also, I don't think there is such a thing as Portland Oregon University.



People on horses looking at cell phones. WTH.



Some horses were expertly groomed, with bridle paths (so rare) and trimmed fetlocks. That is Chantal looking over the horse. She's a good one. Just, stressed all day with the work.

Chilly won that class but my mare got 2nd: ) She was cool, and I'm so glad her owner is doing so much with her!




S2 got the trophy. Andy kissed her. I said, petulantly, "Buckets are better awards than trophies, you can USE them." They didn't agree. They're German. Chilly looks so awake in this photo!






There we go, this was Chilly most of the day between classes. What a good boy! Lip hanging, no worries be happy at a big horse show.

***

There was this Haflinger with a little girl on board, and they seemed to be having the best time in their classes. That Haflinge was FLEISSIG. (Industrious/good worker). His legs were flying in commitment to canter and trot. The little girl was just smiling the entire time.

Then I noticed Katharina standing by the girl and her Haflinger, as S2 and Andy ate lunch (and ate and ate...)

I trotted over and said to Katharina, "Is this one of yours?"

She said "HA! Everyone thinks if it's yellow, it's mine!" But she was nice. I said to the girl, "You make a great team, you and your horse. It's clear that you are having fun here, today. It's not easy, most people are stressed at competitions!"

The girl smiled and said, "Thank you."

***

Then Chilly didn't win a Western Pleasure class, and I was too short to see over the wall so I couldn't see why. I only noted that Western Pleasure at low levels in Germany is very, very fast!

And the announcer dude's English wasn't so great. He translated jog for trot.

Ulrike said to me as we observed over the rail, "I'd like to show, but they require a bit, and I ride bitless, with an LG zaum."

I said, "I'd love to show too! But I will not put a cowboy hat on my head."

We both laughed.





***

It was a fun but long day. Poor Chilly had no food, no water, the entire day. He just went from class to class, and stood stoicly in between. 5 hours. I told myself, no worries, standing still is his favorite thing. And it is, he is a gem. The only class he couldn't win was the one with extensions required. He's not gonna do that: )

And of course a 5 hour trail ride would have also involved no food and much more effort.

Chilly was the champion. He won the trophy for that class in the windstorm.

***

S2 has sent me a few thank you emails for being there, and for my photos.

She wants to ride with me soon but I'm busy the next few weeks.

I had a great 2nd experience at this Western horse show.

I'll do it again.

Only with the right people.