Your first horse show?

Question

I thought it would be fun to reflect on the wonderful memories of your first horse show =] So lets hear them! How excited/nervous were you? How did you do? What was so memorable about it?

I remember mine so well! It was a schooling show. I was thirteen and had been riding for about a year or so. The way it worked was our barn gave us request slips, which we would write down 3 choices of horses to ride, and the instructors would sort through them and organize everything. I was doing walk/trot equitation and pleasure. I had requested to be on a horse whose riding level was a bit above the classes I was in and I had never ridden before-I just thought he was gorgeous and wanted to ride him so badly. And what do you know-they paired me right up with him. I remember being soo nervous-but in a good way. Butterflies and all!

To my surprised Killian and I placed 2nd in equitation, out of a class of 23 riders! (The school I went to was ENORMOUS). And a 3rd in pleasure. How about you?

Answer 1

I was 6 or 7 and I was only jumping like 2'6". I placed 2nd and 3rd in the jumping and 1st in the flat in the 800 rider show... oh yea!! My pony Misty was so tiny, only 14hh, and everyone else was on their 17hh horses looking down on me.

Answer 2

I was maybe 10 yrs old and I had one pain in the but QH named Classy.  She was a really nasty mare.  Used to chase me under trees, into spider webs, and bit a chunk out of my sisters uper arm.  She however was wonderful when it came to showing as far as training went....but attitude forget it.  It was my first ever halter showmanship class and for some reason my mom put me in novice.  Well the dang mare reared on me and I was so embarrassed thinking I was dead last.  I ended up getting Grand Champ just because she did that and the way I handled it.  Huh.

Answer 3

When I was 7 years old, I competed in my first horse show on my 5 year old chestnut Arabian in the Junior Shows :) I wasn't too nervous; I was used to being around large audiences because my mom used to show horses on a regular basis. I remember trotting to the staging area, doing my thing, and then taking a deep breath at the end. I think I forgot to breathe during my program! LOL Ok, so maybe I was a little nervous. But it was so much fun!!!! If I could, I would do it alllll over again!

after showing horses, I went into jumping then team penning :) I never grew out of my "horse phase" like most young people.

Answer 4

Mine: I was riding a lesson horse, JV, who is the most lazy horse in the world. I was doing crossrails, and I was dead nervous, I almost forgot the course. I circled and went to the first jump, and got so nervous that I kept staring at the jump, and JV, as the lazy lesson horse he is, stopped at it. It took me what felt like a hour to realise that, oh snap, we weren't over the jump, and to turn around and do it again. *sigh* I got 8th out of 16 riders in one of my classes, and didn't place in the others.

The first horse show I went in with my horse Tucker was also eventful. I get terribly nervous (I am so glad I am over that now), so we were in the 2ft class. I had jumped alot higher at home, but the jumps seemed so big. Tucker was never particualry good at picking up his leads, so I had to always check. We went over a line of two jumps, and in the middle tucker tried to change his lead, but he does this thing were his front feet are on the right lead, but his back feet aren't. I was trying to change it, and kinda forgot about the other jump we came to, so he had to do this flying leap over it. It was unexpected by the time I realised we weren't going fast enough. I lost both stirrups and had to stop, but I got them back at a canter and continued my course but was very nervous. I did the angle, and then the outside, but then I heard the loudspeaker say I was disqualified becuase I had messed up the course. *sigh*

My little sister was always good in shows, she rode this 32 year old pony that couldn't canter, but she would go over the walk trot ground poles class, and win champion ribbons all the time. She was in a show after it had rained for two days. Horses hadn't gone out, and were really frisky. Her horse, Toby, was too lazy to have cared about not going out, but the other horses were. There were four people in her class, her included. The first girl in, on her second track, her horse started cantering. It wasn't very fast, but the girl got scared, and she fell off. The next girl went well on her first track, but on her second, as soon as her pony turned the corner and saw the gate and all his horseyfriends he sped off, cantering towards the gate. The girl got her pony to stop, but was very scared, and had to be led on a lead line. The last girl went well on both her tracks. My sister went well, but on her second track, old Toby wasn't so happy about leaving his friends. He started crowhopping, not bucking, he was too old, but my sister mad him stop and they continued on. In the flat class, all the horses were fine, execpt one horse. It didn't like the other horses, and raced after them, scaring the little girl riding him. My sister ended up getting a champion ribbon :)

Answer 5

Well, my first horse show, it was very exciting and memorable to say the least, my grandfather kept telling me, I dont think your ready yet, I kept saying yes I am, and I was 10 years old and on a Welsh Pony, well guess what me and the pony was not ready for it at all.....and I learned fast to listen to my grandfather, as he trained horses and riders, but I was bull headed and let me have my way....he taught me a lesson quick.

my pony was jumpy and he began to settle down a little once we got started in the ring, by the way, the first show was at the State Fair, in Oklahoma City, I had never seen so many horses in my life.....

anyway, we began our walk around and he was doing great, then the pony in front us decided it wanted to stop cold all of a sudden and Rocket did not, he ran into the back of the pony and the pony kicked and got him on his leg ,no damage, the judges came over to make sure all was okay, well the judge put his hand on Rocket's rump and patted him, not a smart thing to do, he went in the air one way, I went the other and it took them 15 mins or longer to catch him..he was so keyed up, we had to leave the ring, and so did the chick that stopped in front of us......

needless to say, I never did show him again, he was too keyed all the time, and the only thing that was hurt was my pride.....

my grandfather thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen and never said I told you so, but you could see it in his smile and his eyes...it was blast over the years everytime he pulled out home movies and there I am in the ring on my rump, watching Rocket going the other way....its always a crowd pleaser.....

Answer 6

my first show was in may. it was a schooling hunter/jumper show. I did the A division cuz i cant jump any higher (lol). I rode my baby, nightstar. who is an old pro. hes 21 and has been a 3 day eventer for like ever. i did 2 flat classes and two hunter classes. the flat classes were a miserable fail. 6th out of 8. in the  jumping classes, i got 4 and 5. which was better......

i wasnt really nervous, just excited. I was also rather confident and full of myself...lol

Answer 7

my first show i believe was at the fair. i was 11 years old and was riding teak (she was 28 at the time). surprisingly, i got two 4ths outta classes about the size of 12 people. it was in fitting and showing and equitation. man, that was amazing. who would've guessed that i got two 4ths on Teak... the retarded bratty bucker!

Answer 8

My first horse show was actually not that long ago. Even though I have been riding for 4 years, I just haven't had access through trainers and horses to actually go to a show. Anyways, it was the county 4-H show in Tennessee. I was riding a horse named Brink. I showed in only 3 classes - Halter, Western Pleasure, and Horsemanship. The most vivid memory I have from that show is standing in the ring during my halter class and being so so so so nervous because I didn't know if they would pick me for the 2nd cut (there were like 27 horses so they were cutting the class in half and then placing them). I was so afraid because I really wanted to impress my trainer to show her that I had learned a lot. I ended up placing 9th out of 27 - even though I did my quarters slow and my horse wouldn't stand still!! I placed 2nd in both my other classes!! I was sooo happy I couldn't stop smiling!! :D

Answer 9

when I was 13 I did my very first official show with our POA pony who also had never been shown. Our first class was showmanship & I was extremely nervous for it was my first show & the judges are pretty intimidating. But as I walked in I forgot how nervous I was & concentrated on my pony & the pattern. We were doing really (considering it was both our first show) as I set up in front of the judge. I set him up & looked at the judge & she started inspecting. Half way through my horses legs buckled & I was worried something was wrong with his legs then I realized he was gettin ready to roll RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE. The judge smiled at me & I quickly got him on his feet again but the damage was done, my white speckled pony was now a dark brown. she finished inspecting us then told me she has never witnessed a horse roll during a show & she would never forget us. I was so embarrassed that I forgot the rest of the pattern & just walked in line with every one else.

Now I laugh at it but then it was very tramatic

Answer 10

OMG! Okay so I was jumping my very first horse, Lucky, and she was being sooo bratty that day so she decided to go nuts on me. So we cleared all the jumps and then at the end, when we were going back to the stable, she started rearing!! I had no idea what was going on!!! So my dad had to calm her down and she was good...but it scared me!! She was only 7 at the time though...now she is 16 and calmer than ever!! haha!!!

Answer 11

my first show was a little schooling show one of the local barns put it, i was in walk/trot canter down the longside... so we all walked and trotted together, but then you lined up and cantered one at a time..  i was supposed to be on this horse i liked, but she was SO SLOW, and SO hard to get moving.. so i was worried that i wasn't gunna be able to get the canter, but then at the last second my trainer runs up and puts me on a harder, but faster horse (the girl who was going to ride him couldn't, so she got my mare and i got him) i was SO excited i got to ride him cuz he was LOADS of fun.. (hadn't ridden him in MONTHS)

and then i did sit-a-buck on the same mare i was supposed to before, and she had an amazing slow jog, but i couldnt sit.. so the paper fell really quick.. but my trainer was one of the judges so she had me keep going.. but then another judge saw mine wasn't there and was like "hey you! get out the ring!" and me being all shy i was just like "janna told me to stay" and the lady shut up..

my trainer, janna, is the kind of lady EVERYONE knows and EVERYONE listens too..

this was fun!

and these are horrible written, but it was all comming back so fast!