So, Tory is still holding out on us! Someone said she looks so miserable, but I watched her not only trot off this morning but at one point she cantered, too!! So she can't be totally out of whack, though it was FUNNY to watch that roll the other morning.
Yesterday we went to the first Hunter Jumper show of the series held at Finally Farm in Raleigh, NC. There, our FIRST homebred Shetland Pony mare (will be 21 years old on 20 MAY) was shown by a 7 yr old girl. Stuffy was her normal "go get 'im" self. They give out treats and she sure knew when the treats came out, LOL. I didn't get a lot of good pictures, but got a couple. The show was running about 2 hours behind (have no idea why, I wasn't there at the start), so I could only stay for about 2-1/2 of her 4 classes. Hayden, the little girl, is doing well with her. They've leased her for just over 2 years (I have to go look at dates on contracts), though Hayden's first intro to Stuffy was in March of 2014.
I haven't been to a lot of H/J shows (real ones) in a VERY LONG TIME. I'd forgotten that at least here in NC, they run the classes back to back for a lot of the "groups". So those little peeps stayed in the ring from the lead line class thru their PRE-Mini Stirrup classes. It was kinda funny to see! I think there were 12 little riders in the leadline class and 10 in each of the 3 classes following that (the lead line removed but the instructor/handler stayed with child/mount) that did a walk & trot. BOY, did those people get a WORK OUT!!
I see Hayden has some things to work on, but overall, she did GREAT, her family did great ("O, my didn't realize that showing was so much "hurry up & wait"... WE are tired!" LOLOLOL). And I was worried that when turned loose in that BIG arena, Stuffy would put on a bronc show. She did have a bit of a 'tude going into the ring, but Hayden did well, circling around her instructor and putting "Stuffers" right back on the rail. They never did break out of a trot, tho at one point it was really FAST (just short of breaking).
If I wanted to do the paperwork, Stuffy does qualify for hardship into AMHR. She's 37/38" at the withers and shorter at the last hair of the mane.
I had the phone set to larger photo but forgot to turn it back upright, so cut off rider. But I love this pic of Stuffy! Wish I hadn't cut Hayden off, tho...
and last one
Edited to add:
The classes she went in were:
16. Leadline
17. Pre Mini Stirrup Walk Trot Equitation
18. Pre Mini Stirrup Walk Trot Pleasure
19. Pre Mini Stirrup Walk Trot Hunter Under Saddle
The next show in the series is April 29th, but they just aren't sure they are going to be able to do that. We shall see.
Her grandmother, the person that leased Stuffy from us, was asking about a larger pony for her to graduate from Stuffy (Hayden is growing FAST now). We will discuss it further, but I'm thinking they may purchase Sami, Stuffy's 1/2 brother out of an Arab mare. She'd be into her teens before she outgrew him for riding... He's not really trained at all though, so they aren't sure about that.
