BreyerFest Open prizes

My ribbons for the BreyerFest Open Show arrived about two weeks after BreyerFest.

My other prize showed up about a month and a half later.

I admit that at first I was a little underwhelmed. I was expecting prizes similar to those for the Breyer Boot Camp Show. That is, Web Specials and BreyerFest Special Runs for the Sectional Champ/Reserve and Premier Club models for the Overalls. Instead, I got nothing (?) for Dun Up Purdy's Sectional Championship and a BreyerFest Special Run for his Overall Reserve.

Fortunately, time heals all most disappointments, and now I'm pretty pleased with this guy. The Marwari is one of my favorite molds, and I really love the glossy chestnut tobiano paintjob.

Plus, he looks really cute with my Nazruddin!

I expect that this is the last time BreyerFest Open will be a photo show. I'm glad I was able to participate and look forward to the return of in person competition.

Two white dogs

For sixteen and a half years, I walked through life with a white dog by my side.

Abbie went everywhere with me.

Together we went boating, caving and camping.

We frequented parties and concerts, visited twenty five states....

and attended more horse shows than either of us could ever count.

She was my first life partner, before Seth.

She laid by my side while I was on bed rest during my first pregnancy and taught my children to love and respect animals.

I can not imagine my life without her. She's been gone eleven years, and I still think about her almost every day.

When I first shared photos of Piper, all my old friends said, "Oh, she looks like Abbie!" 

And she does, at least a little bit.

But let me tell you, Piper is no Abbie. 

Instead, she is one hundred percent herself.

In the six months I have known her, Piper and I have visited five states and attended one horse show.

We've gone to parties and beaches and more stores than we can count.

It's so nice to have another go-everywhere, do-everything dog in my life.

It's so nice to once again walk through life with a white dog by my side.

The Resin Futurity

My Resin Futurity prizes arrived today.

Truth be told, I'd almost forgotten that I'd entered this photo show. It was one of the last things I did before my post BreyerFest hobby burnout episode, and as a result, I only managed to upload a few halter pictures and a handful of performance entries. 

All my halter horses placed in their classes, and BFF and Winter Games both earned sectional reserve championships in the Workmanship Division. I was very pleased with that.

In performance, Khemonahar Ali won the Middle Eastern/African Regalia class and the Other Performance Sectional Championship. 

Then - somehow - he was named the Overall Reserve Performance Champion. 

I can be pretty competitive and I definitely like winning, but this doesn't feel right to me. I don't know what the judging instructions were, and I haven't looked at all the entries, but I just can not imagine a scenario where a one class wonder is worthy of an overall title.

That said, the rosettes and pony pouches are very nice. Deserved and not, I am happy to own them.

Happy October

Autumn is my favorite season, and October is my favorite month. The cool, crisp temperatures, the bright red and gold colors, the spoopy Halloween decorations, the pumpkin spice lattes that I don't even drink... All of it makes me happy, and I look forward to this month every year. 

Happily, this October is already living up to expectations. On Saturday, I loaded up my little dog and big camera and headed over to the Colorado Horse Park with my friend, Teresa.

The park was hosting the Colorado Combined Driving Event and Combined Test.

We spent a couple horse walking around the cross country marathon course and taking pictures of all the horses...

and donkeys.

The weather was perfect,

Piper was perfect...

and the company... Well, that was perfect, too. I somehow neglected to take a photo of Teresa, but here's some of my barn friends that we ran into on course.

On Sunday, I went riding with Mary Jo and Karen.

Once again, the weather, the animals and the company were all perfect. 

As good as all of that is, the best part of the weekend was having this guy home for a few days.

October is off to a great start. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month will bring.

She went to Texas, part three

Truth be told, I would have been happy to extend my stay in Austin and go horse shopping with Lauren. Alas, that wasn't an option, so on Sunday we rolled out of bed, said our goodbyes and hit the road. The drive was pleasantly uneventful, and we checked into our Amarillo hotel room some seven and a half hours later.

We took a few minutes to relax, then I texted my friend, Andrea, to tell her we'd made it. "Come on over," she responded. "I could use some help." So we got back in the car, drove to Andrea's house and helped her take photos of her sales horse, Hope.

What a cute girl!

Once that was done, we said hi to Matt the Cowpony.

Although he's an unassuming looking fellow, Matt has a most impressive resume. In addition to being quite possibly the only horse ever to simultaneously and successfully compete in FEI level dressage, reined cowhorse and competitive trail riding, Matt is a seven time Western Dressage National Champion and an ambassador for the Quarter Horse breed. I am definitely biased, but I think he would be a perfect addition to the Breyer line-up!

We had a nice dinner with Andrea and Bobby, then headed back to the hotel for an early bedtime. The next morning, I asked Mary Jo to make one stop on our way out of town.

I have been wanting to properly visit the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum ever since Carol and I made a fifteen minute tour of it in 2014. I wasn't able to fit it in when we drove through Amarillo in 2017, and there wasn't time this year either.

Still, I thought it would be fun to walk around the outdoor sculpture garden.

Most of it looked the same as it did in 2014...

but there was one new addition.

Hello, Rugged Lark!

I still hope to make it inside again someday, but this was better than nothing.

When I finished taking my pictures, we climbed back in the car and headed home.

That was so much driving. That was so much fun. I'm glad we did it. I'm glad to be home.