I took this picture of a fairly basic start box at the 1991 Longreen Horse Trials in Collierville, Tennessee.
Several years ago, I decided I was going to make my own model sized start box. I designed it to be freestanding and sturdy yet easily broken down for transportation and storage. I cut out and assembled the pieces and gave it a few coats of paint. Then, somehow I got distracted. Despite my good intentions, the start box ended up in the large pile of unfinished projects in my basement where it languished for the next couple years.

I dug it up yesterday after I realized it might be the perfect prop to use with White Trash Girl in the Cross Country/Steeplechase/Racing class at the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous live show next month. As you can see, the main pieces were still in good shape, but everything needed paint and detailing.
After a trip to the hobby shop and a little bit of work, my start box is finished!

And look, it really does disassemble nicely!
It feels good to have finally finished something in the forgotten project pile. I ought to raid that more often!


Front view. Honestly, the box should be a bit bigger, and if I'd been starting from scratch, I would have built it with more generous dimensions. Still, I'm pleased with the way this turned out.

