Bad Betty Versatility Entry Forms

Bad Betty Versatility Challenge

Saturday, October 7, 2017        Walk-through 8am

Ground and Cowboy Dressage Divisions 9am-1pm 

Trail Division 1pm-5pm

Course open on Friday, October 6, 2017 for ride-through

General Rules

Entries due September 23, 2017.  All post entry fees will apply.  A release form and payment must be submitted before riding on course Friday or Saturday. 

Course maps/instructions will be provided the day of the challenge.

Obstacles or maneuvers will be judged with 30 seconds allowed per obstacle or maneuver. 

An adult must accompany all youth.  No stallions are to be ridden by youth.

Western tack and attire required including western hat (may be substituted by a helmet).

No training devices allowed.  Bosals, snaffles and riding with two hands are permitted at any age.  Cowboy Dressage rules and guidelines apply (see www.cowboydressage.com).

Different riders may not ride same horse.  Same rider may ride more than one horse in the same level. 

All dogs must be kept on leash and away from the riding areas.  No dogs on or near the courses at any time.

No abuse to any horse or animal will be tolerated.  Offenders will be asked to leave and will forfeit any winnings.  Judges may dismiss a horse or rider for safety reasons when well being of horse, rider or spectators is at risk. 

Description of Levels for all Divisions

Ground

Level 1 and In-hand – maneuvers will be performed with horse on lead

Level 2 - maneuvers will be performed with horse on neck rope

Level 3 – maneuvers will be performed with horse at liberty

Cowboy Dressage (all Cowboy Dressage rules apply, see www.cowboydressage.com)

Level 1 – test will be Challenge Walk/Jog Test 1

Level 2 – test will be Challenge Walk/Jog Test 3

Level 3 – test will be Challenge Walk/Jog/Lope Test 1

In-hand – test will be Partnership on the Ground Test 2

Trail

Level 1 and In-hand – obstacles performed at a walk only – appropriate for green horses

Level 2 - obstacles performed at a walk or trot only – includes but not limited to backing, side pass

Level 3 – obstacles performed at a walk, trot or lope – includes but not limited to trotting one-handed, loping small figures, haunch turns, backing on uneven ground

 Bad Betty Versatility Challenge Entry Form

Important:  Payment must accompany this completed registration form to be accepted.  No refunds without vet certificate.  Mail entry with payment to Marcia Moore Harrison, 5985 Hwy. 95, Potlatch, Idaho 83855.  Make checks/money orders payable to MM Training & Consulting.

Horse name:                                                                         

Owner name:                                                                                                Phone:

Exhibitor name:                                                        Age:                Email:

Address:                                             City:                                       State:         

$45.00 per division entered.  If entering all 3 divisions, $35.00 per division.  Only one level may be entered per division, per horse.  In-hand is $25.00 per division. No cross-entry of in-hand classes.  Freestyle is $25.00.  Cross-entry is permitted for freestyle.    Use separate entry blank for each horse entered.  Post entry fee of $55.00 per division if entry received after September 23.

Ground Division
Level 1	$
Level 2	$
Level 3	$
In-hand	$

Cowboy Dressage Division
Level 1	$
Level 2	$
Level 3	$
In-hand	$
Freestyle	$

Trail Division
Level 1	$
Level 2	$
Level 3	$
In-hand	$

 

Division fees              $__________

($105.00 if entering all 3 divisions, In-hand is $25.00 per division, freestyle is $25.00)   

Mandatory office fee $__10.00___

Haul in fee   ($5.00 per day, applies only if not camping) $__________ 

Dry camping ($25.00 per night) $__________

Stall fee ($15.00 per night) $__________ 

• ·      Total fees owed         $__________

Bad Betty Versatility Challenge

Scoring

Judges decisions are final.  Scoring will be based on a 0-10 point system with 10 being the highest points possible for each maneuver or obstacle.  Judges will score each maneuver or obstacle and provide comments as appropriate.  All maneuvers will be judged on fluidity, connection, partnership and correctness.  Bonus points will be added in the areas of soft feel and harmony and partnership. Score sheets with comments will be available at the end of the day.

 Judges and Callers

There will be one judge and one scribe for the Ground division and one judge and one scribe for the Cowboy Dressage division.  There will be two judges and two scribes for the Trail division.

Callers for the Cowboy Dressage division will not be provided.  Please plan accordingly.  A caller may be available for hire on the grounds for $5.00 per test called.  Please see Cowboy Dressage tests, rules and guidelines at www.cowboydressage.com.

Awards

Champion and Reserve Champion Bad Betty Versatility awards will be given.  A belt buckle will be the top award for the highest cumulative score of all three divisions: Ground, Cowboy Dressage and Trail.  

Awards will also be given to the High Score in each of the three divisions: Ground, Cowboy Dressage and Trail.  The highest score in each division will be determined by the total number of points earned on the ride according to the judge’s scorecard. In addition, a cumulative High Point award will be given in each of the three levels: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.  These awards will be determined by the total number of points earned on all rides ridden within a certain level.  For example, a rider that enters and rides at Level 2 in all 3 divisions will have a greater chance of winning this award than a rider who enters all 3 divisions but chooses a different level for each. 

Champion and Reserve Champion awards will be given for In-hand, to be awarded for the highest cumulative score of all three divisions:  Ground, Cowboy Dressage and Trail.  There is no cross-entry with other classes.  In-hand is not eligible for the buckle.

Champion and Reserve Champion awards will be given for Freestyle, to be awarded to the highest scoring freestyle test as set out by Cowboy Dressage rules.  Cross-entry with other classes is permitted.  Freestyle is not eligible for the buckle.

Awards will be calculated for one horse/one rider (or handler). 

Liberty: I Need It!!

Liberty: I need it!!!

We have had an effective ground program for years. The purpose of our ground program was to develop connection, increase safety, and introduce training maneuvers for future success in the saddle. Our motto was “do the minimum to get the maximum,” because frankly, we wanted to spend most of our time riding!

Liberty has changed all that for me. Not that we have thrown away any of our old ground program but we have taken it to an amazing new level! And personally, for me now, I’m not doing ground training just for the horse anymore, I’m doing Liberty for me! This is very hard for me to explain. Maybe some other Liberty lovers could help me with the words. 

Liberty training for me is kinda like going to church; it feels like a spiritual experience; it grounds me. It helps me be the best person I can be. It keeps me focused and very present. It helps me relax. And personally if I’m not getting it every week, I miss it.  I feel empty and disconnected in my relationship with my horse.

Don’t get me wrong…I still love to ride! But we have so much control when we ride. The horse’s freedom, to make the choice to leave if desired, that’s what helps me be the best I can be.

Your thoughts…?

Reflections

I love this time of year!   I love my job and the excitement and challenges it requires during the busy season but I also love slowing down, reflecting and planning for the New Year!  While reflecting I try to consider what went well, what didn’t go so well, what I want to keep, what I want to let go of and maybe what I want to add.  Unfortunately for me, I don’t have a great concept of time or the energy it takes to fulfill my commitments.   This limitation also conflicts with my driven personality.  Many times I do it all wrong before I figure out a way to do it better.  So a yearly reflection becomes even more important to me.   I want to keep learning and growing, not just surviving and barely getting through a day.  I want all the moments where things didn’t go so well to be assessed and to become lessons for improvement.   I think about these things in the context of my personal life and my business life but for this blog I want to focus on my competitive life. 

Cowboy Dressage for me, like many of you, is a place that I call home.  It’s a place where my personal values dovetail with Cowboy Dressage’s and it’s where those values are honored and rewarded.  It’s a place where the people feel more like family to me than fellow competitors.  I love it and I am completely bought in!

So naturally, I planned my 2016 calendar around the Cowboy Dressage Finals Gathering.  And my focus was on Top Hand.  All the other tests I would ride and practice were to prepare us for Top Hand.  Plus, we had to add some fun to the mix, with a Freestyle routine. 

 

Although in 2015 I rode in Top Hand on my horse, Stretch, I really wanted to ride my eighteen-year-old athletic, little cow horse, Sam.  When I was trying to make my decision in 2015, I talked to Lyn Ringrose-Moe about it and she advised me to make the safe choice and take Stretch.  Since there was so much unknown for me with Top Hand at the time, I agreed with her.  Stretch is very steady.  He’s the same horse day in and day out.  He’s slow and gives a rider time to think.  He’s a confidence builder and can absorb and handle a lot of stress.  He can handle the competitive stress as well as the stress of the training that leads up to a challenging competition. 

My boy Sam, on the other hand, is almost the opposite.  Sam has a lot of energy and he’s quick.  He is very happy to work hard physically and thankfully repetition does not bother him.  I can ride him all day.  He’s so athletic that he can put any body part wherever I desire it.  But on the flip side of those good things, even though I have done an enormous amount of emotional training with him, I am never quite sure which Sam I might be riding on any given day. Let me give you an example. 

The day before we left for Finals, Sam was convinced there was a boogieman in the creek by my arena.  It was such a drama fest that I had to forget about practicing anything and take care of his emotions.  He couldn’t get past it; we got nothing done that day.  Stress!  When we are at a show, Sam also looks for boogiemen while in route to the show pen, even if I take the same route every day for all four tests!  Stress!  And I am so embarrassed to admit as a trainer, let alone a trainer riding an eighteen-year-old, the following drama fest.  While practicing the Mystery Test, Sam and I had an arena to ourselves for a brief time.  An arena to ourselves sounds great to me but that means no buddy horse for Sam.  That means emotional melt down for Sam.   Stress!  Stress!  Thankfully, he pulled it together pretty well for the Mystery Test.    With all that emotion, one can only imagine how Sam’s gaits might be affected.  Steadiness and rating speed can be a challenge for him at any time, but an emotional melt down can affect them dramatically.  And besides dealing with Sam’s emotions, his body parts that are so flexible and soft are also hard to contain.  They might just squirt out when you least expect it!  Hello, straight lines!

With all the challenges Sam presents, I still love riding him.  Those times when everything comes together, it’s magic and so fun!  And since I played it safe with Stretch the previous year, I really wanted to ride Sam in the 2016 Top Hand.  I knew it was probably my last opportunity to show him.  At eighteen, another year, he might not be able to handle the demands of the training, traveling, showing, and so on.  So in November of last year, just like I am doing this year, I made a plan to get Sam ready for Top Hand 2016. 

Sam and I worked all summer on Challenge W,J,L Test #2 (which I have affectionately nicknamed “the test from hell”).   For the record, I had no experience riding poles prior to Top Hand 2015 nor did my horses seem to have any natural ability in that area.  I can look on that as a blessing now but during the steep learning curve, not so much.  Not feeling overly confident in my abilities, I wanted to really work on the bow tie, so I rode both Sam and Stretch over the summer, trying to get it down for myself. 

It was now August and time to compete at the Far West CD Show.  I really wanted to do well and nail this test.  Because we were taking our interns to the Far West show and I had plenty of help, I came up with the bright idea to enter both horses in the Far West show.  I would ride Sam and Stretch on the challenge court in 4 tests each day for all 3 days until we got it right!  At this time, I refer you to the first paragraph of this blog, in which I state I have no concept of needed time or energy for a task.  To add a little more insight, I am a former Marine which sometimes gives me the attitude that if a task is not incredibly hard or does not require self-sacrifice, it might not be worth my time.  I know, not that beneficial.  And it wasn’t beneficial for this decision.  My plan didn’t go quite as planned.

Taking two horses and riding all the tests in the challenge court was a horrible idea.  First, we had some adjusting to do because the poles were set differently than I had practiced.  This would not be a big deal for a seasoned rider who had done a lot of pole work or for a seasoned horse.  But for my two horses and me, it really wreaked havoc on our confidence.  Even Stretch started to complain and Sam didn’t seem to pick up his feet at all.  He was knocking poles all over the place.  Maybe he was tired?  Maybe it was just me being off?  I don’t know.  All I knew for sure was I had to change course before the next Gathering.  I needed a new plan and I needed to help my horses be successful.  Plus, I needed to do this in about a four week time period.  That’s all the time I had before Finals.  Stress! Stress!  Stress!

So I went home, feeling a bit defeated.  I thought about what went wrong and why.  I called my mentors Eitan and Lyn to see what advice they had to give me.   I had already planned to only take Sam to the Finals so Stretch could rest and all my focus could be on Sam.   My new plan for Sam included taking him backward in his pole training; breaking it down and giving him baby steps to build his confidence back up.  At the Finals, I planned on only riding in the open court tests, trying to stay away from any test that resembled Challenge W, J, L #2.  Plus, I added another tough test for Sam.  I wanted to become a Level 3 CD Clinician.  This required me to ride open court W,J,L #5.  So for both of our sakes and considering my past mistake, I didn’t want to go onto the court and have to ask Sam for 110% every single time.  I really wanted to be able to build his confidence by doing some simpler tests to help him relax and feel successful and also to do tests that helped Sam with his weaknesses.  Because of Sam’s inconsistency in gaits and some of my own errors, our walk/jog test scores had averaged in the lower-to-mid 70’s.  So I felt all right about adding a couple of walk/ jog tests, to give him some recovery time and not over-stress either of us.  Thankfully, this plan seemed to be right for Sam.

Looking back on Finals, I feel Sam did as well as I could have ever expected him to do.  We had a few hick-ups, but overall, I feel I had the right plan for Sam and we executed it well without either of us losing our confidence.  We both stayed on top of our game until I messed up my last test of the weekend.  Doesn’t it make you mad when your horse is so there for you and you’re the one that has the brain lapse?  Grrrrrrr!

Sam and I earned many awards at the Finals, including the Overall Highpoint Saddle, which was a huge surprise!  It wasn’t even on my radar screen!  I’m very grateful for all the awards but my goals were to do my best to get us to the Top Hand Finals and to score a 74% or above on the Level #3 Clinician requirement test.  I’m so excited that we achieved both of those goals!  Yay, Sam!   Besides winning the beautiful awards and achieving my personal goals, there were a few other wins that meant just as much, or more, to me. 

First was when Jennifer Purcell rode Sam in the Top Hand exchange.  Like I said, Sam is not easy to ride or manage.  I was so proud of both of them!   Jennifer rode Sam so well and Sam held it together nicely for her.  Another win I was very excited about was when Sam and I rode our bow tie in competition as well as we rode it at home.  We had worked so hard on that!  I got two rewards from that one; I scored a 10 on one bow tie and Eitan complimented us on our ride.  He was sitting on the edge of the court during Top Hand and after I finished my test he told me, “It’s about time.” Now that doesn’t seem like much of a compliment, but I know for sure Eitan roots for all of us and likes to see us all do well!  Plus, I’ve been coached in many areas of my life, and sometimes that’s as good as it gets from our coaches that have high expectations and want us to reach the next level.

Lastly, beyond any award, what makes me feel the most fulfilled is achieving those things our team at MM Training has chosen to be our “ultimate win.”  In our ultimate win, we receive no trophies, buckles or ribbons but we have peace of mind and a joyful heart.   To achieve our “ultimate win,” we consider these questions while planning our trips and then we ask ourselves how we did on the way home:  Did we honor God?  Is our team closer for this experience?  Did we learn and grow?  When I can say yes to those three things, that is where the good stuff is for me! 

In closing, my boy, Sam, is now officially retired.  He has earned it!  And Stretch, well…he is retired from me.  He is enjoying his new job as a lesson horse.  As for me, I am excited to be starting a new guy for the 2017 show season.  His name is Cash and I believe he is the perfect combination of Stretch and Sam.  And for you all, my Cowboy Dressage family, I hope this blog can be useful for you while you are planning your 2017 calendar.   I pray you all have an amazing holiday season and I can’t wait to see everyone in the New Year.  And if you haven’t already, please consider what your “ultimate win” is. It’s so much sweeter than any external reward you will ever receive!

What is Your Horse-Related Dream? Make This Year The Year!

Do you allow yourself to dream?  Do you give yourself permission to really dream big?  I love being at the Cowboy Dressage Finals; we get to be surrounded by people who put their dreams into action.  It’s very inspiring!  Closer to home, we strive to bring a little of that experience back to our clients. 

At MM Training, we try to encourage all our clients to dream big, to think of their potential and life’s amazing possibilities.  Some know right away what their dreams are, while others need a little more encouragement.  Which are you?  Are your dreams right on the tip of your tongue or have you buried them deep thinking its just nonsense to even think about them?  If you’ve buried your dreams deeply or just never put your dreams into reality, I would like you to consider thinking a little differently.

What if our dreams are very important?  What if they are messages directly from God?  This is what I believe.  Listening to dreams and not squelching them might just be critical to our peace and joy in this life.  Dreams can possibly be an indicator or a clue of our Godly purpose.   Pursuing a big dream is not so much about the achievement of reaching that dream, but about the person we become while pursuing that big dream.  I think that’s what God really is concerned about.  Can we pursue our dreams, grow in Him, inspire others, and give Him glory in the process?   Allowing ourselves to dream is very healthy.  C.S. Lewis once said, “We are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”  In the following, we are not only going to encourage you to dream big, but I will share with you some of my personal experiences and give you a template for taking your own horsey dreams and making them your reality. 

Space to Dream

I love winter for only one reason!  I’m ready for the change of pace.  After pushing myself so hard during the busy show season, it’s nice to shift gears a little.  It’s a place we call recovery time.  A time that’s so important but often under-valued and overlooked.  My horses and I work very hard during the busy show season.  To be our best physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and to come back strong in the New Year, it’s important that I give my horses and myself a break.  As James Loehr reminds us in his book Toughness Training for Life, we need to rest as hard as we work.  Just as our muscles need a break so do our emotions and our brain.  It’s important to allow space in our busy lives.  When we do it gives our minds the opportunity to dream. 

Application: 

• Do you feel you (and your horse) get adequate recovery time (physically, mentally, emotionally)?  Do you rest as hard as you work or play? 

• Make a list of how you recover.  What are some things that really feed your soul?  Are you consistently getting these in your schedule?

• Have you created enough margins in your life to free yourself up to dream?

• What, if anything, holds you back from pursuing your dreams?

No Limitations to Dreaming

The feeling I have during the recovery months is like a big deep breath; an end.  It’s pretty much the opposite feeling I have in January.  Although it’s still winter in Northern Idaho, it’s also a new beginning.  The New Year is so exciting for me!  I’m a big dreamer by nature.  My struggle is narrowing my dreams down into goals and action steps to make them my reality.  A quick fix for this problem is entering a big show or a big competition that stretches me.  I’m able to quickly narrow things down and my dream suddenly becomes more focused.  

Application:

• Take the time to brainstorm your dreams for you and your horse.

• While dreaming do not limit yourself by money, time, energy, fitness, skill, etc.   We can tackle those things later.  Let your mind go to places it may have never been since you were a child.

• Now pick your top dream.  Does it stretch you to learn and grow but with hard work is still achievable?

• Is there a specific time line for this dream?  As they say, a dream is a goal without legs.  Put some legs on your dream by giving it a time line.  A competition date makes for an easy time line.

Make a Plan

After I get my big goal on my calendar, I then break it down into smaller goals.  Last year, my big goal was Top Hand at the Cowboy Dressage Finals Gathering.  I had to honestly look at where I was with my skill level as a rider and a trainer.   And I had to take an honest look at where my horse was in his training.  Frankly, after I rode Challenge Test #2 a few times, I was wondering if I took on a little more than my horse and I could handle.  But that’s what’s so great about a big goal; it pushes us to places and teaches us things we never would have gone to or learned about without pursuing the experience. 

My other big goal was that I wanted to ride two different horses in the Freestyle competition.  One I did with the Garrocha pole and the other I did bridleless.   Although one of my horses didn’t travel very well bridleless, I didn’t feel I was lacking in my skill level or that my horses didn’t have the training they needed to get the job done.  My challenge with a Freestyle routine is my personal standards.  I want it to be meaningful to me and hopefully the crowd.  I want it to be visually appealing with an appropriate outfit/costume.  Plus, I really like the routine to be well choreographed (those that do this know it’s much easier said than done).  What I’m trying to say is, with my own self-imposed standards and my own limitations, Freestyle can be stressful for me and become a big goal.

Application:

• Take the time to honestly look at your own skills as a rider/trainer.  Where are your specific weaknesses?  Do you lack knowledge?  Or is it more physical?

• What are a couple of baby goals to help you grow and become a more effective partner for your horse?

• Now look at your horse honestly.  Where is he lacking in his training?  Is it foundational?  Or has he been at the same level for quite awhile without his training moving forward?

• Look honestly at your personal situation.  Time, money, season of life, resources, etc. all need to be considered before tackling a big dream or goal. 

• If you need help with this evaluation, don’t hesitate to ask a professional.  Sometimes when we get an honest evaluation, it might send us back to picking a more achievable goal for the current year.  But don’t let that derail you.   It will be time well spent because you will still be working towards your bigger goal. This is a process and we need to love the process. 

Intermittent Goals and Time Lines

Top Hand and Freestyle were my two big goals for last year and I definitely had a time line: the CD Finals.  After I knew specifically what I was going to do, and had honestly looked at myself as a trainer, my horses training level, and my personal situation, I could make a monthly plan to help fill in my and my horse’s weaknesses. Plus I could set some intermittent time line goals.

I scheduled many smaller, less important events, shows, play dates, etc. every month leading up to the Finals.  For example, I performed at events where I could do my Freestyle in front of a crowd.  I signed up for a couple of clinics.  I took a few lessons.  I attended some smaller open and CD shows.  I planned trail rides just to give my horses a mental break but still keep them physically fit.  I made a point to go places and spend the night with my horses.  All these things were specifically scheduled, not for just fun, but to help us toward my bigger goals:  Top Hand and Freestyle.

Application:

• Looking at you and your horse’s weak areas, what do you think you would benefit from?  One on one lessons?  A clinic?  Getting out and about more?

• What about you as a competitor? Do you need practice in stressful, intense situations?

• What events, shows, clinics, etc. can you schedule that would help you set some intermittent goals and time lines on your journey to your bigger goal?

Daily Habits and Sacrifices

After I had my schedule set, I then broke my intermittent goals down into daily habits.  Daily habits are so important.  Consistency is key to transformation.  We cannot hit and miss and expect any change.  As Joe Frazier once said, “Champions aren’t made in the ring; they’re merely recognized there.  What you cheat on in the early light of the morning will show up in the ring under the bright lights.”  Or as an English poet once put it, “We first make our habits, then our habits make us.”  We can’t force training, but we can show up and nurture the process.  

I know, for myself, I have to give up a few things in my life and schedule if I want to be serious about pursuing a goal.  I have to say “no” sometimes to myself and to others.  Yes, that can be hard at times but those that love us will understand.  And in the end the sacrifice can be so worth it!

Application:

• Are you serious about your dream…your goal?

• What are you willing to give up to pursue your dream?

• What kind of daily habits do you need to establish in your life to making your riding/training more consistent?

• It’s always good to have a lesson plan and a schedule, but do you listen to what your horse is telling you he needs?  A good leader can adjust when needed.

Make This Year the Year!

In closing, although there can be much more to this goal setting process, I hope this blog was helpful and will get you started on the way to your horsey dreams.  Remember, it’s healthy to dream.  It is a way that God speaks to us uniquely.  Dreams might be a way to discover our purpose in life.  Don’t ignore them!  Get excited about the person you will become for taking a courageous step in following your dreams!

 If you want to learn more or want some personal help with your dreams and goals, please give us a call.  We are coaches at MM Training; our passion is helping others achieve their dreams.  We would love to work with you!

For more information on goals and goal-setting to reach your dreams please see our website at www.mm-horsetraining.com

My Man Sam...American Horsewoman's Challenge Entry Video and Comments

Many of you have read Davalee’s blog, “The Horse Woman’s Challenge - 9 Steps to Entering and Being Chosen to Compete.” In it she gives some insight on the preparation and the making of our entry video. After reading about the process of making the video, many of you have shown interest in seeing it. So in this blog we have not only attached the video link, but I will also give you some of my thoughts and feelings about the process.

First of all the whole thing was very challenging and fun for me. We were given specific instructions for what the judges wanted to see from us, in the three separate disciplines that the Horse Woman’s Challenge encompasses (Liberty, Cowboy Dressage, Trail). Liberty, by far, was my most challenging. 

As many of you who have trained with MM Training know, our motto has always been “do the minimum on the ground to get the maximum in the saddle.” So though I do believe we have a solid ground program, Liberty takes it to another level. Sam had the basics that we put on all our horses. He was connected, he would turn, face and come on command in the radius the size of a round pen. He would move away from pressure. I could influence his behavior because he’d accept correction and reward. Plus, he would lead without a halter. But as you will see in the video, I had to put a few more buttons on Sam for this portion of the competition. I think we did pretty well, considering the time we had to pull it all together. I only had a little over a month for training time. 

The next two portions of the video were more in line with my past experiences. The Cowboy Dressage portion required a lot of precision, which we do a lot of in the MM Training Program. The only thing I feel we could have done better in this portion, was our free walk. Free walk means Sam is supposed to drop his head and neck and extend his stride. As you will see on the video, Sam is too flexed while we are doing the free walk on the diagonal reverse. Besides that inaccuracy, I was pretty pleased with our performance in the Cowboy Dressage. But the Trail portion I wasn’t so pleased with.

The requirements for the Trail portion were more like requirements for a reining horse. Besides two trail obstacles (jump, bridge), the rest was more about showing what kind of handle we had on our horses. Sam has a really good handle on him. He has beautiful lead changes, spins and stops. But because of his injury we weren’t able to shine in these areas. I was worried about Sam, and Sam was worried about himself. So we did the best we could with the cards we were dealt that day. And thank goodness, it must have been good enough! We got selected!!!

Overall, I’m pleased with how the video came together, thanks to Kori, Davalee and Jessica. It was a team project and these gals rock!!! Sam and I couldn’t have done it without them! I love their enthusiasm, their expertise, and their toughness!

In closing, I would again like to thank everyone on our “Black Stretch Limo” team. All of our clients have been so supportive and encouraging. It’s been a very fun journey so far. Please keep following Stretch’s progress. I will be posting weekly updates on this blog. And for more insight on all the other competitors in the HWC competition, go to www.horsewomanschallenge.com and click on “join the remuda.”