Summer in the Rockies Week 4 – A Little Late!

Whoops! My recap of the Summer in the Rockies Week 4 is really late coming out. But holy cow, have I been busy at home. Summer is definitely in full swing and I never have enough time to get everything done that I want to. And although this week’s horse show post is late, I think it’s a good one!

You see, Lynda and I made our way to the Hunter ring for a change. I wanted to watch a class that paired an amateur rider with a professional one. As teams, they went over a course of jumps and were judged on their equitation. And Lynda is so accommodating and kind, she was like, “Ok, let’s go watch!”

The hunter classes seem to do one thing very well: create a spectacle in the jump courses. It was very interesting to watch the riders being judged more than the horses.

Hunt Seat Equitation

Equitation in a horse show refers to the rider being judged on their ability and style rather than the horse’s performance. The focus is on the rider’s posture, form, and control over the horse. Judges look for a balanced, smooth, and effective riding style, with proper use of aids (hands, seat, legs) and overall harmony between rider and horse. And while I know nothing about being a horse show judge,

I have read enough books and watched enough classes to know what looks good. And a lot of times, you can tell that by the rider doing all of the right things, they are cueing their horse to do all of the right things as well, no matter if it is on the flat or over a jump.

Like I said, I’m not a judge, and I don’t know the first thing about judging any type of class. But I know what I think looks nice.

So many of these riders were so well put together, and all of their horses were impeccably groomed. In short, they were beautiful and inspiring to watch.

The class was a true class, but what made it much more fun was that everyone participating was doing so to benefit cancer research for children. All of the entry fees were given as a donation. There wasn’t prize money for the winning team, but they did receive gift certificates and prizes that had also been donated.

The judges even awarded bonus points for showmanship from the exhibitors. This was such a fun class to watch, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Summer in the Rockies Week 5

The riders seemed to enjoy themselves as much as we, the spectators, did. To me, this is what horse shows should be about. Sure, it is a lot of work and preparation. But in the end, we go to the horse show for fun, right?

We were having so much fun with the equitation class. And while I hadn’t planned on staying until the Grand Prix started, we did! I know Lynda was happy about that. She really wanted to see the Grand Prix, and I couldn’t let her down. After all, she came to the show with me and watched what I wanted to. It was only fair that we stayed for the show jumping.

Grand Prix Summer in the Rockies

After watching the slower pace of the equitation class, the jumpers seemed to be going lightning fast.

There were not as many horses in the Grand Prix this week. And our chosen place to watch was rather rushed. We had been watching the equitation class for over 3 hours! What?!?!?! Yes, for 3 hours, we watched people ride their horses in just ONE class. And it was still going when we heard the announcer for the Grand Prix.

So we rushed over to the International Arena to find the class was already underway. I didn’t have time to scope out the best place to sit, and most of the jumps were at the far end of the arena.

With the class already underway and the first rider in the arena, we didn’t have any time to pick out the perfect vantage point to capture a lot of show jumping. However, I was able to really pay attention to the riders and the cues they were giving their horses.

Honestly, it was a good thing. Paying attention to the course and what the designer was asking of the horse/rider teams was truly fascinating. Whoever says you can’t learn anything from being a spectator at a horse show is seriously uninformed.

But I was able to get a few good shots from the angle I was at. The course proved to be really tough. for more than just a few of the riders.

Team after team had rails down. For the first time this season, it seemed that there would not be a clear round in the Grand Prix.

Out of the 15 riders, only two went clear. They were Susan Griffis,

And Chris Fellers. In the end, Chris Fellers was the winner after Susan seemed to forget the course pattern. It was definitely a sobering moment to realize that even the best of the best are only human.

Even the top show jumpers have bad days too.

Summer in the Rockies Week 4

This was the most time Lynda and I had spent at the horse park so far this summer. I had such an incredible day at the show! I thought I had planned for the day, but apparently, my sunblock stopped working.

Not only my thighs but my feet got pretty toasty too. Ouch. This was not a lot of fun. It is not the type of souvenir I recommend bringing home from a day at the show.

The first time and last time I wear shorts and sandals to an all-day outing at the showgrounds. But since we arrived so early, I got the broom I had been eying from Farm Vet. I call that a win for sure!

And although it was July 6th when we were at the show, they had a golf cart decorating contest. We didn’t stick around to see the parade.

But I would be willing to bet this golf cart did end up placing in that class. Look at all of those first, second, and third place ribbons! What a patriotic way to show off those placings.

Something I noticed on the way out was a barn sign hanging on one of the portable barns-

How beautiful is this? And how true it is. Not only with horse showing but with everything we go through every day. We all have our struggles, and we all have our triumphs. The one thing that we can do every day is to smile and stay humble. Because we too could be living the life that someone else may dream of.

So keep on smiling, and remember to be grateful and thankful for what you have.

Happy riding!