This was the day Brailey really wanted to win, and this is where she shines - Western Equitation! Most of this day was spent waiting around for her class, including an impromtu lunch break that set everything back an hour. That meant we had two warm ups. But it was all good! Brailey Shaye was as serious and confident as she could be - she was ready. The only thing she was worried about was if I would manage to get her class filmed, after the Trail Class mishap with my camera. Therefore, she asked her dad to be on backup filming duty with his phone.
At Pre-Fair, she learned a good lesson. I had told her to be the first one in line during her class. But she got nervous, and so she went in the middle, and she got jammed up in the other horses and "broke gait," as they say. The reason I wanted her to be the first one in is because Tex is a fast trotter. He isn't a show horse, and he likes to move quickly. So this time, as you can see, there she is, at the front of the pack. Can you tell by the way she is sitting on her horse that she is confident and ready? And far more natural on her horse. Just sayin'... (Hey, I'm her mother, and this is my blog - I get to brag if I want to!)
And guess what? She and Tex did an amazing job, and WON HER CLASS! She was second in her class at Pre-Fair, and won a red, so this blue was truly appreciated and well-deserved. She rode so well and made a beautiful pattern! Her goal was to win, and she did! And we are all thrilled! This judge was a bit nicer than the judge she had the day before, and Brailey made sure to dazzle her with a smile in addition to her excellent riding. The blue ribbon and win took some of the sting out of our disappointment in the overall 4-H Horse Fair. When they called her name, everyone cheered and whooped and hollered for her - more than any other rider the entire day, so that was super cool, as well. She impressed a lot of people! We think we are probably done with Horse 4-H, at this point. However, we are very inspired for the future and can't wait to work on new things and to learn even more. The possibilities are endless! And that blue ribbon made us all HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!
