Three of the Sweetgrass Ranch horses -- Drifty, Irish, and Jetblue -- scored high marks at the National Foundation Quarter Horse Association Western Regional Competition held at Brasada Ranch near Powell Butte, Oregon this past weekend. The trio netted eight first place blue ribbons in the double judged, double point show; two seconds; one third, three fourths, and one fifth.
The show competition was incredibly stiff and the Trail and Ranch Trail courses contained some very challenging obstacles.
Often, I'm asked if I have fun at a horse show. The question always causes me to pause and carefully weigh my answer. For me, horse shows are a way to measure the progress Lorenzo and I have made with the horses and ourselves. There are instances of great fun, like seeing folks you've not seen in well over a year, but for the most part, competitions -- especially distant ones like the Regional held at Brasada -- require an immense amount of planning, preparation, and hard work.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. Is it stressful? You bet. Why do it? I guess the best answer is that it's a huge rush to put yourself and your horse out there and have it all go smoothly, to know that your training efforts -- the ones you applied to both your horse and yourself -- really paid off. Another plus? The "outside" and "independent" assessments, like that of Regional's two judges, help to guide all future training efforts.
Thanks to everyone here at the ranch, all those who "held down the fort" while we were away!
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