Fair week has come and gone, and we are all exhausted.  The girls had wonderful experiences this year with their horses and can't wait to do it all again next August!  Here are a few pictures of them in action with their buddies.

Groom Squad competiton was held the first night of the fair.  A team of 3 (my daughter is in the middle)

took a filthy horse and made it sparkling clean.  This year it was no small challenge, as the horse they used was grey to begin with.  These 3 young women look pretty happy about the result, wouldn't you say? 

The next day my younger daughter competed in horse judging, horse bowl, and hippology.  These events require the 4-H youth to "know their stuff" when it comes to horses.  Miss A. says everything is a-okay!In 4-H, the parents are not allowed to help with the horses in any way (unless of course the matter at hand is a safety issue).  Here my girls are working together to get Kody ready for his showmanship class.  He looks more interested in what's going on over at the arena.Way to go!  A blue ribbon for showmanship.  All that cleaning and primping payed off, and  Miss M. did the pattern just right too!Showmanship class for Miss A. was a success as well, and her horse is always ready to perform.  Amazing to think that this Arabian is 23 years old!  What a wonderful friend she has been to both my girls.Riding English is probably Miss M.s favorite riding discipline.  Here she holds up her high blue ribbon that earned her a place in the championship round.A high blue ribbon for her Western Equitation class as well.  Miss M. was thrilled to find out that she once again has made the state team in the senior division for performance riding.  Now it's back to work to get ready to ride at the state fair in September!

Even though the week was quite tiring, we enjoyed the excitement of it all.  Thanks for stopping by to share in our memories!

• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Posted by Haflingerhorses

That was really interesting! I am new to this 4-H stuff. I was raised in Chicago, Illinois (15 minutes from the downtown loop) and 4-H is like this whole new world for me. If it had not been for our family friend I mentioned in our post, I truly would have never ventured into this. But now that we have, I do have to say I enjoyed it immensely and Rachel is like your daughter - she can't wait until next year. She is already in practice and training a different horse than the one she entered this year.

We entered Major - he a beauty - but I don't think he is a Western Pleasure type of horse. He holds his head up beautifully, but in western -your horse has to have it's head down - now, I know you already know this, but I'm the 4-H newbie (and also new to Western) so this shocked Rachel and I!!! It looked as if the winner horses were falling asleep :)

We were also surprised that the winner western horses were to move slow (and in a steady rhythm, at course). The whole western thing threw us for a lot of loops.

Why did we enter Western when all Rachel (and myself) have had training in English riding? Rachel was sure she'd like it better and has always disliked the English clothes (tight pants). But ater this year at the 4-H, she's decided that she likes English much better and is going to enter that next year. She's teaching her horse to jump now, every day, and she's not had training in that yet. Were going to look for an instructor (that's affordable) that has an indoor arena so she can work through the winter on this.

I wish I had taken pictures such as yours with the ribbons. Maybe I did...I'm sure I did.... but your post was so informative. I need to become a better writer and remember my facts better (write them down as it happens).

Your arabian is pretty. I love our horses, but if I were to pick one other breed, Arabian would be it. I noticed at the 4-H fair, that every time I really liked a horse, so much that I had to ask what kind it was, it was an arabian. I love the way their necks are held high and curve over, and they way their body is built.

Your events were totally different than ours. And the part about the parent can't help - there were parents everywhere helping. And the dirty horse - we didn't have that either.

Congratulations on going on to the September state competition! I think that would be totally neat to be that good to go on to state. Yet, I'm glad that fair is totally over, too! We go to the lake every weekend, and that totally crashed that plan in the month of July. Dh didn't care for that aspect of the fair!

I did read that book by Don Aslett (did I spell that right?) I love that book, too, In fact, I have been thinking about writing a post about past organization books I have read (and enjoyed) and was going to mention that one as a foundation book.Just decluttering goes a long way in keeping a house better and less work.

Have a great week!
Antoinette

• Permanent Link

Posted by Haflingerhorses

I thought it was interesting that you had a sil like that, too. Although I said, "blessed" in my post, I did often feel very inferior! But it was good for me to see the higher standard and to aspire to that.
Antoinette

Edited by Haflingerhorses on Aug. 12, 2008 at 11:17 AM

• Permanent Link

Posted by OldSchoolMarm

Hi, I was just browsing blogs and happened upon yours. Funny, I just posted photos from our fair as well :-). I enjoyed reading down through your posts, you have a beautiful family.
Blessings, Julie

• Permanent Link