horse shows September 30, 2005
We are in the thick of horse show season around Casa Granju. Last weekend was the Fall show at our barn, which was a lot of fun, and this weekend is the first “A” rated show we have done in a few months. It’s at River Glen Equestrian Park here in East Tennessee.
It’s a big show, with 4 days of showing, two weekends in a row. It will be my 10 year old daughter’s first time riding in a regular pony division at an A show, meaning her first opportunity to qualify for the USEF National Pony Finals. This is a very exciting thing for her. Qualifying for Pony Finals is her big goal.
She’s going to be showing her friend Katie’s pony, “Joe Cool” in the Small Hunter Pony division, and I think she’s doing some equitation classes too. Jane has done really well in equitation this year. I think she’s the youngest rider in the top ten in the ETHJA pony medal division at this point.
On Sunday afternoon, there is a $50,000 grand prix jumper event, and my employer has bought a patron’s table, so a friend and I, and Jane will get to hang out in really good seats and eat some tasty food and watch some of the top jumper horses and riders in the country compete, which is basically my idea of an afternoon in heaven…
If you are looking for something to do this weekend or next, you should check out River Glen. It’s a gorgeous, amazing setting along a river, with beautiful views and beautiful horses. The weather should be lovely, too.
How do you afford for your child to ride and compete? Isn’t it really expensive?
Yes, it’s obscenely expensive. I don’t really afford it. Her paternal grandparents footed the bill for the first few years, but no longer help with it at all. Her trainer is very generous with us, as are some very nice people who own several really nice ponies they allow Jane to ride and show. Jane is very talented and we are lucky that these people believe in her abilities enough to make it possible for her to compete at this level. She also works atteh barn, riding ponies, cleaning tack, etc as barter for some of her lessons and training fees. And I make up the difference.
-Katie
You look like my friend and you are a awsome jumper in horse shows and are so good and I do jumping at my cusins and I do racing up in kentucky and I won 1 place and my horses names are Trenton’s Prid,
Ruff shot, Sir Trenton, and Genril Trenton. So we are good working with horses. Alanna k.