2-Handed Show Nephi

We held our last 2-Handed Show in Nephi on September 13. Brent was still hoping to win the all around buckle. He really came to show. He looked so much better than he had in the last couple of shows. In the end it was not enough points to over come Jordan though. However, I was glad to see him put some real effort into it.

The show had a great turn out. His division was really tough. The top four kids all night were really good at showing and they rode some really nice horses.

Brent did well in Showmanship. He looked really sharp but his horse took a step and that cost him. He placed 4th. He won the Western Pleasure class. I don't think there has been a time this whole season when he and that mare worked so well together. Their work was almost flawless. I was so excited when he took first. He placed 4th in Equitation and Trail. Overall he had a really good show. The best one he has had on her all year.

Racheal rodeo a palomino colt she had been working on for a friend of her grandfather's. The colt is especially sweet and well dispositioned. Racheal has been working with her a lot. It seemed to pay off. Although the horse is only 2, she did really good for her first show.

She was a little on edge in the Showmanship and Western Pleasure but Racheal got by with her. We were just glad there was not a wreck. Then she had a nice Equitation pattern and took first. Then she had a really good Trail pattern and took first again.

We were all really proud of Racheal during trail. In the back through the L, the horse started to get really nervous. It could have been a really bad thing. However, Racheal was amazing. She totally kept her head and relaxed the colt and got her through. It was great to watch a child who usually has very little patience, exert an enormous amount of patience and skill.

It was a really good series. All of the kids in the series and their horses have really learned a lot this year. You can see such a dramatic change in all of them. I have a soft spot for this program which is why I work so hard for this series each year.

2-Handed Show Ephraim

We went to the 2-Handed Show in Ephraim on August 30th. Racheal took Mac and Brent rode Sass. She really lived up to her name that night.

Brent started off with a good Showmanship class. He placed second and Sass worked pretty good. She could have done better and he could have been a little more sharp. Then we went to Western Pleasure and it kinda fell apart. She was being especially sensitive to not being with Mac. So she tried to put her head down and be a little broncy. (I am sure broncy is not a real word just a word horse people made up. :) Anyway, he got by in Pleasure.

Then he went to Equitation. He kicked her into a lope and she dropped her head and really tried to buck. He got a hold of her. I am sure the other parents did not appreciate us but I yelled for him to kick her butt. She can not get away with that behavior. She definitely needed to be disciplined immediately. Needless to say, he got a white and last place. Your horse bucking a class drops you to the bottom. The most important thing was he stayed on top and made her mind.

It made a big difference in Trail. She had settled down and she worked a decent pattern. He took 3rd. Then he stayed after the show and made her lope by herself in the arena.

Racheal really loves Mac. She really wants him to break out and become her back up rodeo horse. There are 2 problems with him. One he is a lot of horse. You can ride him for hours and never wear him out. The second is he just a little wild, spooky, and untrusting. We will see if she really has the resolve to get him broke.

He did much better in Showmanship this time. I think she felt a little better about him. However, he is not a Pleasure horse. So even when he was behaving in the Pleasure class, he was not working as well as the other horses. But most of the time he was misbehaving. He did a little better in Equitation. He actually had a pretty good Trail pattern. The only obstacle she truly skipped was the slicker. He still has issues when you pick things up when you are on his back.

Overall he had a better show than the last one. This is the important thing as she tries to train him. He just needs to make little improvements. I hope he does not totally frustrate her before he settles down and start to act like a real horse.

2-Handed Show Richfield

Thursday July 25, we went to a 4H 2-Handed Show in Richfield. Brent took his colt Sass and Racheal took Mac out for his debut. She has not shown him before. It is time for him to start gaining some experience in arenas other than ours.

Mac has always been a lot of horse to handle. As a 2yr old he bucked a lot. We took him to a trainer at 3. The trainer did a good job with him but he was still not easy to handle.

Then Racheal came to us and said that she really wanted him. We did not really want her to ride him because we were nervous that he would not be good with her and did not want to see her hurt. However, she gets along really good with him. They seem to connect.

He did not stand very good for Halter.

He did fairly well in Pleasure. His shining spot was Western Equitation. He had a beautiful pattern. Then came trail and we just hoped Racheal stayed on top. He was scared of the slicker and would not go near the white line for the circle they needed to put their feet in. So she only did 3 of the 6 obstacles. He did the 3 really well though.

Sass on the other hand was an angel at the first show and a complete brat at this one. There were a lot of wasps at the arena. I think she got stung during the Pleasure Class. She actually bucked with Brent. She has never been one to buck. Then she was difficult the rest of the show.

I was amazed by Brent. He handled it so well. He really likes to win and he just shrugged his shoulders with a cute smile. He knew he did the best that he could with a horse that would not cooperate. I have to update the points but I think he still may be 1st overall in the series.

You can see from both of his pictures that he had a good attitude at the show.