going back to our roots

instruments of torture
tall boots

+

bit transferred to leather bridle

+

duffel, goodie box, and hunt coat

=

This weekend's shenanigans.

Pony and I are going full circle. I got a wild hair and decided to go compete in a couple of English classes at this weekend's POA show. Yep, we're going back to our roots, for a change of pace, to have some fun, and get out and do something again. Just for fun, the AZ POA club has been offering 19 & Over classes (the POA organization is for 18 & under youth riders, with the exception of the 19 & Over Futurity classes) and so I decided to try it again.

Benefit was that I still had all my English gear (with the exception of black gloves, which had long been sacrificed to the endurance trail and had the fingertips cut off), my endurance saddle just looks like a generously-sized English one with a few extra d-rings, and the show grounds are close to the barn, so no trouble borrowing the truck and trailer again. Plus, Mimi and I have always been better at English classes than Western..so we're going to go and do what we do best, since it's just for fun. :)

Artemis is going to come along with us as well, since it'll only be for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon. It'll be good for her to get out and go to another event again, too.

I'm really looking forward to it...2002 was our last show, so I've actually been distance riding longer than I had been showing...I'm eager to "take what I know now" and re-apply it to the show ring. Not that I have any expectations, really...I'm out of the habit of show ring riding, and so is Mimi...but we'll go, and have fun, and see old friends again.

And I get to have a very interesting time tomorrow, bathing a fuzzy pony back to her sparkling white self again...it's a good thing this is advertised as the "sleek or fuzzy" show...