Show Planning

Planning for a show season is new to me and I'm finding it super difficult. Normally, my options are quite limited and I just attend whatever is on offer locally. Last year I think that included a couple of shows in the fall, a cowboy trail challenge thing, and a few clinics in the winter/spring. Not overly exciting, and easy enough to just sign up the week before and attend if it worked for me.

My new barn however, has a mind boggling amount of things on offer - someone from the barn is going somewhere pretty much every weekend from now until September.The options are essentially unlimited, but with most of the events on offer being a minimum of an overnight trip away,  future planning is kind of necessary. Also, lots of $$$$ and time off work would be helpful!

Video stills from the weekend since my phone does not want to share entire videos with my laptop

The pony is still quite green and we're not guaranteed she'll show up to work, and her rider is also unreliable at best. With that in mind, spending big $ on travel and entry fees becomes a little worrisome. I know with horses anything can happen no matter how well prepared you are, but really, I'd like the odds of paying for a weekend on the struggle bus to be a little lower than they are at present :)

So, with all that in mind, here's our tentative schedule for the year:

*March 19: Southlands Dressage, Vancouver BC
*March 20: MREC 2 Phase Event, Maple Ridge, BC
April 14-17: HTBC Spring Clinic, Johvale, BC
May 7: SCEC Hunter/Jumper Day, (my super not so secret home, BC)
May 13-15: Southlands Dressage Show, Vancouver BC
May 28: SCEC Dressage % Day
*June 11-12: Aspen Farms HT, Yelm WA
June 18: SCEC Clear Rounds Day
*June 30 - July 3: Topline Horse Trails, Salmon Arm BC
July 16-17: MREC Horse Trails, Maple Ridge, BC
July 19-25: Rebecca Farms, Kalispell, MT (NOT planning on riding, just attending with barn & cheering on our girls going 1*)
Aug 12-14: Campbell Valley HT, Langley, BC
Sept 17: SCEC Hunter/Jumper Day
Sept 24: SCEC Dressage % Day
October 1-2: MREC Horse Trials, Maple Ridge, BC

* = Maybe going, might switch out for something else. I'm not committing until closer to the day/we know where we're at training and riding wise.

As you can see, I've got quite a few local (SCEC) shows on the agenda. They're really cheap to attend, well run, and the competition level is pretty high. What's not to like? Oh wait, missing out on some of the destination type shows, that's what :) But let's be honest, neither myself or my pony is a superstar in the making, so for now we are all about keeping things affordable and fun! This season will be all about getting as many cheap miles as possible at Starter and Pre-Entry, (2'3" and 2'6" divisions for our American friends :) and putting in some respectable dressage tests at first level.
My original plan was to try to attend one 'away' show per month, and then as many local shows as possible. I think I've got as close to that as I feasibly can. I'm pretty excited.

If you see us out and about, come say hi! We're friendly, I promise :)

A reminder of what we look like! With my lack of media over the past few months, you're excused for forgetting :)