First Cutting Show -- Ponoka

Well I made it home.  It sure was an exhausting weekend.  On Friday we headed out for a lesson and it went OK.  It was better than Tuesday but still not real good.  I am still having trouble getting her to back off my leg after we turn.  Doug said he would get on her on Sat and then we be ready for the show.

So we went back Saturday and I rode her on cows and it was a lot better, at least me knowing where to stop her.  But still having trouble with her getting off my leg without going faster.  And he was really pushing us to stay even with the cow cause it was a big pen.  Kept saying big pen.  And not knowing what it was like in Ponoka we didn't know what to think.  Doug got on her after me and rode her on the flag and got her listening to his leg pretty good and figured that would be good and she was ready to show.  It was kinda nice to watch him ride her cause I could see what she was doing and I think maybe now I can fix it.  I knew she was always crooked but now I realize she is dropping her inside shoulder in anticipation of the flag/cow turning.  Which is actually harder for them to make the turn.  Then after the lesson we were visiting and he says the pen is 175 feet wide!  Oh my!  We were all kinda  bit shocked at that cause that is massive.  And 400 feet long.  Wow!  They were trying to get them to cut it down some cause that is huge.  Most pens we cut in are between 80-100 feet wide.  And big herds too, 15 cuts before a herd change, usually only 10.  So that means 45 cows instead of 30.  Turns out they cut the pen down to about 125 which was better but still huge!

After our lesson we loaded the ponies and headed up to Ponoka cause we thought we had to be there at 9.  We dropped off the ponies and fed them and then headed to Chars aunts place for the night. She had supper for us and it was good.  We talked to Jessie Crandal (not sure on the spelliing) and he rode Dude for a month before he went to the Supreme and he showed him there so that was kinda cool.  Jessie also told us we dont have to have horses on the grounds till we show but we were kinda worried anyways that we would get in trouble from Doug, so in the morning we fed then went to Ponoka and got in a panic cause we were only in the fourth class. 

So we went back and got the horses ready and came back and we realized we panicked for nothing we still had like 4 hours before we got on.  Which was nice but we were pretty stressed.   We got to see Doug show a couple horses and that was nice and a few other people we are getting to recognize.  And this lady Lynn was awesome.  She has a horse at Doug's and she helped us a lot in knowing where stuff is and what to do and when to get ready.  Doug was turnbacking when he wasn't showing so he was always busy.  He came out a few times to let us know something, but mostly it was to make sure the horses were tired.

We got on a class and a half before ours and trotted and loped a little then walked quite a bit then lots more trotting.  It took a long time.  It was probably 2 hours from when we got on till we showed.  There was 15 in our class and Char was 12 and I was 14.  I asked Lynn's husband if he would video us and he said no problem.  But I didn't realize that my card was almost full so he got a little of Char then deleted some pics and got only my first cow. 

Char had a terrible run.  Dude wasn't listening to her leg and all and she picked up her hand lots cause she thought he would just leave the pen if she didn't.  She was pretty disappointed.  Its tough cause she really likes him but he is just not good enough.  And Doug told her afterwards she is too good a rider to deal with that.  So I don't know what she is gonna do she has to sell at least one horse before buying another one and may not buy till next spring.  Will be kinda sad we aren't showing together, but she said she will come anyways with me.

Then my turn.  I thought we were ready, Jessie was tired and she was stopping well before we went in.  We got in there and Doug was in one back corner and I think Brad Peterson in the other.  I walked in the herd and a red cow just kinda separated herself so that was the one I picked, after Doug pointed it out to me.  I was having trouble getting Jessie to go straight I could feel it especially to the right but she was ignoring my leg.  Brad was really good at letting me know when to quit the cow.  Then the second cow and that cow was a little faster and I think we didn't stop and turn so felt like we were chasing it.  Then I had 45 seconds left  (Brad told me, I don't think I could see the clock for looking)  and I went deep in the herd and a nice quiet cow came out and we probably had the best go on her.  Until the end, the cow went fast one way and we were behind and I would have lost it if Doug didn't stop it.  Thankfully the herd people were very helpful. 

All in all I felt pretty good about it.  I know we need to stop better and get her off my leg more.  But I got a score of 67 and Doug was happy with that and I was too.  I was just glad I cut cleanly and didn't fall off.  I didn't even know my score till after, I had to ask Char, lol.  I think part of the stopping problem was the ground.  Lots of people were having trouble stopping cause there was lots of dirt in the sand and it packed hard.  And since I was 14th in it was pretty well done.  Between every cattle change they worked the ground.  That was weird cause I dont ever remember a cutting where they work the ground that much.

I will have to put the video in later cause after we got home last night we were so exhausted and I forgot my camera in Chars truck so I will get it probably Tuesday cause the horses get a day off today.