Held at Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA from July 5-8, 2001
For some masochistic reason, we decided to hit the road again this summer for yet another BIG arabian show. This time it was the IAHA Region 15 Championships, a show we had never attended. (Probably coz its so FAR AWAY!) They offered a Junior To Ride class in Working Hunter, so it seemed a good substitute for Cassie and PX since we couldn't talk ourselves into driving to ALBEQUERQUE for Youth Nationals!
Much to our delight, after attending the Pennsylvania Junior Amateur Games (what a GREAT SHOW - everyone should go there!! Its very underrated!) just the week before Regionals, Peggy qualified her old gelding, Silver Run Sohn, in the Purebred Working Hunter!! He won all three classes and was Champion, thus qualifying him for Regionals! She also took PX (Cassie didn't even know, she was lounging at the beach in NC...heehee!) and was Champion on him, which made him qualify for yet another class at Regionals! Suddenly, the trip to Lexington, VA seemed well worth it, so off we went!
In order to be away as short a time as possible, we decided to leave at 1 am, drive to VA and be ready to show at 8 am. After a short nap at home, Kim, Cassie and Peggy threw the horses in the trailer and we were ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!!
Cassie was put in the dressing room to sleep (not!) and Kim drove the whole way down. Since she threatened Peggy with a tazer if she fell asleep, the punchy twosome had a hilarious time all the way down, with only one panicky moment of trying to find Diesel fuel at 3 am on Route 66 in Virginia!
We arrived at the Virginia Horse Center about 4:30 am, drove in the general vicinity of where the ring was and parked in the dark gravel lot for a few minutes of shut eye before feeding the horses and getting ready to show!
Since someone forgot to remind the course designer that YES the jumping classes WERE on FRIDAY, not SATURDAY, the classes were delayed about an hour and a half while they set up the course. We had a quick Warm Up Class in which PX had a beautiful trip and Sohn was a bit of a spook past the grandstand (spurs helped him get over that!), and both felt ready.
Our Eastern Amateur chums ('ritas RULE!) Heather and Jan were there to cheer us on, stuff our horses with carrots and do victory dances for us. (Not to mention haul water, chairs, ribbons, take pictures and giggle! Oh, and to OGLE Tommy Garland!)We also got to meet an old Equisearch chat friend, Becca, who has Arabs too and cheered us on.
Cassie's Half Arabian Open class went 2nd, she had a great trip except for one tight fence and was called back SECOND! Her next trip was PERFECT and she was called back first...so she was tied going into the hack class with a professional adult for Champion and she hacked PX like a dream. The judge again picked them first which made them REGION 15 CHAMPIONS!! We were so thrilled!They gave her a cooler (in our colors too!), a Top Five Ribbon, a Champion ribbon and a hat that said "Region 15" on the front and "Champion" on the back...what a HAUL!
Peggy was next in the Purebred Adult Amateur Owner to Ride on Sohn. Sohn loved the footing...rubber and sand (can't we get some of that stuff for home?!?!) and felt great. Some of his changes were SLOOOOW, but his fences were all perfect and he won both jumping classes! After the second one, the peanut gallery was doing the "Dance" when Peggy walked back over with her Semi Final ribbon again. In the hack phase, Sohn was a little looky again, but hacked great and won that too!! He was REGION 15 CHAMPION!!! Peggy was dumbstruck, we had never expected Sohn to kick butt like that, especially showing against the reigning National Champion, *Betys!
Cassie still had her Junior To Ride class to go, and she finished that division having won all three classes and being REGION 15 CHAMPION AGAIN!!! What a sweep we had that day!! It couldn't have been more perfect. We posed the horses for photos with all their loot, what a great time.
We sponged the horses off, changed our clothes and headed to the main ring to eat lunch and watch the show a while, do some shopping and head home. We left about 4 and got home by 9, with only a MINOR detour when Peggy missed this exit for 495 dammit.....("Kim distracted me!") They were all tired, punchy and happy to be home, including the horses.
All in all, it was an impressive show. Huge turnout, high quality horses, but not out of reach for peons like ourselves!
I guess we'll be off to Louisville next October with these two guys....who'd of thunk it?!?!?
Thanks a million to Kim for driving us....we couldn't have done it without you kiddo!! Thanks also to Katie and Patti for feeding at home so we could go! And thanks to Heather and Jan for all the help and laughs...can't wait to see you guys in August! Get us stalls in the BLENDER barn!!