Whew, still running! I arrived home yesterday in time to send this column off to Jim and unpack for life back on the farm. I’m back at work (yuck!) and of course back to Fall Fair paperwork.

My next day off is Thursday, and I plan to spend some time with Tori. As I mentioned last week, she has been running around barefoot, and with yet another trip planned to Vancouver Island, I think I may just leave her that way a little longer. When I remember that she has been in the barn since October, it is much easier to decide to leave her out for another month.

On the other hand, I am starting to want to ride again! You have to remember, it has already been a full month since I have been on a horse - and as the saying goes, nothing is so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse. I truly believe that!

Photo credit: Chris Hassell

So I hope to spend some time with Tori and see if she is sound again, and then I hope to get back to riding at some point this month. For me, September is usually the last of the busy months, as we wind down into fall and then winter. I can’t believe it is looming ahead already - depressing isn’t it?!

So I hope you do take some time to enjoy your four legged companions. Fall is one of the nicest times to ride - the warm afternoons, the crisp mornings, the glorious colours on the plants and trees... the lazy buzz of insects (ones that aren’t out to eat you or your horse - better yet!), the happy trilling of the birds, and the crunching underfoot of dry grass. Here in the north country, I think fall is the prettiest of the seasons!

Until next week, happy riding!
~ Kristi :)

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The Bulkley Valley Exhibition Light Horse Show was a fantastic show this year. For the first time in about 5 years, we had near perfect weather, with only one day getting a bit too hot. We had minimal sprinkles and actually had to water the arenas a few times to try and keep the dust down - a refreshing change from the past few soggy years!

This show really stands out in my mind for one main reason. I heard not one complaint about the judges, all weekend. It is the first time that I have dealt with running a show in which at least SOME nasty comments were overheard or even directly dished out at the management. Perhaps it was the sunny weather that kept tempers under control, or perhaps we actually found a set of judges who called it pretty much like everyone else saw it! (too bad we can’t use the same judges next year!)

This show is a HUGE event. In spite of my growing involvement in it over the past three years, I still had no idea just how big it was. The show really ought to be run by a committee, but trying to get ten or a dozen people to all show up for meetings is difficult. Each division needs fair representation, and the only way that can happen is for someone from each discipline to put their own lives on hold occasionally throughout the year, making sure that the prep work is done, and that the divisions are well organized going in to the show.

The intent this year was that I was to head up the event with volunteers from each division. It didn’t happen. Instead, I tried once again to become a jack of all trades, something I am not capable of at an event of this magnitude! As I and Jeannie (who graciously stepped in to manage at the last minute - THANK YOU Jeannie!) are stepping down this year, I sure hope that the people who decide to run it can find more helpers to represent the various sections.

I would like to thank a few of the people who were key in getting this show off the ground. Of course, Jeannie Wertz deserves a hand for stepping in to manage at the last minute, as well as for being there with invaluable information along the way. Reka Schippers took on the project of raising sponsors and did a magnificent job (brining in about $3000 more than in previous years - way to go Reka!). Erin Rowsell and Brenda Drescher managed the dressage division quite efficiently as well as assisting with the hunter and jumper sections. Doug Boersema was again very effective as a grounds manager - he could be seen harrowing just before dark, and watering some nights after dark! He is also handy with tools and found lots of things to fix throughout the weekend. Holly Pottinger spent a lot of time before the show ordering ribbons, trophies and awards. Shannon Flint spent her whole time at the show organizing those same prizes!

There are also many, many other people whose assistance was very much appreciated, from the announcers and ring stewards, to the ribbon people and outgate openers. Each and everyone of should be proud of the effort you put in to make this the largest Fall Fair Light Horse Show in BC - THANK YOU!!

Next week, some of the highlights from the show..

In larger centers, where more shows are held, or more attention paid to the difference between pros and amateurs, classes are set up to allow for both to compete in different sections, different days, or even different towns altogether.

What this does is allows the coach or trainer to spend his/her time at a show as a competitor only - without having to worry about students needing their help. And then, in turnabout, to have other shows where their entire focus is on their students.

And that is where this column really kicks into high gear. I’d like to introduce to you the importance of having a good coach at your side during a competition.

Competing is a very difficult arena to get into for many horse people. There is so much more stress involved than in any other aspect if the horse industry - and nearly all of it is put on by our own selves!

If you have plans to compete, you need to talk them over with your coach. Discuss your hopes, ideas, and plans. Map out a strategy and ask your coach if they are willing to come to the show as a coach rather than as a competitor. Remember, you will need to compensate them for this!

The best way to have a coach at a show is to work with a coach who has several students to help split the costs. However, you don’t want to all be riding in the same classes at the same time, or it will be very difficult for the coach to spend enough time with each of you. Individual pattern classes such as Trail, Jumping, Reining or Dressage work a little better as the coach can usually find time to speak to each of you before and after your run.

Try to find a coach with students who have similar but slightly different interests or skill levels, for instance one student rides cross rails, one rides 2’ to 2’6”, one jumps 2’6” to 3’ and so on. It is much easier for a coach to have multiple students in single entry events such as jumping, reining, gymkhana and dressage as compared to western pleasure or road hack classes.

At the shows, your coach can play several roles. I have talked before about competing being mostly mental - the physical preparation comes in the weeks and months before the event, but the actual event is often won or lost on mental and emotional preparation. Your coach’s main job at a show is to help you plan a strategy that allows you to show your horse to the best of your ability - which means keeping your mental focus.

Continued next week.

Northern BC Horse is sponsored by local businesses who support equine sports in our area including:

• Baerental Ranch
• Burns Lake Building Supplies
• Griffin Crick Ranch
• Hoskins Ford
• Northern Horse Supply
• Ridennoure Paint Horses
• The Tack Store

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