First Show of the Season

by Karen Pickering

Whew…what a weekend. I’m glad it’s done, but the Northwest Reined Cow Horse Association show was a fabulous experience! The Northwest Horse Source sponsored the Beginning Boxing and Beginning Reining buckles for this show, and the NRCHA really supported all the beginners who came out to ride.

My horse and I did much better than I expected for our first time out. Friday started off beautiful and sunny, but the weather went downhill fast. We were pretty cold for most of the weekend, but the company made up for the chill. The group of us from Coastal Equine had a fantastic time cheering each other on, helping each other get ready and calming each other's nerves.

My tension level was at an all time high, but my mare, April, was fine and handled everything like an old pro. She helped me push past the fear and make the run happen. A big thank you to Allison, my trainer, for taking care of everything and coaching me through this experience. April and I started lessons with her in November of last year, took mid-December to mid-January off and were back in the saddle and training on February first—not much time for the huge strides Allison got out of April and me! We’re hoping to box cows before the end of the season.

I invite you to watch the short video of our first pattern (below). It's nothing spectacular, but we got out there and gave it a shot. My goal was to get at least one lead change and keep my horse quiet and in the bridle. I certainly have much to work on, but a journey begins one step at a time. 

If I can do this so can you!