[darkwillow]

Hey

Yeah the show season has well and truly started here in Australia. Okay, so it would, if all this rain would go away.
This is my first official year of competing. I've just gotten an aussie stockhorse mare named Isabelle, so I'm pretty much set.
I prefer to focus on showjumping, because it's as precise as dressage, but I get to jump as well. I'm sticking to competing in hunter trials and one day events so far, and my arabian will be assigned back to his favourite: sporting.
That's pretty much it
Cheers

 

[nirvana]

Awww thats awesome! How long is the show season in Australia? It must be nice not to deal with ice and snow. lol

 

[darkwillow]

ha! only drought and rain and rising flood waters!! I'd love to ride in the snow.
The show season here runs from late February to early November. That's...let me think...late summer, through autumn, winter and finishes late-ish spring. It gets too hot in the summer to compete. Unfortunately that means competing over shorter days in the winter. And frost. And rugging. Ah well, it's all good fun.
What's it like in Canada?? I know you have snow and ice (hence the Winter Olympics!). Do you do shows differently?? Are the events the same?? Here a gymkhana is sporting and a rider class and a top score class, and we're all divided by age. Is that how you do it???

 

[nirvana]

Canada is actualy quite diverse conditions depending on where you go. for example BC (where the olympics were held) it is on the mild side because of the ocean, but here in Ontario most years we get enough freezing rain to skate on the road. lol (its quite fun) This year has been quite mild compared to most though, but we just finished getting 3-4 days of snow straight. A total of 6 vehicls got stuck in my laneway. lol

I havent done alot of showing, but most shows are organised by experience as opposed to age here. Although there are age limits on some things. My first show away from the barn was called the rising star show. There was a class for anyone who was there for their first show. the second class was all for horses first show(green horse-experienced rider).

 

[darkwillow]

That would be so much better. Here its age, and in my classes (when i did sporting) I had all the state champions. It sucked. How can you win against a state champion?? Ah well, now I'm doing eventing, so hopefully I'll have more luck. Isabelle and i did our first dressage comp, 2 weeks after I got her, and we came third! Hoping we can do even better this year

 

[nirvana]

Ya thats quite interesting that they do it by age. Here its by height of fences and what not. Good luck this year!

As for summer here we get between 20-25 degrees celcius. But we do ocasionaly get up to 30. The past 2 years have been quite rainy summers. Its alway realy humid.Depending on where you go in Canada such as Ontario in a years span you get to feel -30 to +30 degrees. I dont mind snow for the first couple months (depending on the type of snow, if its hard yet sinky its painfull for the horse). After 4-5 months it get annoying.

Ya its sounds like summers do get very hot their. My friend had a friend visit from Australia, and he said it was 40 degrees that day! I cat possibly imagine that heat! The poor guy froze because we took him on a wagon ride on a day we would call mild.

 

[nirvana]

That doesn't seem very fair to judge by age. Espesialy for those like me who didn't get the opportuinity till age 12.

 

[darkwillow]

yeah i know its not really fair, that's why i swapped over to eventing because they do it by height and experience rather than age (Thank God!!) It gets pretty hot here in the summer - there was a point where the weather was high 30's for about a week!. Three cheers for air conditioning!!
The snow would get annoying. I guess it's like the rain here - great for the first two days, not so great after that. At the moment, we're into our fourth day of constant rain, and I've had to move my geldings in with the mares because the geldings' paddock flooded

 

[nirvana]

awww that sucks. the grass always seems to be greener on the otherside doesnt it?!

 

[xoSonnyLove1234]

Mine starts in May! I am totally excited. I am doing Halter, Showmanship, Western w/t/c(very first time ever) eq and pleasure, English w/t/c eq and pleasure, jumping, and going for High point. i cant wait. !!!!!!!!!

 

[darkwillow]

ooh yeah. definitely. you can ride in snow, difficult as it seems, but the rain?? Not unless I want to be cleaning and drying tack for the next two days.

Wow, that seems like a lot of stuff, SonnyLove!! I can't do western, much as i wish i could

 

[My Beau]

I've done 2 dressage shows already this year. But the busy show season kicks off this month! Hopefully no more snow to cancel/postpone shows (we should have done 4 shows by now...)

We'll run through October or November probably. My gelding will be going to dressage shows mainly. My yearling will be making her first outings starting in May for confirmation classes. If I can find an "aged mare class" around here I'll take my TB. If she does well when she's restarted undersaddle in the spring MAYBE she'll go to a local dressage show

 

[Draftgirl17]

I must say i am SUPER excited for this show season!!!
Like you said, here ours is months away as well, at least on the draft side of things. Our family friend got new drafts, percherons, and i get to show them along with mine and his haflingers. I get to show them in every thing and anything i can. Showmanship, Riding (english hopefully), Driving both singles and team!!! (i have a feeling i'll learn something like tandem or something lol) Obstacle, Halter (i'm super excited for this one because i'm hopfully showing all of the percherons and all of the haflingers that don't over lap in classes and of course my girl daisey), Log pull, Mane and Tail decorating, and grown driven obstacle!!. We'll start the season off at a local show and i'm hoping to do pretty well at it. I'm going to prepare daisey as much as i can as soon as this snow goes away. Then a haflinger show over the next weekend, and we're going to be going to Ohio State, Lawrence County, Canfield, Greensburgh, and KILE(states basicly)!! I'm sooooooo excited. I love driving and i can't wait to get in there and do everything i can with the drafts. Hmmm not to mention i get to go down at the end of the month and into april to start training : ] I actually am going to look forward to getting up at 5:30 in the morning to get horses ready : P : D

 

[Dartanion]

First show of the season was yesterday for me . I am so stoked about this year!! my next show is march 21! I am doing Showmanship, English pleausre, English EQ, Hunters, Jumpers, and possibly some trail this year .

 

[CecilliaB]

Now I am really jazzed. My friends and I drove up to Charleston to visit the used and new tack stores I got my son some lovely rust colored Harry Hall breeches new with tags for $40, garters they can share, a muted pin stripe show shirt for $9 used but with now stains, and a blue show shirt new $19 for my daughter.....oh and another fitted pad, girth, leathers and irons for the kids saddle! Whoot digity Now we are all outfitted and I don't have to worry about that part cuz his boots should come in today or tomorrow. I just need the rain to go away so we can practice.

 

[Void]

I'm super pumped too all my clothes are dry cleaned and pressed and ready to go!

 

[ridergirl23]

EEEEE im so excited!!! my mom and grandma are making me a new show jacket!!! and its sooo perrdddy, i like it better then the ones we looked at in the stores, and i got ot pick out the buttons!!! lol theyre really pretty! and i got new white breeches! and new gloves! and a new saddle and new horse!! i am unbelievably excited for this season!!
darn canada and its weather!! lol me and renas first show together in two weeks!!!

 

[COQtrhorseman]

There are some outdoor club shows starting here in Colorado in April and May.

 

[nirvana]

I must say i am SUPER excited for this show season!!!
Like you said, here ours is months away as well, at least on the draft side of things. Our family friend got new drafts, percherons, and i get to show them along with mine and his haflingers. I get to show them in every thing and anything i can. Showmanship, Riding (english hopefully), Driving both singles and team!!! (i have a feeling i'll learn something like tandem or something lol) Obstacle, Halter (i'm super excited for this one because i'm hopfully showing all of the percherons and all of the haflingers that don't over lap in classes and of course my girl daisey), Log pull, Mane and Tail decorating, and grown driven obstacle!!. We'll start the season off at a local show and i'm hoping to do pretty well at it. I'm going to prepare daisey as much as i can as soon as this snow goes away. Then a haflinger show over the next weekend, and we're going to be going to Ohio State, Lawrence County, Canfield, Greensburgh, and KILE(states basicly)!! I'm sooooooo excited. I love driving and i can't wait to get in there and do everything i can with the drafts. Hmmm not to mention i get to go down at the end of the month and into april to start training : ] I actually am going to look forward to getting up at 5:30 in the morning to get horses ready : P : D

I am sooo jelous! Sounds like your goona have aot of fun!:lol:
Im now even more excited cuz my instructor asked me if id like to work for an extra lesson in preperation for show season!!!