I started showing because it was just what you did when you rode at a hunter barn. After stints in hunters/jumper, horse trials, and dressage, I realized I don't really like showing, so I pretty much quit. I still enjoy the training and the pursuit of improvement, but these days I only venture to shows to put miles on a young horse. To desensitize a young horse, nothing beats the sights, sounds, and smells of a horse show.
For me it's not the smalll amount of time you spend in the ring that makes a horse show worth it. It's getting ready, making your horse imaculate, walking around the showgrounds while you graze your horse, checking out the other barns. Even simple things like warming up in the ring and putting standing wraps on at the end of the day makes show days that much more interesting.
I show because it gives me something to work for. It doesn't matter whether I win or lose, but I love to have a goal to work towards and see myself and my horse improve. Also show environments are so hectic and exciting! It's fun just to see everyone else turned out and giving it their best!
For me there's no greater treat than watching a perfectly turned-out pair put in an excellent course of jumps and walk out of the ring smiling. I love cheering on my friends and helping them rush to get ready, and then winding down with them in the evenings reliving the day!
I never think of showing as a day to win some ribbons and have poor sportsmanship against other competetors, Instead its a great way to spend time with family, put all the work you did with your horse to the test, and at the end of the day no matter if you won anything or not I know I enjoyed myself the whole time! I love the seriousness and the fun of showing!
i show because i love to show what me and my horse work so hard for. we spend hours a day working and perfecting everything with our horses. it makes everything worth while when my horse and i walk out of the ring after having an amazing class. even though showing can get expensive and tiring, i love it and will show horses until i am too old to get in the saddle!
I just like the thrill of horse shows. To me there exciting and there so much fun. I also set goals for me and my horse to complete and if we didn't do well in a class, we'd go back and fix it. I like to compete against others too. I guess you could say I have a compettive edge.
I compete for my horse. I just love the atmosphere when you step foot on the show grounds. It's so full of excitement; you're just waiting for your turn to show the judges what you and your horse are made of. It is so fun to be around other people that share the same passion as you do! (: The ribbons and trophies are all apart of the experience and thats what makes it competitive, but the reason I compete is to show the judges and all my competition that my horse, Gangsta, and I have been working our rumps off to get to where we are and that we aren't just good... we're AMAZING!
The adrenaline rush that starts from the moment you unload the horse to when you step into the ring and trying to balance being impeccably groomed with adequately warmed up and the suspense of waiting for your name to be called and wondering how you will rank is what keeps us coming back to the ring.
I love showing because of how great it feels when you've done the best you can and it pays off. I used to compete for the prizes, to be the best, but now I do it because I love just showing what I got. Being able to compete with my friends is awesome. We encourage each other no matter what happens. Having an awesome trainer who is so down to earth and keeps me from getting too nervous is a total plus to the whole experience. I've played competitive sports for most of my life so the rush and energy is what I live for. I hope that I can keep competing for a very long time.