Well, it didn’t quite go as hoped!
First off, she HATES being braided. She rubbed them out overnight (and I stayed up LATE to put them in), then at the show I fixed them as best as I could. While I was changing, she proceeded to rub them out again on the corner of the trailer. At that point I just laughed and decided I would show with 3rd grader braids. Whatever. 
I talked to the office ladies before I submitted my entries because the “non-stock” class had listed breeds, and thoroughbreds were not on there. I said that she looks like an appendix (sorta), and they told me to enter Quarter Horse halter. Mistake number one, as I heard there were a few TBs in the non-stock class.
Mistake number two was my perpetual “on-time-ness”. I was waiting at the ingate when they opened, and poor young mare was looking into this big empty arena and hesitated on her trot off. If I just would have waited for a few horses to go in first, it would have been much better, as we had been practicing that and it was looking super good at home. My fault! She stood great in the line up, and did a decent job getting squared up (I only had to hand move one foot, she’s got the “subtle movement” thing down pat for her fronts but not yet for her hinds).
So, due to those two things, we didn’t place in our halter class.
She was great for the ridden classes, and got a second and a third - one of the classes someone came off in a spectacular way and the horse came careening by bucking and carrying on with a slipped saddle - she thought about joining in but held it together. Good girl!
All in all, a very very successful first outing for her, I was pleased as punch! Thanks everyone for your feedback, I appreciate it!
I told him if she didn’t spook at it, he could do whatever he wanted. She didn’t mind at all - in fact, probably enjoyed the extra length/thickness for the day!
