Congratulations!!
I am also jealous. I spent yesterday watching all the adults going around at a local show, and wishing I was up on Elliot, rain and all. 
Even though I did get to meet Hoopoe, and be in the judges stand with Hoopoe and the judge VHV!!! 
I looked at the Horse Illustrated last week on the Safeway newstand, while I was waiting for Mr Bumpkin to make his mind up on which Guitar Magazine to buy.
And there was your piece on the “Front Cover” in the boldest type featuring inside, photos of your attempts at making Lovely Spot shy.
I remembered your musing about the photo shoot and had to tell my husband, that I met you on the BB,
Congratulations Merry! I am just now getting caught up on the BB after a few days on the river (the Colorado, dontcha know!). When will we get to finally see Hammie?
Speaking of trailer incidents, I jackknifed mine at Indio, trying to make a U-turn while avoiding the huge puddles of mud which were certain to swallow my non-4-wheel drive truck. Oh yeah, and I had to avoid a whole line of porta-potties at the same time. Luckily the damage was very minor!
Good lord, what a day. What a day. Beezer is burned to a crisp from having to stand out in the sun to make “scary corner” acceptable to the young’un. You know, the corner with the trees, water truck, horse trailers … and that was AFTER Beezer lured Hammie past the judge’s stand. 
I think the final count was seven ponies taken out in the warm-up ring (thanks, in part, to the Hambola Virus catching sight of himself in the mirror alongside the dressage court 
); one loose toddler nearly jumped over; QHSM (that would be our “Queen of the Horse Show Moms”) being stepped on twice, pushed and shoved innumerable times and nearly causing Hammie to escape once while bridles were being changed – prompting Beezer to snap “NO!!!” the next time QHSM asked, “Can I help?”; Hammie pulling back at the trailer when the big van that’d pulled in next to us dropped its ramp … I think you get the picture.
Hammie, who normally is a very good boy in the hacks, picked Saturday to be goofus-goofball. He basically went around with Merry on his back. Beezer’s impression of Hammie “listening” to Merry in eq on the flat: “Blah blah blah blah blah … HAMMIE! … blah blah blah blah blah blah … HAMMIE! … blah blah blah blah…” 
He’s busy being a tourist, checking out the spectators, rolling the bit around in his mouth, being squiggly-wiggly boy down the rail. Merry mutters as she passes Beezer: “I’m on a 4-year-old, OK? I’m doing the best I can.” Somehow, she still managed to get second, despite the spooking/pitching fit Hamster went into when the announcer said something as Hammie went by.
Beezer’s favorite moment: Merry yelling, “STOP IT, YOU F-ING BUTTHEAD!!” in the warm-up ring, stunning all the pony moms and dads into silence. Beezer calmly says, “Merry, best not to use that language in front of the children.”
And a good time was had by all. The end.
[This message was edited by Beezer on Jun. 25, 2001 at 03:03 PM.]
I don’t normally consider doing a couple of 3foot rounds on a four yr. old, but he was just loping thru the lines in the low ammy classes, so what the heck… I must say that with Hammie he has never been quick in the lines. With him he’s just, well, arrogant. We have “discussions.”
Oh, Oh! So here’s my favorite “amateur moment”: So there are a number of rather snazzy ammy horses and their lovely mature lady riders. So this one gal comes in on this gorgeous bay gelding, and she’s cruising around having this wonderful round, and she makes the loop past the ingate and her gelding just saunters down to a walk! Right at the gate, in the middle of the course! And this demure, immaculately turned-out blond blurts out, “G** D!@#*!, JOEY!!!” And then she just boots him back into gear! I’m sorry, that was just hysterical!
