Week 13...Hell on Earth

I am going to continue with Rosie's story as this is the main intention of my blog....this leads to week 13 of Rosie's road to Dublin. Each season Loughrea show takes up two days of the third weekend of every July. On the Saturday is the horse showjumping and Sunday is the pony showjumping but 2010 was the year Loughrea show would change forever in Highgrange. Saturday turned into a hectic type of day, we arrived to Loughrea with the truck filled with the showjumpers. Coco was a 5 year old and making nice progress after starting the season at 80cm and now jumping in the metre classes. In her usual style she flew around the course to come home with a ribbon.

Usually after the Saturday of Loughrea we would have whatever ponies ready and in for Sunday but this year was different as Rosie and Macken were both showing on the Sunday. After arriving home after a long day on Saturday we had to face exercising and washing the show horses and repack, fill haynets, etc. It was straight to the shower and bed that night I can tell you! The beauty with Loughrea showing is that the ridden classes come after the inhands so you have that bit more time to get ready and settled at the show. It was a misty horrible day and no one likes hanging around in that weather. There was a huge entry for the Ridden Hunter class and at the last minute was split into Small/Lightweight hunter and Middle/Heavyweights so after waiting all afternoon all of a sudden there was a bust to get her ready for the Small/Lightweights. Rosie was fully tacked and groomed and ready for her warm up and in true horsey style the horse is head to toe ready before the rider even thinks of themselves. The girls had a hold of Rosie while I went to get ready in the jeep, hang on where are my clothes?!?!? There I was sweat running with the fright of not being able to find my gear...I was in deep trouble...I wasnt sure what was worse, admitting to Mary I forgot my clothes or not having enough time to warm up for what looked like a good class, this was hell on earth. I spotted Grace on the way back with Macken, at that moment she looked like a little angel coming towards me, I ran at her and told her to get off him and give me her gear (it was like daylight robbery!). There we were in the jeep swapping clothes hoping Mary wouldnt notice then all of a sudden I had no tie as she was wearing Ian's and he was in a ridden class straight after Rosie. Shane went running and found one...best part was the hat! Grace and I have different sized heads, I was hoping to God that I wouldnt loose the hat in the gallop or inhand. Tensions were high and my heart was racing, I jumped up on the mare and straight to the ring wearing small boots and a big hat! Thankfully Rosie held her own (and the hat stayed on) and was pulled in 3rd. She went beautifully for the ride judge, I stripped her off for the inhand judge who was an old gent from the north and spent 10 mins complimenting her and asking me to go north for Racehorse to Riding Horse classes to promote the retraining of these beautiful types. All in this time I was trying to not pass out with the stress of no clothes and how was I going to manage the trot up, would the hat come off or would I get a cramp from the size 5 boots squeezed on my huge size 7 feet? Someone was looking down as I managed to complete the trot up accident free. Rosie finished the class moving from 3rd to 2nd so I was delighted and the photo of  my face in the lap of honour says it all!

Strutting her stuff

Relief!

The look of relief! Thank god for Grace's clothes!

Smiles all sides and I could finally admit to Mary that I had forgotten my clothes as we had a ribbon in exchange of a few words. We packed up and made our merry way home delighted with the girl having another super day and in the ribbons yet again. After a weekend of intense competing all you are either fit for is bed or to let the hair down, in our usual young carefree humor we had every intention of hitting CPs and having a few giggles and a dance. We arrived home turned out our super little horses, unpacked our gear to get a phonecall to get home ASAP which is never good. Tragically I had lost a very close relative and it felt like the whole world was caving in on what was turning into one of the best summers and being given the most amazing experience. Never mind the forgotten clothes that afternoon as this really had turned into a real hell on earth. This is when I learnt real friends who are family step in and keep the show going in a time of need. This led to one of the worst weeks of my life in the run up to the biggest show of our careers to date, Tattersalls in Meath. Mary, Grace and Ian took Rosie's reins for the week and kept our ball rolling with the intention of hopefully loading up the jeep and box at 4am on Saturday the 24th July 2012 and heading for one of the biggest days of our lives.