The NCASHA Show as held at beautiful Diamond Hills Stables in Livermore, CA, in the East Bay. Michael Craighead does a tremendous job running this primarily American Saddlebred training facility, and he is one of the only trainers on the west coast that has won numerous world championships with his young saddleseat riders.  Diamond Hills generously allowed their facility to be the headquarters for this year’s Fall Fun Show.

When we say “fun show”, that is because this competition is relaxed, casual, and no jackets required☺

Julia is on the Marin Rowing Team, and spends a good portion of the year rowing, instead of riding, and the Oct 15-16 horse show clashed with the dates of her first regatta of the season. And Blu had a speaking engagement in Pleasanton on Saturday [to a group of physicians on how NOT to get sued] and was stressed out and NOT at all horse groom cooperative on Sunday [due to the start of a trial on Monday. Trials, smials, aren’t horse shows MORE important?!?].

So off to the horse show I went, by myself, with Ferrari [Ate’] and Ravello in tow.  That is, after I located the trailer hitch, which Blu and Andy misplaced after their weekend together using MY horse hauling truck for a 4 wheeling trip to the desert. And then of course Ravello flat REFUSED to get in the trailer again…2 ½ hours later we were FINALLY driving to Livermore. That is, until I rounded a corner and I heard a horrible THUD and scrambling, and I knew a horse had gone down in the trailer. I pulled over and ran back to the trailer, and sure enough, Ferrari was laying on the ground, with his halter and lead rope choking him as it was caught on his hay net, and it looked as though Ravello might accidentally step on his legs at any moment.

Thank goodness these guys REALLY ARE gentle giants, as I squeezed into the horses stalls, pushing Ravello out of the way, took Ferrari’s halter all the way off, and urged him to stand, praying he wouldn’t scramble too much, and take me down with him. Ferrari got up, and had two wicked scrapes above his eyes, but otherwise seemed OK.

I showed Ravello and Ferrari in 8 classes over the two days of this horse show, and they won 8 out of 8 classes☺  Julie Streitfield of Monarch Stables leased stormy, and she won 3 out o 4 classes entered, and in fact it was ONLY the Open Pleasure Championship , which Ravello won, that Stormy did not wear the blue out of the ring. 

Ferrari was consistent, square, and trotted to the moon [which ONLY Ferrari does], as he won the Open 3-Gaited/Parrk class, and the Walk and Trot championship.

This show is interesting because there is a different Judge on each day, so you get two different people’s opinion, at the same show! There was a lovely barbeque on Saturday nite at a quant barn down the street. We were entertained by the Saturday nite roping contest that was in the lighted ring next to the  barn/tavern.

We show our friesians in the open breed classes, gong against a variety of breeds, and all riding disciplines. This means there were western, hunt seat, and saddleseat riders all I the same classes.

The classes were well filled, with 4-9 entries in all of Ravello and Ferrari’s classes.

And did I mention NICE, relaxed atmosphere. None of the stupid backstabbing behavior that we, unfortunately, noted at some of the season’s earlier shows.?

Case in point……

When I went to leave, I loaded up Ferrari, who got right in the trailer, and then I struggled helplessly with Ravello, who once again had me at wit’s ends, as he absolutely refused to get in our 3 horse slant load. A young gal, who was a nice western rider with a cute appaloosa, who we had been beating all weekend long [in fact, I think Ferrari made her horse run off his feet a couple of times, as he did his high stepping trot past her horse in a class!] came to my aid, and enlisted 3 other members of her family/crew. It was only with THEIR help, and their lunge line behind Ravello’s butt, that I was able to successfully get him in the trailer, and make my way home.

This competitor could have easily just sat by and watched me struggle, but she didn’t.  That is a true horsewoman, and the kind of sportsmanship that we need at ALL of our shows.

I love the photo albums that were the prizes in the championships –-two thumbs up for USEFUL prizes☺

 And kudos to the Hirshorn girls who rode their friesians in grand fashion and looked marvelous. These 10 and under sisters have no problems riding their big, bold, black friesians, trained by Dixon Stables, even though they are TINY themselves.  In fact, we have never seen Floris look better. Way to go!  And one of Sterling’s favorite groom’s and fan’s, Emma, who has been polishing her equitation skills under Brigitte Scholl’s tutelage, was smiling ear to ear when she earned a strong reserve in her academy class. And it was great to see one of our all time favorite ASB western horses, Lucky, and Gen Hess, wearing the blue again, as they have so many times in the past. Extra kudos to Sue Chen, a very busy anesthesiologist in the east bay, who makes time for her passion of horses, and is President of the Northern Calif American Saddlebred Association, and put together and managed this two day event.  Now we just have to get Sue on one of our friesians……..