Del Mar Charity Fair, 2006, by Julia G.

 The Del Mar Charity Fair Horse Show is not a good place to go if you are on a diet. This is one of our favorite shows, but its like, “have some cheesecake, here is some chocolate, CHIPS anyone? Coffee, hot cocoa, come to my desert party, ice cream…pies…chocolate covered strawberries, white chocolate covered strawberries, carrot cake, crackers, red vines, hard candy………the list goes on.” The four day show starting on a Tuesday and went through Friday, and  began with success as Black Sterling and Janna, in their first Open Western Pleasure class, and the first class for the Black Sterling team at this horse show. They were called to make a pass down Victory Lane. Janna and Sterling were ready for the competition. The pair out-showed the many other American Saddlebreds, Morgans, and other breeds that were blue ribbon hungry. With that success, as Janna put it, “We did not have to win another class at the show,” because we were so happy that Sterling was sound and able to enter the show ring and still get the blue. We did not have to get another blue ribbon…. but we did!!!!! 

That is one great thing about all of us….. Blu, Janna, our dressage trainer Kathrin, and I,  all never settle. We always strive to turn our horses out the best we can, polish our silver the shiniest we can make it gleam, and when we are in the show arena:  we are all business. We compete to win. Blu took Stormy Seas to a reserve ribbon in the Open Pleasure Driving and Championship. Stormy could have won the class, but there was a very very nice saddlebred that took the top honors. We are competitive, but a pretty, high-stepping saddlebred, with a saddlebred judge, does not leave good odds for our Friesians! Still Blu took reserves in  classes of 9. I could barely see an open spot on the rail, I can only imagine what it was like to maneuver with eight other carts in the ring! We gave Blu a pat on the back for a drive well executed.

 I rode Ferrari in a Maiden Equitation class and we won! Well, in all fairness, the other riders were not HUGE competition. In fact, a trainer from another barn (that I used to spend my whole summers with training under her supervision) began to protest me because she did not think I was a maiden rider. Janna almost pulled me from the class because the trainer gave her so much grief, but thankfully she did not because I won, and I was not breaking any rules. It was my first win in Equitation at a USEF rated show, on a friesian, nonetheless.

 Janna rode Ravello to two victories laps around the LARGE Del Mar arena. Ravello is the type of horse that really steps up to the challenge. Janna called on him and he stepped up to perform. The first win was in Open English Pleasure Amateur—a big class and a lot of competition. No problem for Ravello. The second class was a Friesian class. Again, Ravello covered ground and the Judge was left with no option but to place the stunning duo as Champions.

 Ate, the studly stallion we call “Nitro”, won the Friesian Huntseat Qualifier and Championship.  Ate has a prance to his gaits that no other horse can match. His movement is so phenomenal that his trot looks like he is floating on a cloud. His head is set perfectly, never a bobble, his ears pricked foreword, his thick, full tail swaying behind him. The horse just looks like perfection. He is full of pride, full of passion, full of spirit. He looks like such a dream because that is the experience you get when you ride him; his pure muscle and adrenaline create a sensation unlike any other. Kathrin rode Ate to his two victories; she was quite happy with the rides, aside from the canter signals that we  were all holding our breath for, in the Championship.

 Lastly, the Black Sterling Team had two personal bests at this show—and neither of them were winning rides/drives. Blu drove Stormy and was third out of three, but the class was clearly judged incorrectly because it was a Working Singles class.  “Working”  is supposed to be judged 70% on the horse, and turnout is judged predominantly on the cart and harness. We specifically avoid “turnout” because we have an inexpensive pleasure cart and a light harness. The other two horses had large fancy carts and heavy harnesses and the judge spent half the class looking over the equipment when the line up was called. The second place horse backed so violently on the rail, when called for a “halt”  the first direction, that he almost broke his cart. The first place horse was nothing fancy. On the other hand… Stormy and Blu had the drive of their lives. Blu listened to every command asked and he commanded Stormy to do so. The pair looked so swell my mouth dropped each time they passed me on the rail. Well, anyone who watched the class agreed with us, Blu was robbed, but no matter, the horse preformed and the driver commanded the horse to obey him, and we were all proud. Ferrari and I, in one of the last classes of the show, had a personal best too. Ferrari set his head, he was high stepping, and we had good spacing in our crowded class. It was not an easy walk in the park ride, but it was a productive ride. We were against a former world champion saddlebred. I did not know if I could beat the horse, based on politics, but I felt I would be high in the ribbons because of our ride. Well, I came out either fourth or fifth. Not too swell. Janna said that I made great passes but the judge never ever looked up at me. She said, though,  to be proud because Ferrari looked incredible the whole class. I felt satisfied because I had felt the same way in line up.

 Well, over all, the Black Sterling Pit Crew won 6 blue ribbons, had two personal bests, and watched Sterling jog down victory lane, once again, this time going western. It should be noted that Sterling won the Open English Pleasure Grand Championship 4 years in a row at Del Mar in  previous years, and this year he won the Open Western Pleasure. We love our Sterling horse.

 We left the show with smiles and that is exactly what we are bringing into Santa Barbara!