A Little Catch Up

I've been neglecting this blog since I've been so busy with training and school. I'm so sorry! So Pink Ranger Training has been going well. I got a 92% on my second quiz and Aimee hasn't released our Carousel final scores yet. We had few weeks break and this week we started Crimson and Lace, the drill where they mix up the flags, and I have to say that it is much more impressive than Carousel. The drill is also a lot harder since we have adds in between every diagram which makes for a total of 52. Crimson has been going pretty well, we've been riding 2 Carousel and 1 Kaleidoscope each ride. In Carousel I've been riding CP and 3-3 and in Kaleidoscope I've been riding CO3. As Colorado I keep forgetting to pick up my points during Star, ugh. We were were a but rusty but last week we really locked it down. Hoover is doing so much better, I think the reason he's tripping is because he isn't properly warmed up and stretched out, He's so stiff poor boy.

11/14/15 Another Fall

So for training we finished diagramming the whole drill plus corrections, which totaled to about 31. We took quiz one and I was afraid I wouldn't pass but I ended up getting an 82%. Not the best, but at least I passed. I had Hoover again for Crimson but during the 1st drill he tripped in GPA 4 on his side and landed on my foot. I got my foot out and thankfully both of us were okay. I took it easy for the next few drills but he still kept tripping a little and I talked to the wranglers about it. Poor baby.

11/7/15 First Week of Being a Pink Ranger

This is way late, but it's here now! So I had to check in at in the Conference room for my first day of training. We went over expectations and diagrammed up to maneuver 12, Pass Through. So a total of 26 diagrams. Not bad. I failed my first sequence test because of capitalization. GRR.  I had to hand write 20 sequences for next week. After the class got out at 10 we're required to watch the Precisionette ride from 10 to 11. We got to watch the first drill which was Carousel before a horse tripped on a girl and the class was dismissed early. She's okay now thankfully. I also had batons which was fun. I watched a bit of Nighthorse before Crimson. I had my ride at 1 and I rode 2-3 and 3-2 and point with Hoover.

Pink Ranger Training

 I just got the email with information about training. I'm so nervous! We have training 8 to 11 and we have to watch the Precisionettes ride from 10 to 11. The first drill we're learning is Carousel. I can't wait to find out who my trainer is!

ANNUAL SHOW 2015

                       Here is the long awaited Annual Show post. What a great weekend!


                                                            Saturday 10/24
 
         This was a long morning, I had a report time of 5 at the fairgrounds to quickly groom  Hoover. I ended up sharing him with a really nice girl on Royal. He looks great in my lime green halter and leg wraps, it's totally his color lol. Loading went pretty smoothly, he went right in. I had to change into my dress reds before I went down to the Event Center. This was probably the longest part of the morning, those shows go by quick! The morning consisted of hauling my two bags of shavings to my stall and laying them down then getting my stuff and Hoover settled. Crimson had a walk through before each show and after that I had to saddle Hoover and then costume and put on my saddle blanket. I also got to ride Serpentine fit each show. It gave me a feel of the arena. It's the same length as the Volunteer just wider and of course with an audience. Crimson's first drill was rough. I rode 1-4. We didn't do 1's and 3's spin and our star was very sloppy. We did MUCH better the next few shows. I had pre show with batons for the rest of the shows which was a lot of fun! We did so good! Crimson was 3rd after Precisionettes and Steppes, so I had a mini quick change. I have to say that I didn't eat a lot all weekend, I was with my friends at mine and their stalls most of the time. It's so fun to take care of your horse, lots of work, but I probably had more fun doing that than actually performing.



                                                             Sunday 10/25


             Sunday was a lot more relaxed. My partner ended up doing warm ups. She was there super early, I was there about 9ish. I had little food and just hung out until the All Westernaire meeting.It was basically the same as previous years. After that we had senior speeches which made me tear up a little.. I got ready for pre show and ride Serpentine and Crimson rode a great drill for all of its seniors. I had to pass off my horse to Royal so after the drill I went down and started to clean out my stall which took FOREVER. My back hurt a lot as well as my feet but I got it done. My partner loaded up Hoover and we had to drive back to the fairgrounds to get my stuff and return the saddle, which took a long time with traffic. After that was done I whey home and SLEPT. I had so much fun, I'm excited for future shows.

Two Weeks To Go 10/10

So I ended up sharing Hoover with Annual and she got to ride him on Royal and I got Chili. He is so big and cute! He also does the greatest lead changes. Our drills are really coming together. I think for Annual my positions are point twice, 1-4, 4-4, unless the lineup changes.

Last Saturday

Last Saturday I only had Crimson and I feel a lot better since before we ran our first drill the instructors had a talk about all the negativity on the team. I think it really made us better as a whole because we ran some amazing clean drills. I rode point twice and 4-4. And of course I had Hoover and it turns out I have him for Annual unless there are any changes. So excited! We also had a team builder which was fun and I learned alot more about Annual and I feel more comfortable with my team.

Not Quite Ready for Annual

 So two weeks ago I had batons at 10 and we just practiced the drill before had to leave early for a JI ride and I got Amigo. He was great! I helped a few kids with loping and trotting. Crimson went pretty well but we still had a few catty remarks. I had Hoover again and I rode 1-4, point and and 4-4.

Three Days of Westernaires

Sorry this is late again, Busy week.




                                                            Wednesday
   

 Wednesday was ticket rally which is always a but boring but I got the stall card I wanted so yay!





                                                             Thursday

Thursday was Junior Graduation so I went there at 6;30 in my dress reds to help with decorating and making the snacks. That was a fun night. I got to serve the lemonade and accidentally spilled it all over myself by leaving the tap on lol.  And I got free cookies which is always a plus.
 



                                                          Saturday
Saturday I only had Crimson but I still came a little early. I had Hoover again , but I think I'm starting to warm up to him. First drill I was 1-4. Hoover did not like that tight turn during out on Big Circle but I manged and the drill went smoothly until Star. It got a a little sloppy. Next drill I was 4-4 (big surprise there) and that drill went really smoothly. Last drill I was 1st section point and we had a little halt ho but we finished our drill strong. Then I watched Royal and went home.

New Tenderfeet! 9/12/15

So I live right by the Harvest Festival parade my morning was hectic but fun and I saw all my White Division friends. At 11 I left for batons and got to use my new ones, yay! We did our best without Aimee and worked on our drill. I had Hoover again for my ride. We work well but we still don't have a strong bond. Warm ups were a bit interesting since we  moved into eights and sixteenths. First drill I was a 1st section point which was simple and everything went well. For the second I was 4-4. I really have that position that down lol. That drill was pretty smooth as well. The last drill I was 4-7.I was super nervous for this spot since we had to cut during Mariner's Cross. The cutting went well but I didn't get to my spot in line quick enough but I it worked out anyway. I watched Royal then took Samson and Maverick home.

New Batons Came In! 9/11/15

I'm so excited! My new batons just came in after we finally ordered them in on Monday. They are Classic American Beauty 28 inches with red caps. :)

Tons of Improvement! 9/5/15

So I had batons at 11 and a lot of people were absent but most of the Red girls were there. We worked on our drill for Annual. So far it's looking pretty cool. We start with one baton and then we go into a quick pixies drill into fire, hoops and knives. We haven't worked out that part yet. We also do the can can! Gotta practice those kicks lol. I had a quick drink then I headed down to my ride and I got Hoover again. I was a little nervous for this ride after the last two. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. All three drill were great. First drill I was American. The last two I was 4-4. We didn't finish the last one because we had a halt ho because Betty kicked an owner horse and the girl had to take her horse out. After that I watched Royal and then took home Princess.

Slightly Better Ride 8/29/15

I had a Mandatory JI meeting at 9:00 which was just a few reminders and the top 10 JI's for hours. I'll probably never get on that list lol. Espescially with Pink Ranger Training around the corner. After that I had a break and walked down to get my horse. Ugh. With my luck I got Hoover. I'm hoping after Annual at least I'll get someone new. Hopefully before. First drill I was 3-6 but something got messed up and they're was no 3-7 and no point replacement came but I was too shy to call for one in case I was wrong. That made it confusing during Salute lines and out but I went with it. Second drill I was 4-4, a familiar position, with a familiar person.That drill went okay. Our stars and spin off need work. A lot of our team was frustrated with each other which lead to arguing. We really need to work better as a team. The last drill I was American and we had halt his because our points couldn't latch on to our wings  correctly during star which lead to more arguing. Second half was because of Bandit's reins becoming unhooked, I hope we can get it together next ride. Then I took Nugget home for a friend who had to clean and I saw Bingo and had a lovely cuddling session. I miss that horse

Tenderfoot Induction 8/28/15

Sorry this is so late, school is busy. Anyway, for Tenderfoot Induction Crimson owners had to groom every. Single. Horse. We had to show groom and we couldn't leave until we had everyone. I groomed Cruiser, Sierra, and Witchdoctor. (And I got to cuddle Bingo but that's besides the point). The most horses someone has groomed is 7 and the least is one because the girl had Scarface who is extremely hard to catch. I went to Chic-Fil-Le with a few team members then headed home.

Back to Winter Schedule 8/22/15

So yesterday I had to be there at 10;30 for Crimson's individual portraits for the program. I had to report at Crimson's trailer and put on one of their puffy blouses. They are beautiful! And really white because they are made of wedding dress fabric lol. So I got my picture taken in the Seminar room just in time to make batons at 11. We did a warm up until Aimee brought pizza and donuts to celebrate White Olympics. I talked and ate before heading down to the arenas. I got Hoover again *sigh* He;s okay but we really don't work, I REALLY hope I'm not assigned to him. We had a pretty rough ride. During warm ups, Molly stumbled from such a clumpy arena. I was point for the first two drills. Th second drill Stetson stumbled but both were okay. Third drill I was 3-6 and Smooch nearly nailed Taz in the chest so that was another halt ho and he was okay. Immediately after Kaleidoscope Smooch slowed down to a trot so I went with it and I passed the rider but then everything got mixed up. We ended up not finishing that drill and saving it for next ride. As soon as I put Hoover away I watched my two good friends in Royal and took one of my friend's horse, AC, down because she had to clean the Volunteer. I put AC on the rail and I took Tomcat from another friend who had a class at 3. His neck is so fluffy! After that, I quickly went with my friend to get her flag boot off AC that I forgot. We also went to the office and we found her missing iPod from White Olympics! Woo! After all that I went home.

White Olympics 8/16/15

So the show was really been there, done that lol. I watched the show its my friend before I had to go costume for Batons. I practiced in the paddock a little bit and then we soon were ready to go wait at the gate to go in. The drill went well for the most part but a few people went the wrong way during star which confused me and resulted in me dropping my baton a few times. Two batons was also confusing but I just went with it. We placed 3rd in the end but I was kinda expecting it. Then I took my friend and dropped her off and went home

New Batons!

So I'm ordering new batons I'm so excited! I think I'll end up getting two American Beauty Classic with red caps! I can't wait for them to come in!

Last Ride of the Summer 8/11/15

So tonight I got Star, the Queen of Mareitude. She was an easy  groom, just a bit dusty. Her gaits are smooth and not fast and she reminded me a bit of Bingo. All three of our drills were good. Our Mariner's Cross and Double Thread could use some work though. I rode 2-3, 3-2, and 1st section point.  For now we're trying to touch up our drill and make it look neat for Annual. I'm so excited for Annual! After I unsaddled I helped feed a few horses and my friend and I played with the ponies a bit before heading home. A good way to end the summer.

Amazing JI 8/8/15

So I had batons at 9 as usual after powering up on some Starbucks lol. We practiced for the show and talked about getting a Red Batons. I waited for a bit before heading down to JI at 11 for T4. Myra came to tell me that I got Scout! I was nervous at first but Scout was being flipping adorable and I quickly calmed down about riding him. He was great! He's like a big couch and his gaits are super comfy. He responded really well and while I was helping the kids with their tack he kept on looking around and sniffing. Just generally making my heart melt. Today was also equitation testing so we were mostly in the center helping the Tendefeet get ready for their tests and keeping them out of the way of the people testing. Overall it went really well and I have a new horse crush. I really hope I get Scout again!

A Much Better Ride 8/4/15

So change of pace this week, I ended up getting Hoover #18. He was an easy groom and I got done fast. After a quick bumpy warm up curtesy of Hoover, we lined up for the first drill. I ended up riding as an American, which is essentially a CP with an American flag. It was pretty easy but fun. The next drill I was supposed to be a Colorado 4 but one of the newbies ( I'm still a newbie too), ended up peeling off in the wrong GPA and she was supposed to be a CO1. We fixed it by her taking my place and I just ended up a point. The third drill is where it got exciting! I got the position 1-3 and during the turn on Kaleidoscope while I was changing Hoover's lead he freaked and bucked and I ended up somersaulting off from lack of balance and a horse's hoof clipped my back and I'm glad I ended up not being stampeded to death. After a quick second to catch my breath, I got back on and we completed then drill. After the last drill we loped laps and focused on getting flying lead changes because they ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND PREVENT ACCIDENTS. It was then that the dirt I got in my jeans from my fall  was rubbing uncomfortably against on my legs which made the last part of the ride painful. So that was fun. My back started to hurt and I felt dizzy so I asked my mom to unsaddled my horse since she's a wrangler. My back should be good by the next ride. So yay

Saturday 8/1/15

Gad batons in the morning like usually and then I JIed for J4. I got Rolo! He's such a cutie. Anyway, I forgot my helmet and ended up borrowing one. The ride was interesting since it was an all boys team so I basically just went in a line and we worked on leads, so yeah.

Tuesday Crimson Ride 7/28/15

So I got Levi again for Crimson. I wonder if I'll keep him for winter schedule. So in class we mixed up the lineup. It just really wasn't my night because I messed up every drill during Big Circle. Ugh. I got 1-3 for the first drill and I ended up messing up by going into Big Circle because I waited to long and I missed who I had to follow, so we had to go back into our star. The second lineup I was my Western Heritage position of 4-4. This one was really both my and the girl riding 3-4's fault. Again, we messed up during Big Circle because we went to early and didn't wait for the rest of our four. For the third drill, I was 3-3 and on going out on Big Circle, Levi decided he wanted to follow the other riders in front of him instead of keep going to the other side of the arena but I managed to fix it and find my pair before going into Double Thread. I feel so horrible for messing up. Ugh. *bangs my face against the wall eternally*

Another Saturday 7/25/15

So last Saturday was pretty much the same as last week. I had batons at 9 and we ran the drill a few times and my friends and I thought it would be cool to bring Pixies back for Annual since we have enough Red girls. Yay! Then I hung out in the cafeteria with some friends before I had to JI and I got Wyoming. God, she's so pretty.

Western Heritage

Long show day, buy very fun! Grooming started at 7:30 and I got Levi again. I like him and we work well but I don't really want him as my assigned horse. I groomed him along with a girl on Royal who was also using him for the show. I chilled at Crimson's and Royal's shared kitchen with amazing food before I costumed. I love Crimson's capes! They look really cool the way they shine in the light. Not as long and flowing as Nighthorse, but still really cool and comfy. The saddle covers were also interesting because they clipped on the breast collar but also had two strings on each side that you had to tie to the saddle which confused me with my easily confused mind. But both drills were flawless with no halt hos. I can't wait for Annual and to try on Crimson's second costume. After that I unsaddled pretty quickly and went home.

Last Ride Before Heritage 7/21/15

So tonight was really fun! I got Levi #88. Tonight was also the Alumni Ride for the riders who graduated off Crimson. Levi was a great groom and had somewhat smooth trot and a slow rocking lope. We ran one Grand Entry and then rode two drills with the same lineup and I was 4-4. Which is not a bad position. You have to remember to post in certain areas and are basically cut off from the rest of 4th four! Just me and 3-4. After that I had my horse taken by an alumni and they ran two drills, so it was interesting to watch the old and current riders run Kaleidoscope. We had some full point quadrants. Reminded me of Nighthorse with 72 riders before the moves in February. The alumni who took my horse unsaddling him and then I went to go clean the Volunteer which was filthy. I think my lungs are black from all the dust. Lol. Anyway, I think we'll do great at Heritage.

Specialty Saturday 7/18/15

So I had quite an early start with baton's weeding at 8. I could have really used some coffee then. lol. After that was actual batons where we ran the drill a few times and worked on our specialties which for me was double batons. Then I had a two hour break before I JIed J5 with a friend which was nice since I hadn't done it in awhile. We got to choose which horse we wanted and I picked Count! He's so big and cute! So that was my day. Pretty relaxed.

From Nighthorse to Crimson

  Recently, I have moved from my very first Red Division team of Nighthorse Rangers to Crimson Rangers. It's been a pretty exciting stressful time. I didn't really care if I went to Royal or Crimson as I enjoyed both teams and their drills and I get to perform in some very fun shows like Estes! I've had two rides with my lovely new team and I am ready to rock Western Heritage! Woo! I'm still sad about having Nighthorse broken apart and losing my assigned horse, Bingo, but I'm ready for this team and to start Pink Ranger Training (Precisionettes training) in the fall!