WHOA GIRL!!!

Sara is our barn help...As in, she helps around the barn...As in, if there is a stall that needs mucking, or a water bucket that needs filled, she's our go-to girl! Sara is an all-around awesome chick, and today I got to get some great shots of her riding my mother's reining horse, Potter...this was her FIRST time on Potter, and also her FIRST time riding a reiner! I think she may be hooked!

Here are some shots of her warming him up....did I mention there was also a small show at our place today? Oh yeah, and did I also mention I peer pressured Sara into entering in the reining competition? I didn't? Oh well....here she is getting ready...NO PRESSURE! Yeah, I think she looks terrified too....I promise it gets better tho...she actually starts to LIKE it :)

Here is Sara officially being 'judged'...it is a rule that you must wear a western hat in this competition, and since Sara did not come over with the intent of showing today, it is only reasonable to accept that she did not have one...we'll fix that tho...what kind of cowgirl goes ANYWHERE without her hat???? Anyways, she borrowed one...where there's a will, there's a way! The kind gentleman serving as ring steward (assistant to the judge) loaned her his....It was a little big on her...OK, it was like 5 sizes too big on her, but it's a rule! Gotta wear a hat! It is not a rule that the hat must stay on for the whole class tho...as a matter of fact, it can fly off right after you begin and all will still be right in the world....that is what she was hoping for...that it would fly off right away...but sometimes things don't work out like you plan....notice the hat falling over here eyes during her first and most exciting maneuver, SPINS!!!! Makes me dizzy just THINKING about them! Come off hat! COME OFF ALREADY!!!
This reining pattern began with 4 spins to the left, then 4 spins to the right...that dadgum hat held on for all 8 spins, and it was a miracle Sara could even keep count of her turns when she could not see anything for reference! FINALLY, as she loped off, the hat succumbed....adios hateo! And it's a good thing too, running blind surely would have not been a good thing....here she is running her circles...eyes wide open!

And here she is taking our Little Brat on a cool down ride once her pattern was over....

Thank you Sara, for ALL you do! Hope you had fun today!

Happy Trails,

Leah