Alpine Preview 2018

The Cascade Horse Shows have been a favorite of mine, so having fun at this show was a given. Danner and I stepped up this show into the 3'3" Junior Hunters and the 3'3" medals. We also competed in our second derby in which we placed 7th and were the highest placing junior/amateur! One of the many reasons I love this horse show is because they have a class called the "Derby Cross." In which you go into the hunter ring, and you ride a handy hunter course, and then you walk directly into the jumper right and ride a jumper course. Danner and I competed in this class, and we were the highest scoring hunter round and placed fourth overall! Danner also won the NCEA medal and the Jump Seat medal! I was thrilled with how Danner went this show, and I would like to thank my parents, Maggie Blackmon, Zandi Lougheed, Ruel Johnson, and Tara Johnson, for making this week possible! 

Alpine Preview, 2016

Right after school ended, I headed to Cle Elum, Washington, to show Milo and Doc at Alpine Preview. As usual, I did both ponies in the rated ponies and Milo in the 2'6" open low hunter. First schooling day was pretty good, Ruel came to school us and all went well. On the first day of 2'6," schooling went super, Milo was fabulous, and we ended up winning one class and getting third in the second over fences round. I'm super proud of how we did because it was out of 18 entrees, including professionals, and the judge decided should Milo be on top. The second day of schooling 2'6", we came out with a second and a third and we didn't do the flat. I was sitting where our tent is set up, and I see my trainer bike down with a champion in her hand, and she points to me and says, "good job," and I was so confused. We ended up champion in the 2' 6" schooling hunters!

The next day, equitation started, and it did not go how we wanted. We cantered in for our warm-up hunter, and it went pretty well, we ended up second; but then, we went for our equitation over fences, and we started with two beautiful jumps, and we turned the corner for a bending line, it was raining and windy, and Milo saw something from the corner of his eye and spooked to the right, past the jump. He did that two more times, and we were excused, I was devasted: but it happens to everyone, and not every round can be how I want it to be. Next two days, hunters. First hunter day went awesome; Milo jumped everything, got third in our under saddle, and was super rideable; we walked back with a first, second, and third. Second hunter day went great as well, we got second in our first classic round with an 80, second in our second hunter round and first in our second round of the classic with a 79, winning the classic. After points were calculated, Milo ended up Reserve Champion in the pony hunters!

Doc and I didn't have a quite as a successful show, but he was equally excellent, we did the schooling 2'3" but didn't place in any classes due to some missed lead changes. In our first hunter round, we had a couple missed lead changes, but he didn't try to pull through my hands at all, a huge improvement! The second hunter round, we got all our lead changes, but I held him back too much to the single oxer, and we chipped it badly, but he was excellent with his lead changes! In the under saddle, he got a second under Malena Delgado, thanks, Malena! Overall, Alpine Preview was a considerable improvement for Doc, and I could not have asked more from him.

Alpine Preview, 2015

The Oxers are no problem for 21 year old Memory Lane

Alpine Preview was my second show ever. I rode Memory Lane "Mimi" in the children's ponies and was reasonably successful. Mimi is a schooling pony at Blue Heron Farm. She is an excellent pony to learn the horse show schedule on. She is not challenging to ride, but she isn't push-button either. This show, we got two firsts, a second, and a third on our equitation as well as a Reserve Champion! I could not have been happier with how we did. My first show (at the same show, a year prior) Didn't go as well as I had hoped, and I did learn a lot, so to come back from that and get a Reserve Champion, I was so proud of myself and my pony. The next two show days consisted of yellows and whites and pinks, all placings that I am very proud of. Even though we didn't place the highest, We did the best we could have done, and I would not have asked for more.

Besides showing, we explored the trails and had barn family dinners and overall had a ton of fun. These showgrounds are one of my favorites, even though it can get a little hot. Congratulations, Aiden and Erica Smedley, on their Reserve Champion in the short stirrup and Malena with Effortless and Hana with Pharlee on their champion and reserve champion in children's horses. Thank you, Ruel Johnson and Tara Devlin, for letting me ride such an awesome pony and keeping me at my best for my second show ever.