Our first day of performance here in OKC with our Morgans found them competing in no less than three arenas simultaneously. The new dressage coliseum was put to good use kicking off three days of well over 125 dressage rides. It's wonderful to have this happening so close to the other arenas, instead of out back in Timbuktu. For those of you looking for a quiet place to drink your morning coffee and ponder the day ahead, try watching this very concentrated ballet between horse and rider.
The performance classes in the main coliseum featured English Pleasure, Classic Saddle and harness and Pleasure Driving in the morning, and although they moved right along, we had a stop and go and stop and go Four Year Old English Pleasure Stallion & Gelding class that seemed destined never to finish. Our first interruption was a lost shoe by last year's World Champion Three Year Old English Pleasure horse, Graycliff Tony, who had the cat-like attitude of "Who ME? I didn't have a problem, I'm GRRRRREAT!" following his timeout. No sooner the class was back underway than a portion of the long wall sign popped off in front of Larry Bolen's bright Cedar Creek Cariad, sending the two spiraling backward to avoid the unwelcome obstacle. What a way to get ears on your horse! Larry stuck like glue and his horse followed Tony's lead and simply marched onward to finish the class. To prove a little shoe issue did nothing to ruin his good nature, Tony and Luman Wadhams were honored to make their victory pass in this tough class.
The show arena across the street was filled with the country's best Morgan Hunter and Western Pleasure horses, and we had two walk-trot classes that actually had to be split--a great testiment to the growth of our youth in Morgans.
Our evening sessions are limited to the main coliseum only, which is wonderful because you will see every discipline represented. One of the loveliest classes of the evening was the Western Pleasure Stallions, a collection of attire and curvy horses that is eye candy to railbirds. The winner of this beautiful class was the popular Treble's Tanqueray with Judy Nason aboard. A colorful class in both rider coat color and horse coat color as well, we enjoyed a palomino appearance as well as a rare gray Morgan. With a workout in the Ladies English Pleasure geldings between eventual winner Fait Accompli and Katie Mair, dualing against Peggy Alderman and Graywood's Arthur, the classes built up in excitement until we reached a climax with the Amateur Park Saddle Stallions, followed by the Roadster to Bike. It was just what the doctor ordered in the park saddle class as Dr. Grace Steere had a gangbuster ride on her dark friend Lamborghini in Black, last year's World Champion Park Saddle horse with trainer David Rand in the irons.
Leave it to funloving Morgan people to start a crowd "wave" as show manager Fred Nava ripped around the ring with the drag in tow in preparation for the night's finale, the roadsters. Luman Wadhams turned away a large class of great road horses, including former World Champions, with the beautiful and speedy Dragonsmeade Maxmara for Treble's Morgan Manor. Hey, maybe we can get Luman and Fred to pit tractor against horse later this week?
I do think they're going to need to install an "ice cream free zone" in the coliseum. I thought I would lose it when the 17th cup of ice cream with sprinkles wafted by me in my seat this evening. I don't know how much longer I can stand it. I may have to have a sundae to save the life of a child (who may try to walk by me again tomorrow with more ice cream).
--Tami Johnson
