We're Going To A Show! Now What Do I Wear?

Wearing my navy Madrids

So the story of my life is that as much as I love to show (or used to, anyhow), I haven't really been to many shows with Tucker. Work, my health, his health, being poor...blah, blah, blah.
We got through the EPSM episodes and I threw myself into dressage lessons with Bill Woods and this year was able to connect with Marcea Funk at Rocking Horse for our cross country and jumping lessons. We were entered in a schooling show last December, just a month coming off an injury to his front left ankle but while he had been sound and appeared on the mend, I pulled him up after our 3rd jump, not liking how he felt.
We pretty much missed our eventing season, which in Florida, is from January to March for recognized events, so we entered the March trials, only for him to come up lame 3 days before the show. Hmmm....was my always sound horse trying to tell me that he didn't want to compete? I was feeling paranoid!
So fast forward, the month of May comes to an end next week...and my husband Peter, myself and Tucker, all May babies, will be another year older. I have been preaching about trying to start making myself deal with this horrid heat and how I want to focus on our dressage and show jumping, so I decided to put my money where my mouth is, and I entered a schooling show at Rocking Horse this weekend. That, and my friend Tuesday kind of pressured me into going with her. Nothing like peer pressure! We are NOT doing cross country however...it is just too hot for that. One test (USEA BN2) and 2 stadium rounds ( 2'6 and 2'11) will be plenty.



We had our first dressage lesson since March this morning. I picked Bill's brain, as I have never done a dressage schooling show. Do I have to braid Tucker's mane? (No, but I just might anyhow!) And the biggest questions: What can I wear? I have the lovely Devon-Aire Madrids in navy, tan or charcoal. Are they acceptable? Yes, Bill assured me. But, he cautioned me: wear dark breeches with a light shirt or light breeches with a dark shirt. NO pink or purple and please don't wear black breeches and a black shirt, especially on a black horse. No Zorro or Batman styling. As a judge, he has seen it all! So! What do I wear? I am limited on my tops. I have a beautiful Ariat Sunstopper shirt in navy with white polka dots, but it seems to have disappeared.

Ariats Sunstopper Shirt

I wore it last week, now I cannot find it. I have taken to changing clothes at the barn, since I have a new car, with leather seats, and I want to keep it looking new a little while longer, but the shirt is not at the barn. I am sure I will find it. So I am thinking of pairing that shirt with the tan breeches. With my Mango Bay eventing belt in blue. Or, I could wear the charcoal breeches but I would have to get a white shirt. I have ratcatchers, but without a coat, or even with a coat, they don't seem like a very fashionable option anymore. And speaking of coats....I know it will be hot and it will take every thing I have to ride a 3 minute test without passing out from the heat, but the really vain side of me does want to wear my coat. I hate my post menopause bloating that won't go away and I really would like to hide it with a coat. That is one nice thing about the Ariat shirt...I normally refuse to buy anything Ariat (and I didn't buy this, it was a gift!) but this shirt is not form fitting so I feel that it hides the belly a little better than other shirts of similar styles. Oh, #eventerproblems!

As for our lesson? As Bill put it, accuracy, check, impulsion, check. Roundness...well, lets just say it is still a work in progress. Bill would like to be able to check that off, sooner than later. He suggested a different bit for schooling. Tucker goes in a loose ring snaffle, for both dressage and jumping. Bill thinks a skinnier snaffle or even a twist will get a little more respect from Tucker for a more immediate reaction to my asking him to round. Our test this weekend will be a good verification of where we are and what our summer goals need to be. Stay tuned.....