The Morgan Show

I left here on Tuesday morning for a meeting at 10 at the Evergreen Fairgrounds in Monroe. I was supposed to met both Jennifer, the show committee chair, and Brenda, the facility contact, but I arrived a few minutes late. The rush hour traffic hadn't subsided as much as I'd hoped and the two hour commute turned into more like three. It was a good thing I'd allowed myself extra time.

Even at that, Jennifer had already left. And Brenda just wanted to give me keys to the facility. I was going to have to stumble around myself and figure out things like locations of locked shavings bunkers and such. It was a good thing I had at least shown at this facility before so I had an idea about the barns and arenas and such.

I was relieved to find that the fairgrounds had been provided with stabling charts even though I hadn't. The stalls were already marked and the guard shack at the entrance to the horse complex had copies posted on their wall. Exhibitors would be able to find their stalls on their way into the barn area.

It didn't take long to locate Jennifer. She had a list of committee chairs for me although for the most part I still had no phone numbers. At least I had names of people to page if I needed help. We also went over the schedule for the following day. Mostly it would be a move in day. There would be a set-up for dressage which was to start at 8 on Thursday and some schooling time available before that. All of this the exhibitors were used to so there shouldn't be much complaining about the arena closure once the dressage ring was assembled.

I had learned from Lynn what I needed to have for tables and such for the ribbon people and for vendors. I also had an idea about the hired officials that would be working on the show. The paddock manager and the announcer both had history with the show so they knew how the sound system worked and where to find the equipment they needed.

The show secretary was going to arrive Tuesday evening. She would go and retrieve the club's supplies needed for the horse show. Then she would set up the show office in the morning for a noon opening. Other than that there were a couple of big barns that would move in sometime on Tuesday which was why I was there a day early in the first place. Once I took care of getting them their bedding, I would be able to check into my motel , get something to eat and rest up before the real work started the following morning.

I located the maintenance worker in charge of the horse facility on the day shift. We went over what I'd been needing in the way of delivering bagged shavings and requirements for drags of the arena and such. He informed me the rest rooms were locked with newly painted floors but that was a typical horse show issue. I could get them unlocked when I needed even if the paint wasn't dry.

The first two barns of exhibitors arrived pretty early in the day. I made sure they received the bagged shavings they'd ordered, the bath rooms were unlocked for them and then I headed out.

I called my friend, Bev, who lives not far from Monroe. I don't get in her neck of the woods often so I wanted to take advantage of it and see her new foal as well as check out the progress of her two Legs' babies. I knew if I didn't get it done on this first day, the odds were against getting it done at all.

Bev's new colt by Julian El Jamaal is a pretty fancy boy, and friendly too! The three year old filly out of my midget mare, Lilly, and by Legs looks just like her full sisters, Hope and Faith. I think when she matures she'll have more dish to her face than her sisters but she has the same sweet disposition.

The two year old half Arabian gelding out of the palomino mare, Dreams of Gold, I didn't recognize at first. Don't ask me why, maybe it was his size. For two he is absolutely huge. He still looks like a purebred except for one thing.

There's something odd about his coloring. From a distance he looks like a bay but looking closer he's got a golden cast to his color. It's gold enough I'm wondering if he carries a dilute gene after all and expressing it over the bay agouti. Sure wish I'd had my camera to capture this interesting coloration. I'm wondering if he's not what they call a sooty buckskin or some similar unusual color. Whatever it is it's pretty darn interesting. Anyone who knows about these things care to weight in? Both Bev and I would sure like to solve this puzzling question.

Tomorrow's post I'll do an overview of this Morgan show, then I'll move on to the Arabian show we just finished up in Salem. I'd much rather be posting about showing than working, that's for sure.

I'm hoping to have more pictures by then. Notice I said "more." I've been sent a couple but was hoping to have more before I began. Lots went on at this show and the pics I have don't come anywhere near telling the story.

To be continued........

Moving In

The above picture is one from the archives of Bev and Nugget. I'm not sure what his age was in this picture but I can tell you he's much taller now. My guess is he's at least 15 hands which is huge for an Arabian and Nugget is 15/16ths, if I remember correctly.


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