Region 5 Championships.......Moving In

Part 1

The weather during that time was the warmest yet of our summer. With temperatures is the high 80s when I arrived at the Evergreen Fairgrounds in Monroe, I could see the waves of heat rising off the asphalt. I was hoping to get my colt moved into a stall and out of that hot horse trailer before the hottest part of the day. However, since I was post entering my horse, we hadn't even been assigned a stall yet. I'd have to find the barn manager to get a place to go.

I parked my truck and horse trailer outside the facility in the approved lot and headed for the show office. That was the place I would most likely find the barn manager or someone who knew how to find him.

On the way I ran into a friend setting up her vendor booth. Our relationship has been strained for a while. She wanted to talk about it. I wanted to get my horse settled.......but I didn't want to brush her off either. I wanted things resolved. Yet, her words seemed to get lost in my thoughts of Rhet standing, sweating in my hot horse trailer. I made my apologies and moved on. We never did really get to talk about "it" after that............I wish that hadn't been the case.

Once at the show office, management made it clear if I wasn't entered, I wouldn't be assigned a stall. My horse would have to wait until they got through my paperwork. I was glad that the show was underway because there were no others waiting in line to enter. At least I wouldn't have to wait through that to get my horse entered.

I was glad I was prepared. My entry form was complete with all of the appropriate signatures signed......except that of my handler. I had copies of my cards and the colt's papers and my check already filled out for a scary, scary amount. I couldn't even wrap my mind around that amount for just one class but I had it all ready, right there in my hand. I tried to be patient while they processed my entry but all I could think about was Rhet standing in that hot trailer.

The barn manager arrived just as the assistant finished processing my paperwork. He showed me a map and pointed me to my stall. Being a late entry we'd be stalled in the portables. but then I had expected that. I headed back out into the heat and off to rescue my colt.

The gate man pointed me in a direction and I pulled my rig onto the showgrounds. I had an idea in my mind where I was going but it had been years since I'd shown at this facility. As I got closer to the bank of portable barns where Rhet was to be housed, I couldn't "see" a good place to park my rig. Instead I pulled on around the next real barn and found a place under some trees to park my rig. That way Rhet could have a little shade while I bedded his stall.

I unloaded my wheel barrow and rake and headed around the other side of my truck and nearly walked right into "the stallion owner." I was invisible to her.........but that way ok. I'll take invisible over a scene any day but it felt like an omen about the week. These grounds weren't going to be big enough to avoid the uncomfortableness I felt.

When I got to the portable stall assigned to us, I looked it over carefully. Portable stabling isn't always the safest.......and if there was a way to find some thing to get hurt, Rhet would be the horse to do it. The portable barn had been set-up on sand. All the edges inside the stall seemed to be smooth and there didn't appear to be any loose ends sticking up so I thought we were good.

The shavings bunker was right in front of the portable barn. That was convenient but there were very little shavings left. I quickly scrapped together as many as I could to bed the colt's stall as thickly as possible One thing I knew about Rhet at horse shows, he'd be digging. Keeping him clean with that dusty sand underneath was going to be difficult.

Once the stall was bedded, I went back to the horse trailer and retrieved buckets and some hay. Knowing Rhet and the way he'd behaved at Region 4 I needed everything in place before I put the colt in his stall. Otherwise he'd be trying to escape while I was trying to fill his water and get him food. After the colt was in that stall I wanted him undisturbed for a while so he could get a chance to settle.

When everything was ready I went to get Rhet. I led him through the cross aisle of the permanent barn. The whole time I wondered how he'd behave with such pressure. He'd never been in a building with so many aisles, let alone so many horses and people. I hoped I was setting myself up for a big wreck.

Rhet, however, behaved like a perfect gentleman. Curious about these new surroundings, the colt did plenty of looking but not once, did he do anything inappropriate. I was pretty impressed. The colt who used to drag me where ever I tried to take him is definitely growing up.

To be continued..........

Moving In Part 2


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