Macella's Corner Why We Do This, What’s In It For US
Under a mild blue sky, after the dependable layer of morning marine mist has lifted, I casually spent some time just “people watching” at the third of the Sonoma Horse Park shows. As I strolled around, my mind wandered to the question, “Just why do we all do this?” I decided to ask a few of my friends and fellow competitors what their favorite thing about showing was. It was an uplifting exercise and here are some of the answers I got:
Ian McFarlane: "That moment in the air over a new jump."
Horseshow mom Becky McIver: “Watching all the beautiful horses and riders.”
Trainer Mathius Ekeroth: "Those 2 good minutes in the ring."
Amateur rider Nicole Young: “The social scene at the shows and the burritos at this show!”
Starter Anthony Alfaro: Really enjoys the travel and the peo- ple.
Jean Edwards: Thinks it's like “summer camp with your horse."
USEF Steward Ron Rhodes: Just likes every part of the horse shows.
GARDINER SHOWJUMPING by Macella O'Neill
Dusty Blackwood: “The competition, it gives you a chance to see if you’re doing your job right."
Buddy Brown, similar to Dusty, added: "It makes me really happy to see one of my client’s take a step up that they've worked so hard for.”
Nicole Bloom: Loves to see the smile on the face of one of her clients when they accomplish one of their goals that they have been striving for.
Ned Glynn: “The challenge of making simple subtle adjust- ments to bring out the best in people when you need to."
Junior rider Haley Schwab: "Of course I love the riding", also at some of the very same shows she competes in, she loves watching the horses and people she admires. She can't think of any other sport where that is possible.
Lumpy Kilham: Loves to show horses herself but also loves the bond that she has with her daughter thru showing.
Starter Brian Garrity: Loves "the travel and the variety as well as the people," and admits even the long suffering office staff confessed to a fondness for the people.
Patrick Seaton: "Getting to jump in the show ring."
Kara Love: "Seeing how it all works when we are alone in the show ring" Lucie Wharton: Likes "seeing all my friends." Allison Kroft: "It's like taking a vacation with your horse." Hugh White: " watching the horses come along"
Matt Archer: "Watching the junior and amateur owner jump- ers."
Richard Keller: He really used to enjoy the shows a lot more, when they were more individual and unique, when they were often multi-discipline and when they were less mundane.
Damian Gardiner
MEMBER OF IRISH OLYMPIC TEAM & WINNER OF 175 GRAND PRIXS
Jenny Carbonari
GRAND PRIX RIDER
Now Welcoming Clients AT OUR NEW SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOCATION
Damian Gardiner 406.260.1856
Jenny Carbonari 406.250.1823
Photos © Sharon McElvain | Ad Design by Working lens Productions
friends agreed they like the strong bond that exists among the grooms, how they all help each other on set-up day as needed, how they have fun with the “pool” on the Grand Prix horses and how proud they are when their horses do well. Gelacio add- ed that he loves to send his horses out looking beautiful, and may I just add that in his case, working at DMS, that is quite an accomplishment!
My long time groom, Gelacio Arriaga, and many of his
As for Charlie and I, Charlie loves the eclectic mix of univer- sally passionate people and the diverse nature of the endeavor. Never really a boring day and very little chance of ever having a routine. And for myself, I love the how all encompassing the shows are. I can eat, sleep and breathe horses, riding, school- ing, teaching, showing, and then watch more of the same. I will never tire of it and it's a luxury to be able to do it!
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