The AQHA World Show Countdown!

Nineteen days until I step foot, for the first time, into the AQHA World Show arena. I am so excited, yet nervous at the same time. Don't tell my husband, but I think I am nearly as excited for this day as I was for our wedding. I think I have done as much planning about what to wear as my wedding and between the boots and hat I have probably spent nearly as much. I do plan to wear the hat and boots again, unlike my wedding dress. Sometimes, like right now, I wish I had my horse in my barn so I could go and burn off my nervous energy giving him a good brushing, but I know the reality is that with work and all our mud I wouldn't be able to keep him in proper condition for the World. So instead, what do I do? Watch World Show clips on youtube. I think I have watched every AQHA world show halter clip I can find on youtube. I have read the World Show Program at least ten times.

Competing in the AQHA World Show has always been a dream of mine. I knew I had qualfied for the world show in open aged stallions early in the spring, but had put it out of my mind because A. my horse is a bit old for a World Show halter debut B. I am a high school teacher and November isn't a good time to take a week off C. High school teachers in South Dakota are not high on the pay scale D. I have never gone before. In June my mind set started to change. First I finished my open performance ROM which meant that I could potentially show in performance halter where my horse may still be one of the oldest, but he isn't as much older as the others. Then I decided, if the June show got posted in time, I would try to qualify in performance halter. Show got posted. I got qualified. As an added bonus to the show where I qualfied for performance halter, I also finished up Daddys Legacy's Open AQHA Championship which was another item on my bucket list. Speaking of bucket lists, as I was still torn in my own head about going to the World Show, my Horse and Rider magazine arrived and low and behold, what was one of the main articles about? Horsey bucket lists! I read it and cried and knew I had to go to the World Show. I also knew it was sign when one of the editorials was about fathers (another story as how Daddys Legacy got his name). So 2009 has given me the opportunity to cross two things off of my bucket list- raise, train, and show an AQHA Champion and show at the AQHA World Show. My Dad would be so proud!