Of horses and hairpins

Ah. A quiet moment. Sometimes it's easy to take those moments for granted, but after a month that has been full of activity it's nice to sit down and relax. I just realized that I haven't posted since July...where has the time gone? Since my last post a lot has happened around here, the biggest event being the state Cowgirl Queen contest which took place last Friday, August 12. Since that has definitely been a highlight of this month, I thought I'd share some of the memories from that day...

{all photos taken by my friend Rachel}

 Our day at the fairgrounds started at about 10:30am (the show wasn't until about 7:30pm) , and it was all craziness from there! I was glad to have my parents, 2 of my sisters, and a couple of friends along to help out...honestly, there is no way I could have done it without them!!

It's amazing how many little details need to be taken care of before you enter the show ring!

Want to guess how much hairspray it took to keep those curls in place??
{many thanks to my friends for doing my hair!}

One minor detail that I would have overlooked had someone not pointed it out was the matter of keeping the hat on. Really the only way to keep a western hat securely on is to stick long hairpins between the brim of your hat and into your hair. I really wasn't looking forward to it because I had several people tell me that, "If it doesn't hurt, it's not on tight enough." Let's just say that, yes, my hat was definitely on tight enough and I was more than glad to take it off when the contest was over!!

  

Though we didn't advance to the final round, I really enjoyed the experience as a whole. There were around 90 young ladies competing in the Sr. division, so I wasn't expecting to place. I'm quite pleased with how Flash did for me, and I had a lot of fun doing it. I'm so glad that God gave me this opportunity, and my prayer is that all glory goes to Him alone!

If you want to see a video of the Sr. Cowgirl Queen contest, you can check it out HERE 

(it's not full length, just bits and pieces of it)

. . . . .

I hope to start posting a little more, if my schedule allows. When life is busy blogging just doesn't make top of the priority list! I don't want it to become something that I feel I "have" to do...this is just an outlet for my photographs, daily life, life lessons, as well as a few other things. Even though I haven't been posting much as of late, I'd still love for you to tag along :)

I hope that you have had a wonderful summer so far!

Cowgirl Queen Contest {and pre-fair show}

 It was a very long day...

It was a very warm day...

It was a very tiring day...

But sometimes it's those long, hot, and tiring days that turn out to be some of the most memorable days!

 Friday (July 1st) evening was the Cowgirl Queen contest and Pre-Fair show, both of which I participated in. But instead of giving you a long, boring description, let me tell you the events of the day in pictures...that's always more interesting, right?


{most photos taken by my sister Hannah and friend Alexandra...thanks girls!}

. . . . .

I was up at a fairly good time, and got right into getting Flash ready to go. She had her bath on Friday night, so really all that needed to be done with her was band her mane (a 2 hour job) and put on hoof black.

My friend came over early afternoon to help me with my hair and makeup. Honestly, I don't wear much makeup other than occasional cover-up and some mascara, but since it was a "special" event we did the whole deal.

The cowgirl queen contest started at 5:00pm, so my intention was to get there by 3:30, or at latest 4:00. Sounds easy enough...but we didn't get there until 4:10. I started getting a little stressed out when they announced that the Sr. Queen contestants (all two of us...) needed to be down at the gate in 5 minutes, and I didn't even quite have my whole outfit on, let alone have Flash warmed up!

First, we had to preform a horsemanship pattern. It wasn't too hard...extended jog, stop, 360 pivot, jog, left lead canter, stop, back, and then answer a question from the judge. Even though it was an easier pattern, I still managed to mess up a little bit :)

After the pattern we had rail work...basically a Western Pleasure class, but the focus was more on our horsemanship than the horse. I was so proud of Flash when she took her right lead (we've been having problems with that this year...)!!!!!

Lastly, we got to do the Cowgirl Queen salute...my favorite part!!

As I've been practicing over the past month or two, I decided that I would give this contest my best effort and leave the results up to God.  But even though I knew that God was in control, there was that little part of me that started to wonder if my best would be good enough.

When they finally announced the 2011 Sr. Cowgirl Queen, I was quite excited to hear that I had won! The glory goes to the Lord!

I want to note that even though I won this contest, please do not think that I have wonderful horsemanship and a perfectly trained horse...there were only two of us showing and it was pretty close. In reality, I hardly show at all and my horse is far from the "pleasure type" (though she is a wonderful horse!!). Both of us have a lot to learn, and I hope to keep learning as long as I possibly can!!

As Sr. Cowgirl Queen I will be competing at the State level in August. I usually only show my horse 2-3 times a year (mainly at 4-H related shows) and that is the extent of my showing experience. Competing at State will be a huge learning curve for me as I've never competed in a show that big! The State show isn't just 4-H queens, there are also many queens from saddle clubs and Iowa horse breed associations. As with Friday's competition - I'm going to give it my absolute best and leave the results in God's hands. I'll keep you updated on the State show as it gets closer to that time, but for now I'm going to share a few more pictures from the rest of the pre-fair show...

:: My little sisters doing the cowgirl queen salute ::

:: Halter class - even though Flash doesn't have perfect conformation, it's still a good learning experience ::

:: Trail class - let's just say that we have a lot that we need to work on in the two weeks left before fair ::

All in all it was a good day. Even though we didn't win any of our classes (besides Cowgirl Queen) I still had fun and got a good idea of what I need to work on before Fair. Sorry for rambling on about all this horse related stuff over the past few weeks...I know that some of you may not be horse crazy like me and I'll be back to posting some not-quite-so-horsey posts soon :)

Just wanted to let ya'll know....

The cowgirl queen contest scheduled for yesterday was postponed due to rain, and the date was moved to this Friday (July 1st). I was a little bit disappointed about this change of events because I had pretty much everything ready and was almost to the point of  "let's just get this over with"....and now I have to wait another week! But on the bright side, I'll have some extra time to work on a few things that need some improvement (leads, patterns, and stopping). Another advantage is that they changed the time to 5:00pm...so I don't have to be up at 5:15am again!!!! I'm praying that the weather is nice on Friday and that everything runs smoothly.

Thanks for your sweet and encouraging comments on my previous post :) I hope that all of you had a wonderful (and dry) weekend!

:: banding Flash's mane ::

It's show time!

Clean tack. check

practice. Practice. PRACTICE. check

Makeup and hair. check

Get Flash all "prettied up". check

Show outfit. check

Make a list of everything that has to be done so that I can check this off of the list. check

 . . . . .

On Saturday I'm competing in my first Senior Cowgirl Queen contest - and let's just say that even though I've put a lot of effort into the preparation, I still feel really un-prepared!

The 4-H horse group in our county has a Cowgirl Queen contest every year, and the winner of both the Junior and Senior divisions will get to represent our group at the state competition in August. This will be my second year competing, and my first year in the Senior division. The past few weeks have been kind of crazy trying to get everything together!

The competition consists of rail work (pretty much a western pleasure class), a horsemanship pattern, and the cowgirl queen salute to top it all off. This year there are only two of us competing in the Senior division, so that helps a lot. We will mainly be judged on our horsemanship abilities, and then slightly on appearance. It's kind of fun to have an occasion that I can go all out with Western show attire :)

If you think about it, I would really appreciate your prayers on Saturday morning (the show starts and 9:00 - bright and early)! Right now I'm a little bit nervous about the whole thing, but also really excited about the opportunity. The results are in God's hands - I'm going to give it my very best and leave the rest up to Him.

I have a busy preparation day ahead of me tomorrow, as it is the "get-all-the-last-minute-things-done" day. I'll try to post a lot of photos and the results sometime later on this weekend, so I hope that you'll check back soon!!

I love my horse :)

Keep your helmet on

You know, life with horses can be quite the adventure. During the past 4 years of owning Flash I've learned so many things! There have been many opportunities to learn more about horses in general, but I've also found that owning a horse can teach you a lot of life lessons. Who's better at teaching you patience, perseverance, and endurance than an ornery pony???

There is one riding "rule" that I try to be very strict about obeying - always wear a helmet. No matter what horse I'm riding or where I'm riding, I always wear a helmet because accidents happen. Yes, they can be uncomfortable or get hot in the summer, but if something would ever happen it could save your life. Flash has never tried to hurt me, and I don't think she ever would, but that doesn't mean that accidents won't happen.

A week or two ago I was out riding Flash through the field, and I asked her to canter. She took off much faster than I was hoping, and I had a little bit of trouble controlling her. As I was working on slowing her down she stepped in a hole and stumbled, throwing me off the front. Praise the Lord that both of us were fine and I came away with nothing more than a few bruises and mild whiplash. It could have been so much worse, especially if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

The reason I write this isn't just to tell you to "always wear a helmet when you ride", but to remind you of something much more important than wearing your helmet. Our trust in the Lord, in some ways, can be compared to a helmet. When we put on a helmet we are not promised a perfect ride with no accidents...but we are going to be protected if we fall. In the same way, when we put our trust in God we are not promised a perfect life free of trials and persecution, but we do have the hope of eternal life and the peace that comes from knowing that everything is in God's hands. If we fall off of our horse, we aren't going to take off our helmet, throw it on the ground and blame it for the accident...if anything it will make us more thankful for the helmet knowing that it may have just saved our life. When trials of this life come we shouldn't "take off" our faith in God and blame Him for our problems, but let those things draw us nearer to our Savior, knowing that He cares for us and wants what is best for our lives.
 

(this is no one in particular, just a cute little girl that was at the barrel show that I went to today)

So my dear friends....keep your helmet on....especially when the road gets bumpy.

Enjoy the ride :)

A Horse and a Camera...

...make a very fun combination on a beautiful afternoon!

And for once, I wasn't the one behind the camera :)
(all photos taken by my sister, Hannah)

 

{I love my horse!}

For the love of horses

Horses are my definitely my favorite animal. No question about it. And since I love horses so much, I can't help but do a blog post on them. God put so much beauty and strength into these wonderful animals...you can't help but love 'em.

I've loved horses for just about as long as I can remember. When I was young I prayed for horse, but it didn't become a reality until I was 12. That's when I got my first horse, Buck. Long story short, he lived up to his name, we sold him, and I kept praying! It wasn't until later that year that Flash came into my life and she has been a perfect match for me.

Flash is my 21 year old red dun Quarter Horse mare, and I love her a ton! She has her ornery moments, and even though she's older she's got a lot of spunk left in her. At our county fair we do the pleasure and trail classes, but for some reason she seems to like barrels and poles better (that's fine with me...I prefer those as well!). I've loved teaching her new things and having her teach me a lot as well. I'll admit that there I times I have gotten frustrated, but it's hard to be like that for long because she tries so hard to do what I tell her. She was truly an answer to prayer and I'm so amazed at how God worked!

Misty is my sister's 4 year old Shetland Pony that she got for her birthday last year (it was such a gift from God...read the story here). We just started the process of training her a few weeks ago, and she is doing wonderful! Sarah has started riding on her own, and we have even taken her on a trail ride! I've enjoyed being apart of the process and learning all I can about horse training. 

So why do I love horses? I'm not exactly sure. Maybe it's that horsey smell. The excitement of cantering bareback with the wind blowing through your hair. Trail rides on crisp autumn days. The accomplishment you feel when your horse finally understands what you've been trying to teach for the past 2 weeks. The scent of new leather. Or maybe it's just knowing that we're a team.

So for all you horse lovers/owners out there, take time to show your equine pal just how much you love them. Give them their favorite treat, groom them, or take them on a walk. They'd probably appreciate knowing that you love them.

(And in case you're wondering...I'm not sure if Flash really liked having this picture taken or not.)

County Fair Update

I have to apologize for not keeping my blog up to date in the last few weeks. Our 4-H county fair started last Friday, and it goes through this Thursday! Today doesn't have much going on, so I'm actually home for the afternoon. I know some of you had mentioned that you would like to hear what is going on during the fair, so I though I'd give you a little update.

Friday wasn't too busy...we just took the horses to the fairgrounds. The dog show was also on Friday night, and Hannah showed our dog Bentley. They got 2nd in their obedience class. She was quite excited about that, and is also looking forward to showing again next year!

On Saturday I showed my Quarter Horse, Flash, and my sister Sarah showed her Shetland pony, Misty. Flash and I didn't place very well in any classes...but I'm alright with that as we have greatly improved since last year, and that's what counts. Sarah showed Misty in the 2-3 year old halter class, and there was only one other person competing against them (which was really nice since this was Sarah's first year showing). Misty was a little ornery, but they still placed 1st in their class...great job Sarah! We also had our exhibits judged on Saturday, and all of my pictures got blues. The seasons collage went onto State!

 (Sarah showing Misty)

(Myself showing Flash)

Yesterday was communications, and I participated in two Share the Fun acts. The first was a skit that I did with my club, and the second was a vocal quartet that I did with my sister Hannah and my friends Alexandra and Jessica. We did the song "On Faith Alone" by Robert Pierre; Hannah and Alexandra played violin, Jessica played piano, and I sang. We hope and pray that all we did represented Christ, and that He got all of the glory! I think that all of us were quite nervous, but we were able to do it almost perfectly...which is better than we have ever done before! We got a blue ribbon, and tomorrow we'll find out if we go onto State or not. One of my close friends and her family had been missionaries overseas, and she came in on Saturday. Their family came to the fair yesterday...it was great to see them again!

(From left to right: Hannah, Jessica, Rebekah, Alexandra)

Tomorrow is the swine show, and then Thursday is the livestock auction. This will probably be the last post before fair is over...it's quite a busy week!

~ Rebekah

Answered Prayers...A Dream Come True

She was 7 years old when she started praying for a pony. A black pony with a star on it’s forehead to be exact. She knew God would answer her prayers, she just didn’t know when or how it would happen. She just trusted God, and knew that He would do what was best for her.

The girl, Sarah, had now been praying for 3 years, and she still didn’t have a pony. She just kept trusting and praying. A few days before her 10^th birthday party, her mom got a call from a friend of hers who owned horses and knew a lot about them. This friend had gotten a call from her neighbor saying that she had to move to town by that weekend, and needed a home for her pony. This friend was calling Sarah’s mom to ask if their family would be interested in getting the pony. She said that she would go look at it, and then call back with more details. The next day the friend went to look at the pony, and when she drove up saw that it was a black pony with a star on its forehead. She knew what Sarah had been praying for; this was it! She brought the pony to her farm and called Sarah’s mom. Sarah’s mom and dad decided to go look at the pony and see if they thought it would be the right pony for Sarah. The pony was not trained to ride, but was very sweet and trainable. Her parents knew this was the pony for Sarah, but didn’t tell her about it as they wanted it to be a surprise.

A couple days later was Sarah’s 10^th birthday party and her parents had figured out a way to surprise her. After the party they “had” to take one of the girls (who just happened to be the daughter of the family who was keeping the pony at their house) home. This girl was in on the surprise too, so she asked Sarah to come into the barn so she could show her their hay fort. When Sarah walked into the barn, her mom stopped her and said, “Sarah, did you know that Someone else has also given you a present for your birthday? God heard your prayer, and decided to answer it.” Sarah was then led to the stall where the pony was, and was told that this was her pony, her answer to prayer. Sarah didn’t know what to think! It was so hard to believe that this pony was actually hers! She was so excited, and could hardly wait for the day she could bring her home. Sarah named her pony Midnight Mist, but called her Misty for short. A week later, they went back to get the pony and brought her home. What a neat story on how God can answer prayers, right?

While this may sound like “just a neat story” but one that likely wouldn’t happen to anyone, I know for a fact that it can, and did, happen. The girl, Sarah, is my sister, and Misty is her answer to prayer. Misty has been a great addition to our little farm, and she and Sarah get along pretty well. This is no make-believe story. God does, and will, answer prayers. If He can hear the prayers of a little girl praying for a pony, He can hear your prayers. God wants you to trust Him, and believe that He can do the unbelievable. 

Just as a little side note...this story took place in late October of 2009. We are now working with Misty on ground manners, but would like to start breaking her to ride sometime this summer. Though she can be pretty ornery at times, she is doing quite well. God really knew which horse would be perfect for Sarah from the day she started praying, and even before then. Misty has even taught us a few lessons...such as patience and perseverance :)