§§ SALLY BLOUNT AND PAUL YEAGER
HAVE THE STORY.
SALLY, WE'RE HERE IN THE STALLING AREA AND, AS ALWAYS, AT
ANYTIME ANY TIME OF DAY, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON.
BUT WHEN IT'S BEFORE A COMPETITION, IT GETS PRETTY
TENSE.
YEAH, IT DOES BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS
READY, THE HORSE AND THEMSELVES.
NERVES IS A HUGE PART OF ANY COMPETITION.
HOW DO YOU CALM THOSE NERVES?
I ALWAYS SAY TO SMILE.
I THINK THAT THE SMILE KIND OF GETS YOU FROM THE TOES TO THE
TOP, AND YOU RELAX.
WE'RE RELAXED HERE, BUT THERE'S MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT.
THEY'RE PRETTY TENSE BEFOREHAND.
YOU'RE A PAST SUPERINTENDENT.
OFFER US A LITTLE ADVICE FOR THOSE GETTING READY TO SHOW
BEFORE THEY GO INTO THE RING.
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THE SCHEDULE IS SO YOU'RE UP AT THE
RIGHT TIME, AND MAKE SURE ALL YOUR TACK IS IN GOOD SHAPE.
WE BEGIN WITH THE OPEN COUNTRY ENGLISH PLEASURE CLASS AS THE
ENTRANTS COME INTO THE JACOBSON ARENA AT THE IOWA STATE
FAIRGROUNDS.
THIS IS A PLEASURE CLASS, SO YOU WANT A HORSE THAT IS WELL
MANNERED AND A PLEASURE TO RIDE, REALLY KIND OF UNFLAPPABLE.
OUR JUDGE IS JUDY JENSEN, AND SHE IS FROM MINNESOTA.
JENSEN: WE'RE LOOKING FOR TALENT.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR STEADINESS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE ABILITY TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AS I AM A
SHOW HORSE AND YOU BETTER LOOK AT ME BECAUSE LOOK HOW COOL I
AM.
THAT REALLY COMES ACROSS WITH A LOT OF HORSES -- IT REALLY DOES
-- AND RIDERS.
§§ ALL THAT PREPARATION AND
ANTICIPATION HAS RESULTED IN A BLUE RIBBON FOR THIS YOUNG LADY.
§§ AND OUR WINNER IS OWNED BY
GREENWOOD STABLES IN NORWALK.
OUR NEXT CLASS IS THE SADDLE SEAT EQUITATION.
THIS IS FOR RIDERS 17 AND UNDER.
IN THIS CLASS, THE RIDER IS JUDGED ON THEIR ABILITY, NOT THE
HORSE.
BEFORE THEY WENT INTO THE RING, WE HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH
A COUPLE OF THE RIDERS.
OH, YEAH, THERE'S SOME NERVES WITH IT, AND HAVE TO OVERCOME
YOUR NERVES.
THE HORSE GETS DISTRACTED FROM ALL THE THINGS AROUND, AND YOU
HAVE TO KEEP THE HORSE FOCUSED AND KEEP THEM IN CONTROL BECAUSE
SOMETIMES THEY WANT TO JUST GET OUT OF THERE.
I GOT MY FIRST HORSE WHEN I WAS IN FIFTH GRADE, AND I STARTED
SHOWING.
IT WAS EXACTLY ABOUT THE RIBBON.
IT WAS MORE ABOUT PARTICIPATING.
IT'S BEEN SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
I JUST REALLY ENJOY COMPETING HERE.
§§ REALLY SOME BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS
HERE IN THIS CLASS AND A VERY TOUGH DECISION FOR THE JUDGE.
§§ OUR WINNER IS OWNED BY RENAE VAN
ZOMEREN OF LEIGHTON.
NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE HACKNEY HARNESS PONY SINGLE CLASS.
THESE ARE THE HIGH STEPPERS.
THESE LITTLE GUYS ARE LIKE PEACOCKS.
THEY'RE SHOWOFFS AND THEY LOVE TO BE IN THE RING.
WE SPOKE WITH THE SHOW ANNOUNCER ABOUT THE HACKNEY PONIES.
WARNER: THESE ARE THE LITTLE GUYS THAT STEP REALLY, REALLY HIGH AT WHAT
WE SAY IN THE TRADE, ALL FOUR CORNERS.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE THAT'S GOOD
FOR THE INSIDE OF A MAN.
WELL, THOSE THINGS, THEY'RE SPECTACULAR.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THEM, AND WE DON'T SEE THEM OFTEN
ENOUGH.
WHAT A TREAT THAT WE CAN STILL SEE THEM IN THE SHOW RING AT THE
IOWA STATE FAIR.
AND OUR WINNER IS OWNED BY MARK AND STACY HUPFELT OF DYSART.
NOW THE OPEN WESTERN PLEASURE, THE 18 AND OVER CLASS.
THIS IS AN OPEN CLASS, MEANING DIFFERENT BREEDS OF COURSES ARE
ELIGIBLE TO SHOW.
THERE'S A LOT OF HORSES THAT WHEN THEY START ANNOUNCING THE
WINNERS, THEY'RE GETTING REAL ANTSY TO GO GET THEIR PRIZE, AND
SOMETIMES THEY DON'T GET FIRST.
THAT'S VERY HARD FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND.
IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR THE RIDERS ONCE IN A WHILE TOO.
THESE HORSES ARE MORE TYPICALLY SHOWN IN WHAT WE CONSIDER
ENGLISH CLASSES.
THIS WESTERN CLASS GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO SHOW OFF THEIR
VERSATILITY.
ALSO A CHANCE TO SHOW OFF THEIR WESTERN TACK AND ATTIRE.
AGAIN, ANOTHER TOUGH CHOICE FOR THE JUDGE HERE.
AND OUR WINNER IS OWNED BY DIANE STEFFEN OF HUDSON.
NEXT UP, THE ARABIAN/HALF ARABIAN NATIVE COSTUME OPEN
CLASS.
THE ARABIAN HORSE WAS THE PRIZE POSSESSION OF THE BEDOUINS.
THESE ARE THE NOMADS OF THE DESERT.
ALL THESE COSTUMES REFLECT THAT HISTORY.
AND BEFORE THE EVENT, WE SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE RIDERS.
SHOWING HORSES IS A LOT MENTAL.
IT'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SPORT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE MENTAL
CAPACITY TO HANDLE GOING IN AND SHOWING AND COMPETING.
YOU'RE NOT ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF, BUT YOUR HORSE TOO.
AND THEY HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN, AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
IDEAS SOMETIMES.
REALLY A LOVELY CLASS TO WATCH HERE.
SURELY THEY ARE.
OUR WINNER IS OWNED BY RUSTY ANVIL RANCH OF SPRINGVILLE.
NOW TO THE FIVE-GATED IOWA OWNED CLASS.
ARE FERRERRE OF THE SADDLEBRED WORLD...
SPEED, ACTION, AND GRACE.
WARNER: ALL HORSES NOT BEING DRIVEN DO THREE GAITS: WALK, TROT, AND
CANTOR.
THE FIVE-GAITED HORSE IS UNIQUE IN THAT THOSE TWO GAITS, THE
SLOW GAIT AND THE RACK, ARE MAN TRAINED OR SAID TO BE.
MOST HORSES CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT TRAINING, AND MANY CAN'T DO IT
WITH ALL THE TRAINING IN THE WORLD.
AND WE'LL CLOSE OUT THE SOCIETY HORSE SHOW WITH THE WINNER IN
THE FIVE-GAITED CLASS, WHICH IS OWNED BY KAREN VAN DIEST FROM
PROLE. §§