Ordinary Wonderment

Today's Joy: Kicking Off Horse Show Season.
This past weekend, my family took their carts, horses & ponies out for their first show of the 2010 season. At 33, I'm really enjoying watching my aunts & uncle shine up their harness, clip their ponies and don their best show outfits to go have a ball with their friends.

For many years, they worked hard, playing grooms, coaches and cheerleaders at every county fair & 4-H horse show my brother, cousins & I attended. They gave up many weekends and plunked down a veritable fortune to turn us out respectably. And they were always there with encouraging words, tissues, hoof black and safety pins. Showing horses was an integral part of my childhood and one of my fondest memories.

Now that we're all grown, I love to see them showing for their own enjoyment. Aunt came home Sunday with 2 blue ribbons, which are now prominently displayed on the shade of a living room lamp. While I'm no longer showing, myself, I'm delighted to tag along and take photos of the family & our friends doing what they love most. Stay tuned, Reader. I'm sure there will be many wonderful show highlights to post this season!



Photos: Girl at Horse Show and Red Boots, taken at the Fox Valley Saddle Association, Plato Center, IL, 2008.