Pretty Ponies

I figured I needed a good pony fix, so here's a little blast from the past.

This mare was named Valentine and she was owned by New Mexico State (I think). This was taken during a college horsemanship show and right after this she started bucking. The judge was watching and I thought "oh, great". I got her under control quickly and never touched the saddlehorn. That ended up being the highest I ever placed in college - 4th. I had some people flat out tell me that I didn't place any higher because the judges didn't like fat people. There was one class in Wyoming (at Laramie Co. Com. College) where I finished my pattern and lined up next to a girl from my team. She was staring at me with her mouth hanging open. She told me she had never seen such a perfect pattern, anywhere by anyone. A guy won that one.
This is me at 15 trying to train ol' Pebbles to back up. She would lean back until her elbows about touched the ground and then lunge forward. She eventually learned when I put a mechanical hackamore on her.
I do remember this being a lot of fun. These were taken at a friend's place.
This is me and my old man, Pal, at a 4-H playday. We had to carry an egg on a spoon down to the opposite end of the arena, around a barrel and back across the line without dropping the egg. I miss that horse. Sweet N Stylish. He's the one who taught me how to ride properly.

By the way, see that short tail? That's why you never turn sheep out with your horses. They are stupid, evil creatures who don't get that show horses are supposed to have long tails.