Getting Your Name Called or Name-Calling? It’s All a Matter of Perspective

EC Blog by: Allyson Hicks

At my first big show this year, the classes had up to forty competitors. I felt pretty lucky just to hear my name called. The classes were doubled judged, so I figured I had twice the chance to hear my name called. When they did call my name, it felt like sweet success… “Allyson Hicks and No Fun Being Good, seventh place” or even “Allyson Hicks and No Fun Being Good, fifth place.”

I was pretty impressed with myself, since I basically had no memory of what had gone on during the class. I only remember entering the arena and exiting; I think that’s called stage fright…

During the second day, I listened intently to the announcer and felt quite a let down when my name wasn’t called. The classes were big, so at least I wasn’t alone when I didn’t hear my name. Because it was my first big show, it was hard to gauge how well I had really shown my horse. The time went by so fast while I was in the arena. Honestly, when I emerged from my ‘nervous class coma,’ I hardly remembered much of what I had done in the arena. Throw the idea of having a strategic show plan right out the window…. This was show pen survival.

The next show was much smaller, and I felt I had a much better strategic plan. I had my game plan in order, especially after having finished up at the huge show in Arizona- remember, they HAD called my name. These class sizes were smaller, more like five to fifteen in a class and shouldn’t be quite so competitive.

This time, I remembered everything that had happened in the arena. My horse was pretty darn good, and if you don’t mind my saying, I wasn’t so bad myself.

After my first class, I waited to hear my name called. I was sure that I had done really well… only to find out that I was fifth place out of five. In other words… I came in last place.

I went into the arena, did a pretty good job, and placed not only last, but now they were announcing over the loudspeaker that I was in last place. I didn’t bring a game plan for this kind of name-calling. I paid for this kind of name-calling? What did I think about that? What was everyone else thinking now that they knew I was in last place? Did that make me a loser?

It might sound corny, but the truth is I really did a better job at the little show, placing last, with only five people in the class than I did at the big show when I got my name called. This time, I had an arena strategy and was not only able to implement it but even able to remember how it was going while I was in the arena and remember what happened after I left the arena. That’s a big step towards learning how to show, remembering what happened and being able to slow down time while you’re in the pen.

I suppose from now on I’d better concentrate on the announcer calling me into the class and what’s going on with my horse and inside my head and less on the “name-calling” that takes place afterwards.

Until next time,

Allyson Hicks and No Fun Being Good