Ellie's 2018 Year End Awards

In an effort to get Ellie out as much as I could this year to SEE ALL THE THINGS so her tiny world could be opened up, we also have suddenly WON ALL THE THINGS as well!  Clearly, showing at Intro baby tadpole level is going to be our best year ever.  #introchampionoftheworld

It also helped that the majority of our dressage shows were qualifiers for two and even three different clubs, so our nine dressage shows gave us points towards SEVEN different year-end programs in total.  That's a lot of bang for your buck hahahaha!

Instead of writing a separate post for each banquet, I opted to wait and do one large post.  So, let's go through this in chronological order, shall we?

First up was the Maine Horse Association banquet on Saturday, November 17, 2018.  I dragged my friend Rachel along so I would not have to go alone since this fell during hunting season and that means no husband is available LOL!  This organization only hosts open shows and gives out a shit ton of champion and reserve champion (only) year-end awards for each horse show class.  However, they also do a little section for dressage riders, where you can send in your top four scores from any Maine dressage shows and get fun awards.  So basically you just have to be a member, acquire your scores, and send them by the end of October deadline!  Count me in, please!  

We ended up Introductory Level champion with a 70.315% and won a tricolor and a pretty green (human) blanket.  It's a great useful prize (one year I won Training level champion with Dreamy and we got a plastic trophy...with a Saddlebred on top.........!  LOL) and it has found a home on the living room couch.

Next up was an award I wasn't even aware that we had qualified for LOL!  We won Pre-Elementary 2-phase champion through New England Jumper Association.  The banquet was on Saturday, January 12, 2019.  I went alone but sat with the barn manager at Ellie's home farm, who rode five horses last year and qualified for many awards!  It was a good day for the Kennebec Morgans!  We won a TEAL baby pad, which was definitely perfect haha.

Morgan power!

such a pretty ribbon and the saddle pad we won is TEAL!  

Then, on Saturday, January 19, 2019, I went to the Central Maine Dressage Association banquet.  This is the first year I have been a member, but since several of the shows I have attended in the past (and did again last year) are CMDA qualifiers, I figured I would give it a shot! 

such a pretty set of awards
it is a small club but the people are GREAT!

Ellie ended up Introductory Level Adult Amateur Champion with a 69.38% and Combined Training Adult Amateur Champion with a 30.78!  YAY!  They gave out great prizes, the best of which was coupons towards shows or clinics.  That is the best kind of prize and helps encourage club participation, too!

horse treats, people treats (chocolate), two glasses, two gorgeous ribbons, and two $25 coupons for shows or clinics!

All of us rode Morgans and all but one are Kennebecs!

That night was the State of Maine Dressage Association banquet, but it started to snow like crazy just as we needed to leave, so I decided not to drive the hour+ to the banquet.  I am bummed to have missed it because Ellie won Introductory Adult Amateur Champion with a 68.676% and Overall High Point Adult Amateur!  Thankfully, the awards coordinator is a lovely person who was willing to bring my awards home with her, and I offered to pick them up from her.  She did one better and drove over here to my house to deliver everything!  It was super kind of her!

so much loot!

love this halter

a hanger for my show coat and breeches - now this was a unique prize to win!

Next up was the Maine Morgan Club banquet on Saturday, January 26, 2019.  Ellie ended up with several awards in different categories, which was a fun surprise.  Honestly, all I cared about was dressage and eventing, haha, but doing the small hunter shows helped give us a bunch of points!

• Champion, Introductory Level dressage with a 70%
• Champion Hunter Pleasure Open
• Reserve Champion Two-Phase Eventing
• Reserve Champion In Hand, Open
• Third, Adult Equitation

There were several other Kennebecs who won awards, and we all sat together for the luncheon which is always fun.  It is such an honor to be a part of the Kennebec family!  

It was off to the Maine Dressage Society banquet the next day, Sunday, January 27, 2019.  Ellie ended up Reserve Champion, Introductory Level AA with a 69.375% and the Overall High Point Morgan Horse of the Year (and there were several Morgans who qualified this year)!  It was fun to sit with the Hidden Brook Farm crew, and Beth is the awards banquet coordinator.  She puts in SO MUCH work for this banquet.

the Hidden Brook Farm crew

The Western Maine Dressage Association (WMDA) banquet was originally scheduled for January 20, but due to a huge snowstorm, it was pushed back to Sunday, February 10.  It didn't start until 5:30 in an area of the state I am unfamiliar with, so my GPS wasn't super helpful and I had to stop at a gas station to ask where I was going haha.  The banquet was a simple potluck at a fire station, and I think the discussion about how to raise money for the small club look longer than the actual awards ceremony at the end!

Ellie ended up as Reserve Champion for the AA Introductory division with a 68.75%!  We won a fuzzy halter along with the ribbon!

And last but not least, Ellie won national awards through the American Morgan Horse Association's Open Competition program.  The banquet was on February 8 in San Antonio, Texas.  My husband and I seriously considered attending, but once I added up the cost of flights ($1200), hotel ($500), and banquet tickets ($300), never mind car rental, food, etc., I talked myself out of it.  Plus, February is such a tough month to leave the farm, and I worried that we would end up with a snowstorm while we were gone, leaving a farm sitter to plow and shovel (not fun) or stranding us somewhere in an airport.  I considered going alone to save money, but who wants to attend something like that all alone?  Not me.  Instead, AMHA mails out awards to those who cannot attend.  I finally received them TODAY!  

AMHA gives out ribbons 1-6th place, but we did qualify for seven categories!  

National Champion Introductory Level dressage with a 69.9920%
4th Eventing
7th Showmanship
7th Hunter Jumper
8th English Pleasure
9th Equitation
9th In Hand

A full list of all AMHA awards is listed out here!

So, pretty great year overall.  Ribbons are not the most important part of riding, obviously, but it was fun to get Ellie out and about and do well at the baby levels!  I know we will probably never have such a prolific show season again, but I might as well bask in the glory of being introductory level champions hahaha!  ;-)