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FIRST! Ember has placed again and won Best in Show! This time she's won 700 and a year long premium membership and a Natural import which I am super excited about! I'll probably get another mare for her to be friends with out in the pasture.

Horse: Ember Raid
Rider: Aubrey Banks

Stables: CandleWick Equine Facility

Class: Dressage

Show: A Rosenthal Christmas Carol

Wind swirled around the windows of the Ram and Aubrey shivered in her seat. She was bundled up in her new North Face coat, but it didn’t help the icy chill penetrating the frosty windows. Christmas was beautiful and the sun glistened off the snow, but now the weather had turned to turmoil… Just in time for the Rosenthal show. The poor red head just could not catch a break. She was the most recent addition to the CandleWick group and to the local high school, which means she came in as an outsider. Because she wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, it took a while for her to fit into the group, but eventually she did and now she had Savannah and Robin tagging along for her first show. Unfortunately her first show was about to be buried in 6 inches of cold white fluffiness.

“You’ll be fine, sweetie”, Savannah smiled and patted the girl’s hand from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah we’ve got your back”, Robin said from the back seat, “And you’ve worked so hard!”

“I know, I’m just nervous I guess…” Aubrey said, glancing out the window as they approached the show grounds. The road was packed with ice and it was dangerous to be driving, especially with a trailer. Luckily, though, the driveway to the stables was covered in ice melt and it was clear for all the arrivals! The three drove in and parked in a snowy field marked off for trailers. Unloading Ember Raid was a hassle. The big girl didn’t want to back down the ramp, and who could blame her?! There was an entire blizzard blowing in and no one wanted to be out in the wind! Including the three girls knee deep in the snow outside of the metal shelter Ember was hiding in.

“Come on, girly, we can’t freeze out here all day while we wait for you to man up!” Robin pulled back on her lead rope, but the Laogh mare refused to budge.

“Here let me try”, Aubrey said, and Robin handed over the lead. Aubrey stroked the brilliant bay horse and whispered sweetness in her ear, and they pricked to listen. Slowly she inched her rump down the ramp and out into the snow covering the wide expanse.

“There we are!” Aubrey smiled and gave the mare scratches under the chin. Ember tossed her head, shaking her roached mane free of the falling snowflakes. With the trailer closed up, and the horse and tack out, the 3 girls made their way to the safety of the indoor arena where others were warming up and others were tacking up. It was much, much warmer than the temperatures outside and everyone was happy for that!

Aubrey was the leader this time and she began giving her friends orders to start grooming Ember’s spotted coat and they happily complied. Aubrey was fixed on touching up the mare’s polished hooves underneath black sweeping feathers. Finally, they were ready to tack up. So while Robin held the lead, Savannah swung on the saddle and began tightening the girth.

Robin looked down at Aubrey who was now focused on cleaning up the corner of the bay’s green eyes, “Girl, you have to go get dressed. That red, fluffy pad isn’t going to look that great with a North Face jacket!”

Aubrey laughed, “You’re right, you’re right. I will be right back.”

She scurried off with her duffle bag to the stable’s bathrooms, from which a string of people was pouring from - all ready to get into their holiday apparel for the dressage and halter classes! Aubrey was at the end of it, but within a few moments, she was changing into the red hooded dress lined in white fluff, just like Ember’s saddle pad. Of course she was wearing her new riding boots she got for Christmas like her jacket, which she replaced over her bare shoulders. Now, she was ready to ride. She returned to her friends and mount who all gushed over her festive outfit and Ember stuck her nose in the hood and began sniffing ferociously.

“Bre!” Robin exclaimed, “You look HOT!”

“It’s so dang cold in here!” Aubrey’s eyes were wide and she rubbed her bare legs together, “I can feel my leg hair growing back already!”

Savannah giggled and winked at the girl, “Quit being so negative! Maybe you’ll have a male judge, and then you’ll be sure to win!!!”

“Yeah right!” the red head rolled her eyes and leaned against the furry horse, “Now I should probably warm up, in more ways than one!”

“That’s right! There’s more than just looking pretty!” Robin nodded and flipped the reins she was holding over Ember’s horn, “I’ll give you a leg up.”

Once she was in the saddle, she took the furry beast around the arena a couple times, walking, trotting cantering to cover the basics and then working on her leg yielding just for extra practice before their big round. And then their ride time approached and it was time to head out to the outdoor arena. She stood outside the gate, waiting for the last ride to finish, and when it had, she shed her coat and gave it to Robin, who was on the ground next to Savannah waiting to cheer her on.

The pair entered.

They matched perfectly, the horned horse was like a type of reindeer that Aubrey, the spirit of Christmas, was riding. They entered at a beautiful trot that carried them into the snowy wind. They halted, and Aubrey saluted with a frozen hand, and was thoroughly happy when they started moving again. As they went on through the flurries, though, the girl who’s skin gave the white snow something to be ashamed of began to smile and enjoy how wonderfully her fuzzy mare was performing. Ember responded to her cues and carried her with incredible grace. At the end of the ride, the pair came to a halt again, and this time, instead of with freezing fingers, Aubrey thrust out her hand with incredible dignity.

She laughed and smiled and gave Ember hugs around the neck before even exiting the arena. When she reached her cheering friends with pink noses, they congratulated her and thrust her coat back up to her.

“We’re getting cold just looking at you…” Savannah said, and with that, the happy group hurried back into the arena, Aubrey’s first show under her belt!

Description

FIRST! Ember has placed again and won Best in Show! This time she's won 700 and a year long premium membership and a Natural import which I am super excited about! I'll probably get another mare for her to be friends with out in the pasture.

Horse: Ember Raid
Rider: Aubrey Banks

Stables: CandleWick Equine Facility

Class: Dressage

Show: A Rosenthal Christmas Carol

Wind swirled around the windows of the Ram and Aubrey shivered in her seat. She was bundled up in her new North Face coat, but it didn’t help the icy chill penetrating the frosty windows. Christmas was beautiful and the sun glistened off the snow, but now the weather had turned to turmoil… Just in time for the Rosenthal show. The poor red head just could not catch a break. She was the most recent addition to the CandleWick group and to the local high school, which means she came in as an outsider. Because she wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, it took a while for her to fit into the group, but eventually she did and now she had Savannah and Robin tagging along for her first show. Unfortunately her first show was about to be buried in 6 inches of cold white fluffiness.

“You’ll be fine, sweetie”, Savannah smiled and patted the girl’s hand from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah we’ve got your back”, Robin said from the back seat, “And you’ve worked so hard!”

“I know, I’m just nervous I guess…” Aubrey said, glancing out the window as they approached the show grounds. The road was packed with ice and it was dangerous to be driving, especially with a trailer. Luckily, though, the driveway to the stables was covered in ice melt and it was clear for all the arrivals! The three drove in and parked in a snowy field marked off for trailers. Unloading Ember Raid was a hassle. The big girl didn’t want to back down the ramp, and who could blame her?! There was an entire blizzard blowing in and no one wanted to be out in the wind! Including the three girls knee deep in the snow outside of the metal shelter Ember was hiding in.

“Come on, girly, we can’t freeze out here all day while we wait for you to man up!” Robin pulled back on her lead rope, but the Laogh mare refused to budge.

“Here let me try”, Aubrey said, and Robin handed over the lead. Aubrey stroked the brilliant bay horse and whispered sweetness in her ear, and they pricked to listen. Slowly she inched her rump down the ramp and out into the snow covering the wide expanse.

“There we are!” Aubrey smiled and gave the mare scratches under the chin. Ember tossed her head, shaking her roached mane free of the falling snowflakes. With the trailer closed up, and the horse and tack out, the 3 girls made their way to the safety of the indoor arena where others were warming up and others were tacking up. It was much, much warmer than the temperatures outside and everyone was happy for that!

Aubrey was the leader this time and she began giving her friends orders to start grooming Ember’s spotted coat and they happily complied. Aubrey was fixed on touching up the mare’s polished hooves underneath black sweeping feathers. Finally, they were ready to tack up. So while Robin held the lead, Savannah swung on the saddle and began tightening the girth.

Robin looked down at Aubrey who was now focused on cleaning up the corner of the bay’s green eyes, “Girl, you have to go get dressed. That red, fluffy pad isn’t going to look that great with a North Face jacket!”

Aubrey laughed, “You’re right, you’re right. I will be right back.”

She scurried off with her duffle bag to the stable’s bathrooms, from which a string of people was pouring from - all ready to get into their holiday apparel for the dressage and halter classes! Aubrey was at the end of it, but within a few moments, she was changing into the red hooded dress lined in white fluff, just like Ember’s saddle pad. Of course she was wearing her new riding boots she got for Christmas like her jacket, which she replaced over her bare shoulders. Now, she was ready to ride. She returned to her friends and mount who all gushed over her festive outfit and Ember stuck her nose in the hood and began sniffing ferociously.

“Bre!” Robin exclaimed, “You look HOT!”

“It’s so dang cold in here!” Aubrey’s eyes were wide and she rubbed her bare legs together, “I can feel my leg hair growing back already!”

Savannah giggled and winked at the girl, “Quit being so negative! Maybe you’ll have a male judge, and then you’ll be sure to win!!!”

“Yeah right!” the red head rolled her eyes and leaned against the furry horse, “Now I should probably warm up, in more ways than one!”

“That’s right! There’s more than just looking pretty!” Robin nodded and flipped the reins she was holding over Ember’s horn, “I’ll give you a leg up.”

Once she was in the saddle, she took the furry beast around the arena a couple times, walking, trotting cantering to cover the basics and then working on her leg yielding just for extra practice before their big round. And then their ride time approached and it was time to head out to the outdoor arena. She stood outside the gate, waiting for the last ride to finish, and when it had, she shed her coat and gave it to Robin, who was on the ground next to Savannah waiting to cheer her on.

The pair entered.

They matched perfectly, the horned horse was like a type of reindeer that Aubrey, the spirit of Christmas, was riding. They entered at a beautiful trot that carried them into the snowy wind. They halted, and Aubrey saluted with a frozen hand, and was thoroughly happy when they started moving again. As they went on through the flurries, though, the girl who’s skin gave the white snow something to be ashamed of began to smile and enjoy how wonderfully her fuzzy mare was performing. Ember responded to her cues and carried her with incredible grace. At the end of the ride, the pair came to a halt again, and this time, instead of with freezing fingers, Aubrey thrust out her hand with incredible dignity.

She laughed and smiled and gave Ember hugs around the neck before even exiting the arena. When she reached her cheering friends with pink noses, they congratulated her and thrust her coat back up to her.

“We’re getting cold just looking at you…” Savannah said, and with that, the happy group hurried back into the arena, Aubrey’s first show under her belt!