Throwback Thursday- Chaps Are Not Allowed in Showmanship- A True Story
Photo provided by Gordon Downey.
For today’s EC Throwback Thursday we wanted to share a cautionary tale from one of our very own, Gordon Downey. Once upon a time, Gordon was a horse-crazy kid just starting out on the Appaloosa horse show circuit. In the following tale, he relives an experience when he discovered, the hard way, that saving time isn’t always the best policy.
“I wore my chaps in showmanship at the Dixie Nationals. My trainer overslept, and I thought I was supposed to wear them in every class. Plus, I had trail right after, and I thought it would save time. Plus, my show pants were a bit too short. The chaps fit perfectly except they were a tiny bit too long. I was disqualified after I did my perfect pattern.
The ring steward told me that the judge liked my performance, and the challenge of having the chaps on, but the chaps were not permitted.
I responded, ‘They have zippers, I can take them off easy… I’ll take a sixth place ribbon or any ribbon I qualify for without a clothing penalty!’
No luck, just a nod from the judge and good advice for next time. I showed showmanship chap-free from that show forward.
True story”
– Gordon Downey
If you have a fun Throwback Thursday photo to share please e-mail it to b.bevis@equinechronicle.com and it might be featured on our website or Facebook page.
