“What mattered more than a pretty face, a shiny show saddle, or in Speedy’s case, a forelock extension, is that all of the superficiality was gone and the sole reason I was out there was to ride, bond, and succeed with my equine partner.”

Gamblers are notoriously superstitious, and many athletes, including equestrians, share that same trait. I trekked through the barn aisles and practice pens today to find out if any of the horse trainers or fellow competitors had any lucky charms, superstitions, or rituals prior to showing.

“As a competitor, I had the typical showtime butterflies. I’m not sure if anyone else experiences this, but there were points in my pattern that I wasn’t sure if I might just pass out right then and there.”

“The expert at anything was once a beginner.” -Helen Hayes The AQHA Level 1 Championship shows are the embodiment and celebration of this sentiment for the largest equine breed registry in the world.

Our EC bloggers, Trace Thompson and Ericka Schaefer, will be blogging throughout the week, so stay tuned to EquineChronicle.com for photos, results, and stories about all the action at South Point.

The first is J’Nan Wittler with Invitation To Be Good who won the Amateur Ranch riding. She said, “As I entered the arena, I felt confident and prepared. I was excited to see the results from our countless hours of practice at the barn.”

We are Dailey Kanipe, Caroline Kanipe, and Austin Lester from P5 Equestrian and we’re here at the Level 1 Novice Championships Central in Oklahoma City. Yesterday, along with many other competitors, we moved in. You can feel the excitement and determination here.