Is it Show Season Yet?

As I started drafting this post, I realized I should have been pleasantly exhausted after having attended the first day of the Midwest Horse Fair. For so many in Wisconsin that weekend is the unofficial start to the season. Our first weekend of layered clothes, food cart cuisine, laughter, hugs, and a shared passion for all things equine. But that is not the case again this year. I miss it so very much! This year in particular the pre-show season wait seems unusually long. Of course, as everyone has said multiple times, 2020 messed up so many things. Some of us got in a few shows the second half of the year and others had to forego them altogether.

About a week after our last show in October 2020 I started asking - is it show season yet? I worked a few shows in 2020 but not enough to get me through winter. Usually, I'm ready for a break at the end of the season which gets me through to the holidays at least. Then I get to work a winter series with one show in January, February, and March. I really look forward to seeing the few brave souls that come to a winter show. We have a shared passion that overcomes Wisconsin weather. Those shows give me enough friend and horse time to help me through until show season really gets going.

Even if you don't know me, you have probably figured out I love horses. At the moment I don't own one of my own, but I have the coolest friends that let me cuddle their horses as often as I can. The time between shows can be painful for many of us. Friends and horses fill my emotional tank with peace, joy, and all things nice. Horse shows are my “happy place". Like many people a long boring winter can be depressing for me. The first show of the season shakes off winter blues before we take the first break. The closer I get to the start of the season, the twitchier I get to experience all that comes with it. In my impatience this year I started my pre-season ritual earlier than usual.

Do you have a pre-season ritual that you do each year? Do you clean out and re-pack the trailer? The camper? Do you start polishing show tack? Or cleaning trail gear? Oh, the smell of clean leather. On my side of the rail the pre-season ritual is similar to yours, but it’s different gear. I pull out all of my show gear for cleaning, sorting and re-organizing, but my gear is totes, bags, bins and suitcases. My show gear consists of clipboards, notebooks, two-way radios, pens, pencils, timers, whistles, cones, permanent markers, whiteboard markers, batteries, show office signs, and most miscellaneous office supplies you can think of. I also take a first aid kit, complete with vet wrap, a tool kit, heartburn meds, pain meds, snacks, drinks, multiple pairs of gloves, several layers of coats, umbrellas (yes, more than 1), tall chairs, short chairs, boots, and hats. My ritual starts with emptying and cleaning each tote or bag, dusting each item or bin inside of it and re-packing all of it. Once my "office" bags and totes are done I move on to the bag full of gloves and scarves that go to every show with me. Then I clean and shine my boots. I usually have 2-3 pairs with me for a weekend show. Instead of washing horse blankets, I wash coats and lap blankets. See, different gear, same ritual. Last is the car. It has to hold all this gear and can't be full of miscellaneous junk when it's time to load. Like so many of you I do all of this every year.

What makes me grin is the realization that I looked forward to the ritual every year. Yep, sure do. By the end of the season I'll be able to pack the car blindfolded. The checklist won't need to be written down anymore. It will be ticked off in my mind as I go. Every tote and bag will have a place in the car and loading will be fast and efficient. The unofficial final step as show season gets closer is to stress about the winter to-do list. Because, let’s be honest, it’s still not done.

No matter where you are in the process, winter list or pre-season ritual, the question this time of year is still the same. Is it show season yet? I am looking forward to horsey hugs and smiling friendly faces. This time of year the final countdown tests all of my patience. In the meantime, I'll double and triple check my gear. Create a checklist. Flip through the calendar, again, and mentally map my season. Are you working through your pre-season ritual now too? Email or comment and tell me what you’re up to.