The Stone Country Horse Fair

This is my second time attending the Stone Country Horse Fair horse show. There are activities Thursday and Friday, too, but I only go up for the Saturday show. I am not a collector of Stones, although I do have a few, and so I really don't have any interest in painting my own model, vying to become the event's queen, or anything else.

 The show is fun and well organized and, with forty nine entrants, VERY, VERY competitive. Some entrants came from as far away as Texas and Pennsylvania! (The competition was so stiff that at times I wondered how the judges were able to make their decisions with all the beautiful pieces on the table.) Five rings were running at once, and so you had to stay on your toes to make sure you didn't miss a class.

The show hall opened at 7:00 AM. I arrived before that, and a line was already formed and waiting to be let in. I was behind my friend, Jo Kulwicki, and had a nice chat with her while we waited.

I took a smaller show string than usual - Craig wasn't with me this time, and hauling tubs in and out, even with a dolly, is more than I felt up to. So, I limited myself to two tubs, my box of show supplies, and a bag of snacks. That gave me more room to spread out my class lists, tags, and other things on the table.

A view looking forward from my table. That's Brenda Metcalf in the foreground and Pat Reed on the right.

Lots of long-time hobby friends were in attendance, and the best part was that we all had tables by each other making it easier to socialize while we showed!

Michelle Evans, who I have known since the early nineties, is a dear friend. She lives in Indianapolis.

And Pat Reed, also from Indianapolis, was nearby. (Sadly, her husband died a month ago.) She used to bring her son Dusty to shows, and I would bring Cole, and the two boys would pal around together or even show in youth divisions. Those boys are now thirty year old men!

 Liz Isham Cory is a dear friend, too. She and her husband, Sam, invited me to have lunch with them, and we got to talking about Liz's work with the Federal Aviation Administration.

She shared a very sobering account of 911 and her work that day and the days afterward (I told her that I hoped she recorded it someday as it was a part of history) and then a hilarious account, also connected to her work, of being at the same hotel as the New England Patriots who were playing in the Super Bowl and how the parking garage was blocked by a tank which was moved for her when she wanted to park her car or leave the garage!

I have only gotten to know Brenda Metcalf and Marilou Mol in the last decade and both are wonderful ladies.  Marilou is an educator and, although she retired two years ago as an assistant principal, has been doing a year long sub as acting-principal for a school in Galesburg, Illinois, where she lives. Like me, she was counting down the days to the end of school!

Marilou was born here in Lafayette, and her father is from Buck Creek, the tiny town a mile from my school. In fact, she was there a month ago, taking her elderly father to see his hometown. She said she had noticed a big school complex near the town. I was surprised at this information, and she was surprised when I told her that that was where I taught! Small world some days.

A view of part of the show hall from the left back.

Unlike last year, Peter and Elaine Stone dropped in to see how things were going and to make some announcements about Equilocity in July and a special run they were doing to benefit a child (who was present) that had developed some special needs.

It was a fun show, and I did well where I thought I might - the collector classes. Photos from that coming next!