Indy Blooms: Saturday's Show

Since the Indy Blooms show was just forty miles away, show day did not feel nearly as rushed as it usually does. We left the house at 6:00 AM and arrived just as the doors opened at 7:00.

The show hall was huge! There was plenty of space for everyone plus nine show tables in the middle. Those nine divisions ran concurrently -  if you were showing in more than one division, you had to listen well for the judges' announcements as classes were loaded and pinned. That's Liz Shawhan in the coral tee - she is a GLC friend from Illinois.

The show tables stretched across the hall and that room in the back was where the raffle was held. Jamie was a judge and did not bring anything to show. That's Trina Houser in the white tee shirt.

There were a lot of raffle items and I was pleased that the haversacks I'd donated got a lot of tickets.

It took Kammie Fenwick two years to create her tinker's wagon. There are so many details on it!

Here's a someone from our earliest hobby history - Michelle Evans!

Michelle is from Indianapolis and has been part of the hobby since the 1970s. I believe she is the first Black person to join the hobby, so she is a pioneer in hobby diversity, too. Michelle has a wonderful collection of Hagen Renakers and can often be found at shows with Pat Reed (also an early hobbyist.)

Michelle and I first met at Pat's show, Indycon, in the 1990s and have been friends ever since.

My show string ready to go. Steff Bodamer was across from me and Liz was behind me with Jamie across from her. They were all judging so they were back and forth all day.

I did well in the china division.

Vader Too, my Cheval Friesian, won his class and was sectional reserve champion.

Merrily Strolling did the same in her section.

Windsong Sherif was the champion of the Foals section.

Oreana, my HR retro Modern Horse surprised me. It was a last minute decision to take that piece.

Freeman Leidys are SO fragile that I rarely bring them out. Violet did herself proud and was the collectibility champion. (Those eyelashes!!)

The callback table for China Champion and Reserve. I think Steff won those two ribbons with one of those pieces going on to be named reserve grand champion of the Indy Blooms show. (yay, Steff!)

After the show we all went out to dinner together at a Mexican restaurant that Barn Buddy Kelsey suggested. 

Andrea Gurdon, Shannon Call, Kelsey Kramer, and Steff Bodamer. The place was packed and it was short staffed, so the wait was long.

But that was okay - that gave us the opportunity to keep talking!

Indy Blooms was a terrific show - I could see it being nominated for NAMHSA's Show of the Year. Chelsey Benge and Robin Hudson did an excellent job in the planning, preparing, and executing of the show.

I plan to be back next year.

Last call to enter the captioning contest! Entries close at 11:59 PM tonight.