About two years ago, I signed up my two sons for their first riding lessons.
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| Joe (on left) and Paul |
Joe loved the experience, but remained relatively unchanged by it. Paul, on the other hand, has never been the same.
Following the riding lessons, miniature paddocks sprouted on Paul’s bedroom floor. Cardboard boxes disappeared from our recycling bin, to become barns, sheds, stalls, and tack rooms. Every horse-shaped toy was gathered, assigned parents or offspring, and given a special place in the herd.
Months later, the herd was larger (and my model horse body box smaller...) and Paul surprised me yet again, by asking to attend a model horse show with me, which he did on his seventh birthday!
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Paul with his “Anything Goes” Class entry at his first live show.
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Here outside of Chicago, we are very fortunate to live in one of the most active model horse showing regions. Within about forty miles lie the homes of the large, and well-known benefit shows, Meows and Minis Live and Show for the Cure, and also the Great Lakes Congress (GLC). What is GLC? It is a fun, non-profit organization and club with an aim toward education. GLC hosts an impressive average of seven open shows and two youth shows each and every year!!!
This past Saturday we attended the GLC Spring Youth Show, open to young showers under 18. What a great time! The show featured a beginner division, for those who have competed in fewer than four shows, and also an intermediate division. The children were permitted to show any mass-produced model and tack, or any customs, tack and props that they have painted or made by themselves.
Upon arrival, each child received a fantastic SWAG bag!
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| Swag |
Included in the bag was a blank, prepped stablemate model to work on at the painting station.
Along with having a special day out with my son, youth shows are a treat for the parents too, as many of us are hobbyists ourselves. Darling Lilia is well on her way to going professional, just like her Mom, artist DeeAnn Kjelshus!
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| Lilia and DeeAnn |
Women and girls always outnumber boys and men at these events. Paul is just fine with this, but he has especially enjoyed hanging out with Jacob Smith (son of hobbyist Vicky Smith) who has been attending the youth shows for several years. Paul and Jacob spent some time together at the painting station.
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| Paul and Jacob |
Jacob takes his art seriously. Later in the day, he was awarded the Overall Championship in the Intermediate Custom division with a beautiful model that he airbrushed by himself at home!
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| Photo Courtesy of GLC |
It would be a challenge to find another group of such well-behaved, creative kids, who are so willing to help one another and share their tips and ideas. Unified in their pursuit of ribbons as well as in their attire, here is “Team Smith,” Riley and Jacob, sweeping the Intermediate Division “Other” Breeds Championship with their ponies.
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| Photo Courtesy of GLC |
Toward the end of the day, all of the kids were still having fun and in great spirits. Here, Savanah Jensen (on left, daughter of hobbyist Linda Jensen) and a fellow shower smile with their light and gaited breed champions.
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| Photo Courtesy of GLC |
One of the best things about the youth show is that the children are genuinely delighted by each and every ribbon that they receive. Those who claim the beautiful rosettes are visibly bursting with pride! I saw this in my own Paul as his mare named “Dots” earned the Stock Horse Championship!
Thank you, GLC, for putting on a most wonderful show!
For further information about GLC, and artists and shows mentioned in this blog, please visit:
What a nice post Karen! Thanks for the mention, and link. Love your photos and the dapple grey at the top of your blog, drooool!
ReplyDeleteThank you, DeeAnn! It was great to see the two of you at the show, and to see how much Lilia was enjoying it all! Thank you also re. the dapple grey. A few people have written to ask me about him, so I'm thinking that the next post might be about him.
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