I have decided that although I am a seasoned competitor when it comes to showing horses, I fail miserably when it comes to being a spectator. After watching my boyfriend compete at the NCHA Futurity a week ago, I’ve discovered that I haven’t been giving horse show mom’s everywhere nearly enough credit.
Our barn mother’s are always talking about how stressful and nerve-wracking it is to sit up in the stands and watch their kids compete. I always assumed this was true, but obviously I have never witnessed it first hand (since I’m normally in the middle of the arena when this is taking place). However, after having to sit through a first go, second go, semi-finals and finals of the Non-pro, I have to say that being on the sidelines is excruciating.
When I first decided to go down to Fort Worth to be a supportive girlfriend, I thought it would a nice change of pace. Since the majority of my time at horse shows is spent competing, I thought that being able to relax a little and watch someone else might be fun. I was wrong.
Now don’t misunderstand, it was very exciting to be able to watch and learn about an equestrian discipline so different from my own. That is until it was my boyfriend’s turn to compete. My friends sitting beside me laughed as they watched a typically calm, levelheaded competitor turn into an anxiety-ridden mess.
I was perfectly fine, until the person before him began their run. As he walked to the herd, my heart was beating so hard that I could practically see it thumping beneath my shirt. Along with wringing my hands until they were raw and neurotically chipping at my finger nail polish, I probably looked liked the typical obsessive horse show mother.
I didn’t even realize that I was holding my breath until he finished his run, 2 and ½ minutes later, and I felt unusually lightheaded. During this time, I also managed to mutilate the poor Styrofoam cup I was holding until all that was left was a sad, little pile of fluffy bits.
My own mother thought this was hilarious and very appropriate payback for her having to stand on the sidelines and watch me throughout the years. So to all of those horse show mothers out there, I am sorry for severely underestimating the difficulty and importance of your role as a spectator. I also have a question to ask. Does it ever get easier?
