We started out great.....

We went to an open show today. There were only four people in the riding classes. There were a few more halter horses but not many. It was windy but otherwise a nice day. We entered a couple of halter classes as a requirement of high point. The day started out great. We got a first in Halter - color and Performance Halter out of four. We got first of four in showmanship too. The judge loved Bandit. Then we got ready for the western classes. The trainer warmed Bandit up and then I got on. He was loping really nice. He didn't give me a problem at all while we loped around the arena during the break. The classes were moving really fast since there were only two horses in the English. Trail was supposed to be the first class after English. I was the only one signed up for it so I agreed to cancel so they didn't have to set it all up. Then we had a western pleasure class. We were doing well until we messed up a lope transition. So we got second place out of 4. Then we had western equitation. We did some rail work, which was okay, and then the judge had us do a pattern. We have been practicing this at home and doing pretty good so I was happy to have a pattern to practice. I even went first. I trotted up to the first cone, started to lope a circle and Bandit just freaked out, tossed his head, bent to the inside and was really hard to control. I went back to where I started and tried again and got the same result. He wasn't going to cooperate so I quit the class. The next class was country pleasure. He still had an attitude; I had to two hand him and we got fourth again. We had one more chance to redeem ourselves with the Jack Benny class. We did okay but still got second of two. The judge told me later she was surprised to see him do that in horsemanship, that he looked so kind and calm. I said I was surprised too. But he's done this before; just not lately. It's hard to predict. My trainer rode him in the arena when we were all done. She schooled him in the area where he first acted up. He was being really bad for her too. She thinks the buzz coming from the speakers was causing Bandit to act up. Of course, no other horse had a problem with it. The good news is we still won the daily high point. I don't think any else signed up for it in the adult division. We are going to try another small show next Sunday. I hope it goes better. I'm starting to think it's not me, but Bandit who has a problem in the show pen. That would not be good because I can't really do anything if that's the case. Bummer....