SHOW TIME
Published on September 2019The airwaves were alive this morning with the calls from all size birds. Joseph twitched his ears as he slowly opened one eye, deciding he might have heard someone moving stuff around. There it goes again, but this time it was a banging sound. Just then, Annie came bouncing in.
“Joseph! Joseph!”
“Girl, are you feeling alright? The sun has just started to come up and you are running around like someone is chasing you.”
“Show activities are happening out there, Joseph!” shouted Annie.
“Then if you are that excited I hope you are going. I am going back to sleep. If I don’t get my beauty sleep I will get wrinkles.”
“Joseph!”
“Good morning, Annie. I have to get things moving.
It is Exhibition time in Windsor!” shouted Eugene as he made his way to the tack room.
It was like the Road Runner was falling off the cliff when Joseph heard Windsor and, remembering the sign, Annie had told him from the Spring Show that he would be there in September.
“Joseph, what’s wrong? You look like you have seen a ghost.” asked Baby.
“I might as well have seen one with what I heard.”
“Oh, about Windsor?”
“Yep! That’s it Baby. Mentally I thought I was having a year off.”
“Joseph, I know this is your first show of the season but you have to look at it this way. It is the last one. You have had a good rest. You should be ready to roll, plus your fans will be waiting to see you. You can’t beat that now, can you?”
“Oh! I am ready to roll Baby, right to the biggest patch of mud that I can find!”
“Joseph, I know you well enough to know you want to go.”
“I do, Baby, but out of all those hot days we had this summer when it would have felt good just to get cool, I have to get a BATH! And on the coolest morning!”
“It will be over before you know it Joseph.” added Annie.
“And what happens after a bath Annie?”
“Oops! I forgot…. stall, blanket on and no freedom. Joseph sometimes you are such a diva!” whispered Annie.
“Annie, that was a good one. I have to give it to you for that answer.” Joseph answered as he had one of his belly laughs.
“See, it didn’t take long.” Baby shouted as he started outside.
“Hello, hello! What about some company while I wait to go?”
Baby just doesn’t care, Joseph thought. He was beginning to feel a bit sad when…
“Sorry, Joseph. I had to get the others to keep you company too.”
Before long Joseph felt so much better after he got support from everyone - even the cats. Everyone reassured him that he would do his best and that was all that mattered. He was ready to roll now.
“Don’t even think about going with Joseph.” Momma Kitty shouted at her kids as they inspected the trailer.
This was Joseph’s first trip in the new trailer. He found it to be a smooth ride and so much so that he was there before he knew it. The only thing now on his mind was he hoped someone was there to see him arrive in style. Things started to move quickly after the trailer stopped so he wouldn’t have much of a wait. Joseph’s stall for the next 3 days had to have shavings so he would have a soft bed to sleep on. His water bucket and hay bag were next. Once that was done the cart and the rest of what he needed were brought in.
The doors opened and out he came braying at the top of his lungs to let everyone know that he had arrived. The closer Joseph got to the barn, he started to sense that something was wrong and it was… He was the first to arrive! There was not one other horse anywhere! It didn’t take long for that to change. There were 4H, Barrel racing horses and minis arriving in a steady stream. Before Joseph knew it the barn was full. The Exhibition is about to start!
Life at the barn was progressing as it should when a familiar sound was heard from far away.
“Come everyone. Joseph is coming up the road.” shouted Baby.
From every direction came the others to greet Joseph as he arrived. The doors opened and there he was, so glad to see everyone waiting.
“I am so excited to hear all about the show Joseph.” yelled Annie
“So glad to have you home Joseph and if you aren’t too tired let’s get inside so you can share your adventure with us.” added Havier.
“Before I tell you about the show I just want to tell you how much it meant that you gave me such great support before I left and now when I am back. What a show it was!”
Joseph told them how disappointing it was that there was no one there to greet him.
“In our classes there were 8 minis plus myself and I came home with a ribbon! Can you believe it? It is 6th place but what I like about it is that I did my best! After that class I had to go around to the side door of the canteen to see one of the girls that worked in there. She missed me so much. I made her day for sure. I even got a kiss from her.”
"Got to tell you in my next class I wasn’t feeling it at first because the classes were close together and I didn’t have time to relax. I went into the arena to do those mini barrels, just being me, when all of a sudden I heard THERE IS JOSEPH! Well, my ears perked up and when I looked up and saw all the people there, off I went to the sound of go Joseph go! I didn’t place, but I made the crowd happy”.
“In the last class today, the awards were given out. You had to have so many points to get close to the trophy. I knew I wasn’t in the league. Then the announcer said there was a special award that was being given out as well and it was for Sportsmanship. In my books there were a lot that should receive it because they were so nice - as humans. Then I heard, “it goes to Eugene and Joseph!” You could have knocked me over with a feather! I was so happy! Not for me but for our owner! And get this - he remembered the obstacles pattern and I beat my own record!”
“This story I never saw but I heard them talking about it. It seemed that they started to take stuff back to the trailer after our last class was done. The grandchildren and their Mom had come to cheer us on. On the way to the trailer the little ones wanted to get on the tractors and have their picture taken. Almost to the trailer, their Mom realizes something wasn’t right. They had left the suitcase with my good show harness back at the tractor. When I was listening to them tell the story all I could think about in my head was “Run Forrest, Run”! Luck was on their side. The harness was still where they left it.”
“Glad you’re home Joseph. Somehow it is not the same when one of us is gone.” added Baby.
“That’s because we are family.” Jake quietly answered.
Hello everyone. That is our story and maybe someone who is reading this was there. If so, now you know the whole story. Help someone, be kind and stay safe. See you next month.
Baby, Joseph, Little Annie, Havier Jake and the Cats