U.S. Nationals 2018 is definitely one for the books. The weather was wonderful, the barn setups were beautiful - and most importantly, the quality of horses was excellent. The Arabian breed is truly headed in the right direction. The classes at US Nationals were extremely competitive and the horses were simply stunning. The quality of up-and-coming Futurity and Maturity horses is also exciting for the breed.
The feeling of trotting into the Ford Truck Arena is exhilarating. Having the ride of your life makes you feel as though you’re on top of the world, and leaving the arena with roses is one of most exciting and memorable moments.
Showing at a level like U.S. Nationals can be nerve wracking. Competitions require just as much mental strength as they do physical strength. The right mental attitude greatly increases your chances of winning. If you “ride to win”, your confidence will exude from you and your horse and will be sure to translate to the judges.
Although winning is so much fun, it’s not everything. U.S. Nationals is such an enjoyable show because of the comradery and support from the Arabian community. Not to mention, US Nationals is like a vacation with your horse(s) because you get to see them every day and spoil them with treats.
My personal 2018 U.S. Nationals experience was a dream come true. I brought two horses to the show - Mr Boombastic, a Half-
Arabian Show Hack and Sidesaddle horse and CP Cozmopolis, an Arabian Country horse. Boomer and I have shown together since 2011 - we’ve shown in 13 & Under, 14-18, and now as adult amateurs. This year, Boomer and I won Reserve National Champion for the second year in a row in Half-Arabian Show Hack AAOTR. We also were crowned National Champions in Half-Arabian Ladies English Sidesaddle AAOTR. Both of these wins meant so much to me because Boomer is my heart-horse. We have only owned Cozmo since February, so this was our first big show together. Cozmo exceeded my expectations and made every cut and top tenned in both classes - Arabian Country English Pleasure AAOTR 19-35 and in the Arabian Country English Pleasure Maturity. Cozmo even placed 3rd overall in the Maturity out of 43 entries. I am so thankful for everyone that helped me and my horses to have an amazing show and I can’t wait until the 2019 show season.
Now that U.S. Nationals is over, it’s time to gear up for the next big show - Scottsdale. Best of luck to all in the 2019 show season!
