Not such great scores

Okay, it wasn't the greatest show weekend in history, but that's what makes for good stories.
1) Katy's truck broke down friday morning... luckily no horses were being hauled. She even made her ride (barely).$400 and one new alternator later, all is well.
2) Penny had a real bad stomach ache and turned green during her warmup. She scratched. Good thing, too, because the lightening was so close we could feel it on our necks. And there's nothing like throwing up at X instead of halting, and then being struck by lightening.
3)Speaking of X, Baleno was a superstar, that is, until her reared instead of halting. Then he performed Airs-above-the-ground down centerline. The judge noted I had "ridden tactfully" which was probably her way of saying, thanks for not beating your very disobedient horse in the arena. (I didn't beat him, btw, although I did withhold his post-competition carrot.)
4) Baleno was even better the next day, and managed to keep all four hooves on the ground for six minutes. I still got a low score, which seemed to be the theme of the weekend.
5) We drove home in a driving thunderstorm, so it took much longer than normal.

What are we thinking with these dressage shows? Of course I am exhausted today,so is it worth it? I'd say yes, because it's really kind of a bonding experience, both with your horse and your horse friends. It's a bit like horse camping--picnicking in front of the stalls, watching the other riders, shopping (*yes, there is always good shopping), and just hanging around with horse friends. Not a bad way to spend a weekend, when you think about it.