# Little bit of a brag:



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

But non horsey people just don't get it so it;s no fun telling them how happy I am about this because they just say "oh that's cool..." when I want them to be excited. haha

So I'm taking a horsemanship class for my school (content wise the class turned out to be rather lame, it's definitely focused towards non-riders) and the teacher is this guy named Gregg Shrake, who just so happens to have been a multiple time AQHA Worlds judge (in equitation I think...) and he's gone to worlds a quite a few times himself.

Last night we had our first jog as a class and I thought I was doing ok, not great but ok. He gave me both of the tougher horses, one is an ex-barrel racing mare who appeared to not understand about walking on a loose rein (I had her walking on a loose rein ten minutes after getting on, go figure) and another mare that is according to them "a real soft mare" who had already run off with another rider (a girl who rides at the barn normally and is just taking the class for kicks) because she had been keeping her legs too tightly on her or something. That second mare was fine for me, I just rode her like I ride Lacey, nothing's a big deal, everything is fine, and she was fine!

But anyway, after the class Gregg came up to me and told me that I was a very good rider and had good form and that he didn't tell many people that. :shock: Daaaang. Especially to get that from a Worlds judge. 
I totally know that I have major stuff to work on in any event but I'm super stoked to hear that at all! I've never been to a show and I've never taken hardcore lessons, it's always been half lesson half have fun for an hour + horse so I really never thought I could be "good". Yay!!! I guess I'm just proud of myself. =)


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## Gidji (Dec 19, 2008)

Well done. ****, your lucky to have a horsemanship class at your school. All we have is Agriculture and you get to go trail-riding.
Are you allowed to use Lacey in your class or do you have to use their horses?
I'm moving to America, you get all the good stuff.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

Gidji said:


> Well done. ****, your lucky to have a horsemanship class at your school. All we have is Agriculture and you get to go trail-riding.
> Are you allowed to use Lacey in your class or do you have to use their horses?
> I'm moving to America, you get all the good stuff.


Sometimes we get to do stuff like that to. I went to high school in Canberra and on Thursdays in summer we had "line 8" where you could do art, sport, acting, modelling, jewelery making etc. Anyway most years they had a horse riding option where you would take a bus as a group and go to a riding school. My horse was pretty close (though not kept there) and I took him sometimes, but it was pretty boring because most people were beginners, but on trail rides and such it was good. Although I agree that American high schools seem so much more fun than ours. They have like a school spirit that i have never seen in Australia. 

Its great to get encouragement like that, and its good to ride more challenging horses.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Congrats, W! You SHOULD feel good about that.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Awesome!!!  You should be proud of yourself!


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Congrats W.! You should be proud of yourself!


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## TwisterRush (Sep 8, 2009)

Congrats ! 
That in my opinion is Prettty major AND something you should feel happy about ! 
 
Well Done !


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

OMG So your telling me that you get a high school credit by riding horses?! You know what Id do to have that at my high school. Who cares if its aimed at beginers...its an easy credit... and you get to ride! 
Ughhh Im sooo jelous!:lol:


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Gidji said:


> Are you allowed to use Lacey in your class or do you have to use their horses?


I think, if I asked, I could use Lacey but I enjoy riding other horses (and I don't often get to, for instance, last July was the first time I rode a horse other than Lacey in a year) so I haven't asked. Anyway, the center's horses are much smoother than Lacey. Hahaha 

Thanks guys! I'm proud of myself! I don't even hardly know how to put it into words but it kinda fulfills a little of my dream because I've always wished to be "good" but I never thought I could/would be. And it makes me feel better about my riding because most of the time I feel like I'm just flailing around on a horse's back, making them mad. Haha

I guess if this class is good for anything it'll be a good pick me up (I'm hoping though that it'll teach me some good things). :lol:

ETA: Nirvana- It's college credit. =) I wish my high school had had horsey classes!


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## arabchica (Jul 5, 2009)

that is great is gregg any relation to richard shrake I watched him work a horse in missouri years back amazing absolutly amazing


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Yeah, Richard Shrake is his brother. =)


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