Bryce drove down Interstate 64 to the first Shelbyville exit, and followed directions to the restaurant called Claudia Sanders Dinner House, where they had reservations. With the horse show going on, reservations were absolutely necessary. The restaurant was established by Col. Harlan Sanders and his wife Claudia in 1968, four years after the Colonel sold controlling interest in Kentucky Fried Chicken, and was run by them until his death in 1980 and hers in 1996. It retained the graciousness of the past. Bryce and Damon were tempted to try getting a drink before their dinner at the Saddlebred Lounge on the second floor, but decided not to risk it, as neither was legal. The meal, however, was delicious, tempting them to linger, and only their appointment to meet Beau and his family pried them away.
Further east on US Highway 60 into town they came to the Shelby County fairgrounds where the horse show was held. There was a carnival atmosphere, with lots going on besides the horse show itself. But, having lingered at the restaurant, Bryce and Damon hurried to the stands, where they were directed to the box rented by the Lyle family. There, they met an older gentleman and lady and a younger girl.
“You must be Bryce and Damon,” the man said. “Beau told us you would be joining us. I’m afraid he’s warming up at present, but do have a seat. The first class will begin in about fifteen minutes. Oh, I’m Dolph Lyle, and this is my wife Tillie, and our granddaughter Amy,” he said, making the introductions.
Bryce and Damon appreciated the warm welcome, shaking hands and confirming their respective identities. Damon was especially pleased that these people, who seemed almost personifications of the antebellum South, showed no sign of racial prejudice towards him. Maybe things really were changing … among some people … and in some places.
Amy was dressed in riding gear, with a colorful shirt, tie, and vest, and black trousers, with riding boots. An equally colorful pink coat was draped over her chair, and she held a bowler hat. That told Bryce something about where Beau was at present.
“You said Beau was warming up. Is he riding tonight?” he asked the elder Lyles.
“Oh, yes. Didn’t he tell you? He’s in the five gaited adult amateur stake coming up right away on his stallion, CH Beau’s Boy. Later, he will also ride in the five gaited pleasure horse stake on our Lyle’s Beauty,” Dolph explained. “But he should be up here after this first class. It will be some time later before the pleasure stake takes place. Here’s a schedule of the classes this evening,” he said, handing them a list of eighteen events.
“How can you know Beau’s horse will be the champion?” Damon asked.
“Oh, we don’t, of course. There will be other more experienced riders in the ring with him,” Dolph said.
“Granddad, Damon is asking about Boy’s title,” Amy intervened. “Damon, when a Saddlebred has appeared in a certain number of competitions, and earned a certain number of points by placing well, he or she is given the title “Champion,” which becomes part of the horse’s official name. The horse which belongs to Beau is in that category. So is my CH Wonderhorse. She’s a three gaited mare, and I’ll be riding her in a couple of classes as well. That’s why I’m dressed this way.”
“And very attractive, I must say,” Bryce courteously inserted.
Amy blushed, but thanked him for the compliment.
“Sorry, Damon. I guess I didn’t realize that you were not familiar with the jargon we use,” Dolph apologized.
“No reason to apologize,” Damon said. “But I’m new at this. Bryce is the horse afficionado, and I’m just along for the ride, so to speak.”
Bryce moaned at the pun.
“Well, perhaps before the evening is out, we can make you into an afficionado as well,” Tillie Lyle commented.
About that time, the announcer began making noises, testing the sound system, then launched into his introduction, mentioning the names of various officials and welcoming all to the show. He then asked the audience to rise, as a rider entered the ring carrying an American flag, and a young woman from the local high school sang the National Anthem as he circled the arena. Everyone in the Lyle box rose and stood at attention, hand over heart, then applauded the vocalist.
“A very talented young woman,” Tillie Lyle commented. “She’ll be riding in the three gaited junior exhibitor stake along with Amy.”
The announcer then introduced the first class of the evening, the five gaited adult amateur stake, in which Beau was riding. Bryce and Damon watched eagerly to see their fraternity brother emerge from the gate into the arena. There he was, riding a beautiful black stallion with white markings. Like his sister, Beau was in riding gear, as were all the contestants. It was required by the rules of the American Saddlebred Horse Association and the United States Equestrian Federation, which sponsored these events. In his case, he had white trousers and vest, with a black tie and coat. Like all the male riders, he wore a fedora, in his case a black one. Naturally, he also wore riding boots. His black and white outfit went very well with the coloring of his mount. As the riders circled the arena, the announcer called out instructions.
“Why is everyone bouncing up and down?” Damon asked when the announcer called for a trot.
“It’s called posting,” Bryce answered. “When the horse is trotting, it’s more comfortable for both the horse and the rider to post like that. The rider lifts himself up at the same time the horse’s front legs move in a certain way. Otherwise, it’s kind of jarring to be in the saddle when a horse trots, and the horse probably doesn’t appreciate it either.”
Also for the benefit of Damon, Bryce explained that the American Saddlebred had three natural gaits, or ways of moving, and two learned gaits. The basic three were walk, trot, and canter, while the more advanced gaits were called slow gait and rack. The slow gait was slow only in comparison with the rack. The horses would be put through each of these gaits going in a counter-clockwise direction around the ring, and then reversing and going in the other direction. When the announcer called “Rack on!” the horses came barreling down the field like a cavalry charge. They would be judged on how well they performed in each gait and on how smoothly they transitioned from one gait to another.
Another criterion was what is called conformation, or how closely each horse conformed to the ideal Saddlebred. There were certain characteristics of the breed which were looked for. The ideal Saddlebred has a well shaped head, with large, expressive eyes and gracefully hooked earls. He has a long, arched, and well-flexed neck, and deep and sloping shoulders. The back is strong and level, providing a comfortable ride, with a level croup, and a fine tail coming out high. For most classes, the horse has a long tail and mane. The natural stance of the Saddlebred is with the front legs forward under the shoulder, and the hind legs vertical. The horse has a proud, high stepping way of moving. The Saddlebred, bred for riding rather than racing, has strong legs, whereas the Thoroughbred, bred for speed, often has light bones which break under pressure. When making this assertion, Bryce mentioned the horse Barbaro, who decisively won the Kentucky Derby in 2006, but shattered his leg two weeks later in the Preakness, and eventually had to be put down. Although Damon could not absorb all this at once, he found that what he was looking at made more sense when he understood some of what was going on.
After going through their manoeuvers, the contestants were asked to line up facing the stands where the Lyles had their box. The judge then passed down the row, noting each horse as she went. Of course, those in the Lyle box cheered for Beau every time he passed in the ring and when the judge came up to Beau on CH Beau’s Boy. When the judge had passed, Beau looked up to the box and grinned as he saluted his family and friends. Then all the riders retired to the end of the arena while the results were recorded. Beau did not come in first, but he did not expect to, with much more experienced riders in the class, but he did come in fourth. Eight ribbons were awarded, with the top five gaining prize money. This class was listed as a $500 class, which meant that the blue ribbon winner got $125, second place got $85, third place got $55, fourth place got $40, and fifth received $35. As the entry fee was $65, and in addition, to enter this class one had to be in a previous qualifying class, with an entrance fee of $35, this was not a money-maker for the Lyles. However, it added to the prestige of the horse, the rider, and the horse farm. That, in turn, brought in additional revenues in many ways, such as new student riders, stud fees, and training fees for riders and horses. In addition, it was great fun for the riders, and probably the horses as well.
Following this class, there was a three gaited park pleasure stake. As none of the Lyles were riding in this class, everyone could relax and enjoy the show. Damon noted that everyone except him had comments on the performance of the riders and the horses. On one occasion, when a rider evidently lost control of her horse for a moment, there were intakes of breath. Tillie said, “Sue should have known better. She’s just not ready for shows yet.” It was amazing how the Lyles seemed to know someone in each of the classes.
“Why is it,” Damon asked, “that you call these performances classes?”
“Well, I don’t know how it got started,” Dolph Lyle replied. “It’s been that way as long as I can remember. Each competition is a class, and there are eighteen classes scheduled for this evening.”
“We get so used to the jargon we don’t even notice it. I’ve heard some people refer to classes as events,” Amy said, “but then, some people call the entire show an event. In the same way, what we have on our farm is called a stable, but some people call it a barn. It’s where the horses are housed, and where we carry out classes and exercises in bad weather. Otherwise we use the outside arena, which some folks call a corral.”
“You call your place a farm?” Bryce asked. “The place I use in Nebraska is called a stable.”
“That’s another way we confuse outsiders like Damon,” Beau said, as he joined the group, still in his riding gear, but without his coat or hat. “We call our place a horse farm, but its name is Lyle Stables. Goes both ways.”
“What about ranch?” Bryce asked. “I’ve run across that before.”
“I think that may be more common west of the Mississippi. I do not know of a single horse farm around here that calls itself a ranch,” Beau said.
Terminology discussed sufficiently for the time being, everyone congratulated Beau on his performance during the previous class. He was obviously pleased with his white ribbon, sign of his fourth place standing in the class.
It was obvious that female riders greatly outnumbered male riders in everything the guys had seen thus far. That, Bryce told Damon, would continue throughout the evening. In some classes, where professional riders were involved, there would be a greater number of males, and some of the driving classes might even have a male preponderance, but otherwise females dominated. That was another reason why Beau felt good about his place, as the first three places were won by females. He was the alpha male, he told his fraternity brothers.
The fourth class was a roadster to bike driving stake. The competitors entered going in the opposite direction, i.e., clockwise, from the previous classes. The horses pulled a two wheeled light weight vehicle, with the driver in racing colors. The horses were driven first at a jog trot, then at road gait, a relatively fast gait which was designed to cover a lot of ground at a gait which would not unduly tire the horse. Then, they reversed and came in the opposite direction. After repeating the two gaits used previously, the announcer then called, “Okay, drivers, let ‘em go!” Then, the horses and vehicles sped around the arena as fast as they could go without breaking stride. Even though none of the Lyles nor Bryce drove, as distinct from riding, they found it an exciting finale to the class, and Damon was enthralled. He watched the line up and judging carefully, and was astonished when the announcer proclaimed that the first prize, the blue ribbon, went to William Shatner and his horse, Thunderbolt.
“I’ve heard of him, I think,” Damon said. “But I’ve never been to a horse show before. Where have I heard that name?”
Dolph smiled. “Did you ever watch any of the Star Trek television series or movies?” he asked.
“That’s it!” Damon declared. “Wow! Captain Kirk right here in person.”
“He’s an avid horseman, and owns a horse farm here in Kentucky, near Versailles,” Dolph told Damon.
“Any more celebrities in the show?” Damon asked.
“Not that I know of, unless you are talking specifically about equestrian celebrities,” Dolph replied.
“Well, there’s Carson Kressley,” Beau interjected. “He’s not in this show, but he is part of the equine world.”
“You mean that fashion dude on ‘Queer Eye’? Damon asked. “What’s he got to do with horses?”
“Well,” Dolph replied, “ he was a member of the US World Cup Saddle Seat Equitation team in one of the Olympics, and has competed. He even won a major title, but I forget just what. Anyway, he owns Saddlebreds, and sponsors other riders as well.”
“And,” Bryce supplied, “he wrote a book for kids about how it was okay to be different. It was called You’re Different and That’s Super. Guess what, the main character is a unicorn colt who got misplaced in a herd of regular horses.”
“Unicorns are considered something really special, as I recall from our visit to that museum in Paris,” Damon stated.
“Yes! The series of tapestries called ‘The Lady and the Unicorn.’ Of course, we gays are definitely something special,” Bryce clowned. Then, he was not certain whether he should have come out like that in front of Dolph and Tillie.
Amy got up to leave. “I’m going for a shovel. It’s definitely getting piled higher and deeper in here.”
Bryce turned to Beau and asked sotto voce, “Did I say something to tick off Amy?”
“Naw. She’s really going to warm up. Her first class comes after this next one,” Beau assured him. “Oh, and in case you didn’t know, it was Amy who got Roland and John Luke together.”
“Whew,” Bryce said. “I thought for a moment I had really stepped in something foul.”
“No, that’s the way you always smell,” Beau teased him.
Neither Dolph nor Tillie seemed to take any notice of this exchange between the guys, although Bryce had no doubt that they had heard his initial outing. And that was as it should be.
With the next class, Amy appeared in all her finery on her horse, CH Wonderhorse. Beau confided to his friends, “Amy named Wonder in one of her romantic moods. But she really is a fine mare, and seems to suit Amy perfectly.”
This was the three gaited junior exhibitor stake. Bryce explained to Damon that it would be much like the five gaited class in which Beau rode, except they would be doing only walk, trot, and canter gaits. Beau then explained that ‘junior exhibitor’ meant a rider seventeen years old or younger.
“Wow, there are some really little kids out there,” Damon noted.
“Yeah. If you’re going to be good at this, it’s best to start young. See that young man with the brown hat? That’s William Nalty. He’s eleven. But over there, in the straw hat, that’s Ethan Devore. Oops, he likes to have his full name in the programs – Ethan Lane Allen Devore. I’m not sure, but I think he’s only six. And that girl, Masie Benfield, she’s nine. I’ve seen these kids compete before. Those three live around here, so they’re in just about every local show where I exhibit as well,” Beau informed his guests.
But while they were talking, they were also watching Amy perform, and stopping to cheer her on every time she came near where they were seated. Then, the contestants were told to line up across the arena from the Lyle box, and the judge went down the line, checking for conformation. When she came to Amy and Wonder, naturally all those in the Lyle box cheered lustily. When the results were announced, Amy came in second, winning the red ribbon. This was a $400, class, so the prize money for second place was $80. For Amy, that was not important. She was elated to have come in second. As a seventeen year old, this would be her last year as a junior exhibitor. Of course, when she reappeared in the box, Beau had to tease her that she would never have a chance to come in first. Siblings are like that.
During one of the classes in which he was not particularly interested, Beau asked whether anyone else wanted anything to eat. He got orders for ice cream from everyone, so he drafted Bryce to help him carry the indulgence. There was a booth at which a local company, Ehrler’s, advertised vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry cones or cups, with the added attraction that they made their own cones. It wasn’t quite as difficult as it might have been, as the sympathetic woman behind the counter supplied a carrying board, a piece of stiff cardboard with holes in it, to carry the cones. They made it back to the box without incident.
After that there came the two year old stake. Normally, Saddlebreds are considered under age, or juniors, until they are four years old. Only then are they entered into serious competition. But two and three year-olds are exhibited for several reasons, such as giving them experience and exposure. Exposure might very well mean a sale if the horse showed well. These youngsters looked the part. They were lean, lanky, and not fully developed, like many teenagers.
Amy was up again in the equitation championship class. In this class, it was the rider, not the horse, which was being evaluated. At least to her cheering section, she looked like the best of the lot. When she again came in second, perhaps influenced by Beau’s earlier teasing, she did not look very pleased. Beau said softly, “Oh, oh. I’m going to have to be especially nice to Amy after this.”
“Yes, you are,” his grandmother said.
Amy sucked it in and took her second place like a champion, though, refusing to let her disappointment put a damper on the rest of the show.
A few classes later, it was again Beau’s chance to shine. He was riding his grandparents’ mare Lyle’s Beauty in the five gaited pleasure horse stake. Of course, Bryce had to comment on the fact that Beau was on Beaut, which elicited moans from Damon and Amy. Once again, he was in competition against riders who had been at it much longer than he, and he was one of the few males in the arena. He seemed to his admirers to do everything perfectly, but the judge thought differently, as he came in fifth in this class. When Beau reappeared in the box, his grandparents congratulated him, as he was competing in a class of seventeen riders, most of whom were considerably more experienced. Amy, however, looked just a little bit smug, as her brother had not been able to do better than she in their respective classes.
For the remainder of the evening, neither the Lyles nor Bryce nor Damon had a vested interest in the outcome of the competitions. They enjoyed the show, and commented on the various horses and riders, and in some cases vehicles as well. In addition to the roadster classes, where they had seen William Shatner compete, there were also fine harness and pleasure driving classes involving four wheeled vehicles.
It was about 10:30 by the time the show broke up. Bryce thanked the Lyles heartily for inviting them, saying he would definitely be interested in attending the World Championship Horse Show at the state fairgrounds later in the month. This competition lasted for a full week, drawing competitors from all over the world. It was the pinnacle of Saddlebred competition. It ran from Sunday, August 22, through Saturday, August 28, in 2010. Because that would be the first full week of classes at the University, Bryce knew he would not get to the entire show, but, like tonight, he would try to get to the Saturday evening competition, when most of the championship classes were held.
Damon talked about the horses all the way back to campus. He still was not at all easy about riding them, but he fully agreed with Bryce: horses were beautiful. They moved gracefully, and bore themselves in a noble manner. He would not object at all to accompanying Bryce to the final evening of the WCHS.