Ante Up
I've never been good at card games. In fact, the whole idea of betting and gambling kind of escapes me. One of the things i hate the most is the point in every 'game,' whether it be craps, blackjack, poker, or just go fish
, is the point where you have to ante up, and put a stake on what you think might happen.
Going to horse shows is a lot like the ante in the the horse world. It is truly a gamble. You put your money in an envelope (or your card number online) and you send it to the show secretary who then checks your credentials and documentation and gives you a card. . . a ride time at the dressage show.
When you show up, you are showing your cards. You have nothing left, and it's all out on the table. . . you play the hand you have.
What happens up until that time is just as much a gamble. Horses lose shoes, saddles suddenly decide to not fit, mysterious and random lamenesses appear (and just as mysteriously, disappear the day AFTER the show). All these things make that act of licking the envelope and putting the stamp on pretty wistful. Sometimes, if feels lik
e you might as well just take that check and write it to them with "scratch" already written in the memo. . . .or is it "fold?"
Showing isn't for everyone. It isn't even really necessary for someone who wants to simply ride, and progress, and develop a horse in a program. It is however addicting.
I don't like the ante-up process, and I have so many challenging horses at the moment I can't even say with certainty that the winning is what draws me but I sure do like the feeling of locking the ramp closed and getting in the truck, (hopefully) tossing a satin ribbon on the dashboard, and tucking another test into the console of my truck to obsess over again later. I think that feeling of completion could be just as addicting as the win.
So I ante up, and tuck those envelopes into the mailbox, hopeful that in a month it will feel just as good again to take of my show coat, and that that check inside, beneath the red flag, will be worth the gamble.
