OHHA did GREAT!  Linda Earley won Training Level Pony and was Training Level Champion.  Becky Benjamin won Intermediate Pony, the Welsh Award, and the perpetual pony award.  I won Intermediate Single Horse, Intermediate Marathon, and Intermediate Champion.  We represented Oklahoma well.  I apologize if I left out anything else that Linda and Becky won.

 

The new Nebraska venue was great.  Crossing the 4-lane highway via a covered bridge in the sky was an experience, but everyone is better for having done it.  No problems.  The new hazards were tight and challenging.  The track was a little rough, but it should get better.  Wonderful prime rib dinner Saturday night. 

 

From Linda Earley

     I survived my first CDE!  It was a great experience and "Copper" was
wonderful.  In the Omnibus it mentioned that you had to cross a covered bridge
over the highway and it wasn't until I saw the bridge that I thought OH MY
GOD!!!  Friday afternoon we were allowed to lead or ground drive over the bridge. 
It was less traumatic for the horses than it was for the people.  Copper went
right over it even with semis roaring underneath and cars honking their horns.
I will post pictures of it when I get that roll developed.

     The venue was great but I would have liked to have had more warmup
areas.  Lots of concrete so my shoeless pony by Sunday had worn his hooves down(on
the plus side he won't be needing a trim for a while...lol).  I was pleased
with our dressage test.  He was real steady and scored well.  I'm finally
figuring out the "outside rein" concept...I think!  The cones course was tough!  I
believe only 3 or 4 horses in the whole competition went clear and without time
penalties.  We went clear but had 2 time penalties.  The weather was great
both days with Sunday being about 75 degrees by the time we went.  We started
Section A by crossing the dreaded bridge and did the 5K in a park and alongside
a golf course.  It was a pretty smooth track and we were ahead of time
finishing section A.  We crossed back over the bridge(piece of cake by now) and
started Section D(walk section).  Copper is not the fastest walking pony and he
started out poking along.  It was high up on a hiking/bike path and he could see
horses in the distance on the hazards course so he gradually started picking
up speed and we finished only about 10 seconds under time so we had no time
penalties.  Then it was on to the vet check and his pulse and respiration was
fine.  On to Section E(the fun stuff).  The hazards were great(I will post pics
when developed).  The track was ROUGH!!!!!  I was sure my cart was going to
fall apart.  My gator and I started laughing as we thought we were going to be
bounced out at one point.  Copper was rolling along and was under time at each K
and he was in and out of the hazards quickly.  We walked in the last 100
meters and came in under time.  I had a blast and am looking forward to the next
CDE.  Thanks to Deryn, Becky and Linda J. for all their help and advice.  I was
too busy getting ready to take any action photos.  I did get a couple of
shots of Becky and Duane Gaus in dressage since they were the first two to go.  I
was getting Copper ready when Deryn went so I didn't get any shots of her and
"Bob".  I've attached a shot that I got of Becky and "Shine" in dressage. 
Oklahoma did real well.  I wish more "Okies" could have made the trip.
Linda Earley