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Sunday, July 30, 2006

Stupid Horse Tricks

FB and I went to a Morgan Horse show last night at the nearby Northampton Fairgrounds. It's held every July and is apparently the 2nd biggest Morgan show in the country. We spent the evening and watched a variety of riding events in the main ring, which was all very enjoyable until a woman came and stood beside us and began yelling at three or four of the riders each time they trotted by.

Why was she yelling, you ask? She wasn't a heckler or a drunk, she was their riding coach, and she was yelling instructions like- "Less rein! less rein!", "Up to the fence, Get up to the fence!", and best of all, "Relax!! Relax!! You Have to RELAX!!!" at the top of her lungs.

And these were not kid's classes we were watching- these were adult riders. Most of the riders she was "coaching" looked resigned but at least one looked as if she wanted to kill her.

I thought Soccer Moms were bad... I wonder how much those riders were paying her to scream at them.

3 comments:

Catalyst said...

SWMBO and I went to a flamenco concert recently and the elderly woman sitting directly behind us was "dancing" her feet on the floor, which made a horrible vibration through our seats. Finally, I half-turned and said "Don't do that," and she never made a sound but my wife glanced at her as we left and told me later that the woman was irritated.

A couple of years ago we went to a musical concert at another venue and a middle-aged woman would put her fingers in her mouth and issue forth an ear-piercing whistle after every number until another patron asked her not to do that anymore.

What is it with spectators who seem to want to be part of the act?

Forrest Proper said...

As my wife commented after the woman left, for these people the event is not about the participants, it's all about themselves.

Mike said...

This past spring when I was going to my son's track meets, I encountered the same kind of nuts. I felt embarassed for some of the kids in the events.

If either my wife or me even look like we are about to say anything my son gives us "the look." We know that means sit down and shut up.