08/23/2026
What a great post, which I’m sure any of us with kids or grandkids can relate to!
“If you can’t be good, be shiny!” If any of you personally know me, you know that’s my motto, just spoken differently. I don’t ever expect to win, but I do expect to look good! Polish yourself up, match your stuff (show pads, clothes) and get out there!
Last night will reign in my memory as one of those ‘best of times, worst of times’ with our family and horses. It was all beautifully emotional, with bright lights and music, but we had to dig deep.
You see, it’s been a four-day event—we were closing out day three—and it was past our pre-schooler’s bedtime. We were scheduled to appear in the Saturday evening performance at Heart of the Horse.
I’d helped judge the c**t starting all afternoon, while Cait and Lee took turns trying to persuade Ruby to sleep in the horse trailer, in all the heat. The sidesaddles and outfits had all been made ready the week before, as the horses were slimmer than last summer and the girths needed shortening. In western Canada, we don’t just have a store where we can go and order, or buy in, sidesaddle gear. You either make it, or you make do, going without.
Our little child’s habit turned out to be swimmingly large on petite Ruby. Good thing her mummy is handy with a sewing machine.
The horses were bathed and braided and anyone who knows that that entails, on a hot and dusty show ground, will sympathize. They looked marvellous, in the end. Granny went back to the hotel, washed up and changed into her red boots and black split skirt and returned to the exhibition grounds. We were as ready as we would ever be.
Ruby was past her bedtime and was starting to crumble, just a bit. Thank goodness for friends and neighbours. Levi and Vanessa Ould took quick stock of the situation and returned with a baggie filled with gummies—no, not that kind, though it might have been helpful for all concerned!—which we doled out to our tiny jockey who'd been feeling hot and bothered under her warm layers of wool. They did the trick.
I was again so proud of my son-in-law, Lee, who is just one of the most fantastic daddies. He can juggle a riding cane, a pair of gloves, a juice box, a wipe rag, a bag of candy, two sets of reins attached to live horses, put riders up and joke and cajole, all the while. That's a talent right there, ladies.
We rode out with Kathy Fl***ra, telling the story of women’s history with horses, and I was so happy to play a small part. With the pink lights swirling, strains of Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years’ in the air, Ruby, Shortcake and I stumbled through the darkness up the far side of the arena, to step out during the final chorus, to so much lovely applause.
Ruby was surprised. “Are they clapping for me?!” she asked. Well, yes, for you and Shortcake and all the brave ladies ever, my dear child.
All our thanks must go to Niki Fl***ra for making this dream of hers, a living ode to horses, a reality.
We had a wonderful time, shown here in a photo kindly sent to me late last night by Keystone follower, Char Peters. We’re smiling and waving in the final moments of the Saturday night show, flanked by my daughter Cattle Cait - Cait Bascom on Lucy and glamorous Jill Barron, who had done a performance with a lit-up garrocha pole.
“Oh! She’s so shiny!” breathed Ruby. Jill quickly answered back, “If you can’t be good, be shiny!” and we laughed and laughed, because that would make the best sassy tee shirt. But then again, maybe we were all just feeling a little punchy.
We celebrated with an hour in the hotel’s pool before closing time and went to bed tired but happy, as the saying goes. It was a good day to be a grandmother and I know that I am very, very lucky.
Once again, in our hearts, the amenable Shortcake wins Best Pony in the World.
