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Kids Corner-Moonlight Madness 2006

   Llama Association of Southern California

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Showing in the Moonlight Madness--2006

By Meagan Browne-14 yrs. Old

Phelan, CA

 

I just got back from a llama show called Moonlight Madness. It was a lot of fun. I got to hang out with my friends Jeremy, Dylan, Bridget and Matthew.  It was at an equestrian park with two arenas. There was a mountain background where you could see coyotes wandering around. A few coyotes came to the fence and looked at the people at the show.  They did not like llamas though, and kept their distance. The llamas did not pay much attention to the coyotes either, but some of the llamas seemed on edge.  I did not do as well this year as I did last year at this show, but I had fun, and I think that is important. I got a first place, a fourth place and a fifth place. My llama, Checkers, was kind of in a bad mood, because I left him tied to the fence instead of putting him back in his pen to eat after each class.

 

The first class was PR. {Public Relations}. It was a fairly easy course for me but I had never seen some of the obstacle before. Here are a few of the obstacles. The first one was the trailer. It was a huge horse trailer, and the step to get into it was almost to my knees. It was quite a climb for me and a high jump for my llama. Checkers jumped in, but his front feet slipped on the slippery floor. Fortunately he did not fall and made it safely into the trailer. The second obstacle was the blow-dryer. The blow-dryer was an interesting obstacle. You had to walk your llama onto a mat, and then turn on a blower and blow it on your llama’s neck a couple times. Checkers just stood there, so it worked out all right, even though that had never been done to him as an obstacle before. Another interesting invention of Eileen Ditsler (who created the course), was the car wash. The car wash was made an old easy-up frame without a top that had long lime green and clear plastic strips hanging off of it. It also had sprinklers, so it sort of resembled a car-wash, and by the time you got out of the obstacle, it was like you had gone through a car-wash with your windows rolled down. Checkers had never even seen the obstacle before, but he did it. I was so excited, because I had doubted he would do it. I placed first in the class.

 

The second class was Obstacle. This course was a little harder than PR for me. There were obstacles there that Checkers was still learning how to do. One of them was a tight turn going over four different heights of step/jump overs that were all connected to a tall pole running up in the middle of them.  Checkers had done that obstacle before, but he only had to go over three of the step/jump over before.  When they changed it to four this year, Checkers was not used to making a tight turn and stepping/jumping over such a high jump. He had always taken a high jump straight on. He made it over all of them, but almost tripped on the highest on so I think we got points off for that. Another difficult obstacle for us was a large hose like circle raised above the ground that the llamas had to jump through. Checkers jumped it, but his back legs got caught in the tube and he almost tripped. He was able to free his feet and land though, and the fact that he was not hurt was more important to me than any first place ribbon. After all, he is my best friend. I ended up placing fourth in that class, which actually surprised me since I thought I would place last.

 

The next and last class was Pack. Unfortunately, we left our own packs at home. We were able to borrow packs that were just like ours though, which was a miracle. Checkers had done all the obstacles before, but it was getting very late, and he had been forced to stand still tied to a fence, because I did not put him away to eat after each class. The only obstacle I really had trouble with was the back up. It was no ordinary back up. The llamas had to back up through hanging branches with leaves that reached far above their heads and touched the ground. Checkers had not eaten in a while, so at the sight of the juicy, refreshing leaves, not to mention that they were a tempting bright green with a strong yet not unpleasant odor, he could not help trying to eat them. He wanted to rub his head on the plants and as well as eat them. He ended up not wanting to back up, something he usually is great at, and eventually backed out the wrong end, not to mention the fact that when we got out of the obstacle, my number fell off and he stepped on it! I placed fifth in that class, but was glad that I knew what areas of training we need to work on!

 

I showed my llama, Bounder, in Novice PR. and Novice Obstacle. He did really well and even placed sixth in one class. My friend Matthew also entered his two llamas, Pearl and Appi in the show.  He bought those two llamas from us.  I got to train them and he and I have fun working with our llamas.  He did really well and is on his way to be one of the best.

 

During the show, some people from the Rose Parade committee came to look at the llamas. They really liked Checkers because of his spots and super heavy wool. I am so excited that llamas are going to be in the 2007 Annual Rose Parade, and am hoping that Checkers and I will be able to be in it. I think we will be accepted, because the people from the Rose Parade liked him so much that they wanted to take a picture with him to show to their committee. So, if all goes well, I will see you in the January 2007 Rose Parade!

 

I really want to thank Eileen Ditsler for making this show as fun as it was. The obstacles were awesome!  I would also like to thank Tracy Wallace for letting me borrow her pack since we left ours at home. Thanks everyone who participated in making the show so great, and see you at the Antelope Valley Fair and Southwestern Regionals!

 

 

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