Caldwell ADT ... the rest of the story
It never ceases to amaze me how many of the things I take for granted are totally foreign to Karin. I mean, I know she got into horses later in life, and never rode Western, but, well, the Caldwell arena is like dozens of others I grew up riding and showing in. I just had to laugh about her amazement at the "box" in the air ... In my (now-distant) past, my parents (who are not horse people) spent many a Sunday afternoon timing, scoring and announcing out of one of those boxes as my younger brother and I ran our ponies around barrels, poles, and cones. ...
Of course Karin isn't the only one who finds the whole arena setup unfamiliar. Even Keith, with numerous ADTs under his belt, thought I was nuts when I suggested using something to lower paperwork down from the announcers booth. After I located the pre-set bucket and rope up there, however, he decided maybe it wasn't such a new silly suggestion. Just because he doesn't mind running up and down stairs doesn't mean everyone else wants to!
By the way -- I know Al's secret to staying MarthaStewart calm. While he was lounging ringside, Susan Bulgawicz was upstairs with me and Karen Garrett, double-checking the scores and results! I guess that also blows the argument for my scoring abilities being supernatural...
The greatest thing about ADTs though is how everyone gets involved. The volunteers seem to enjoy the action, and with drivers and spectators helping to move cones, obstacles, etc., the work gets spread around. I hope we can do more of these, because, well, they are just FUN!
Linda