Gigi Bailey brought many years of experience as a trainer, exhibitor and judge into the ring with her as she worked with three horses and riders to improve their performance in Hunter Under Saddle classes at Mane Event. "I want to show you what the judge thinks when he stands in the middle of the arena," Gigi told the group with a grin. "I want to show you the 100 little things that will help you become a winner."
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Gigi Bailey entertains the audience at The Mane Event in her How to Improve Your Performance in Hunter Under Saddle clinic.
Photo: Heather Grovet
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Gigi told the audience that she always uses "three eyes" when she's riding in the show pen. "One eye is on my horse," she said. "One eye is on the other horses around me. And my third eye is on the judge. I always note where the judge views the class, and I'm careful that we're always performing our best when in that viewing area."
One of the riders asked what she should do if her horse had a poor walk to lope transition, and the cue to lope was called in front of the judge.
"I would do my best to not perform a poor transition directly in front of the judge," Gigi told the group. "If I knew a lope was coming, I'd find a way to keep from being directly in front of the judge at that moment. Perhaps I'd walk my horse deep into the corner so we wouldn't be in the judge's viewing box when the lope was called. Or perhaps I'd cut the corner. Or I could ask my horse to walk slowly.
"Sometimes I'd even wait until the judge looked at another horse before cantering off. It would be better for the judge to miss seeing me circle that time than have him see a poor transition."