Mad Love for Harley Quinn

Over the past three months I’m Harley♦️Quinn or Quinn as we call her now around the barn, has been learning the ropes. Her prior experience was assessed at about.....umm, zero. So, Joe and Bailey have been working hard to simply get her broke.  Broke to stand to mount. Broke to the bit. Broke so she stops. LOL. And, so forth. Yep, the basics. But, she wasn’t even officially two those first 90 days - her birthday was April 15. What can you expect?  I kinda laughed, ‘cuz the updates and reports always included emojis of a hand slapping forehead 🤦‍♂️ or laugh/crying😂 etc. 😜 hmmmmm. Well, she’s not even two yet. 🤷‍♀️  Lets take our time with her. So, slow progress was the goal.

Visiting with HQ. Mad Love!

I visited her in Feb and then again early April to see her progress. In Feb she was still figuring it out. However in April she seemed to be getting ahead. Joe mentioned that she really was starting to hit a nice gait the past two weeks. You could see a huge leap forward. It was really exciting to see her understand things. She was still unpredictable and learning, but the riding part was certainly progressing tremendously. Now that long stride seemed more purposeful. Me. I was simply tickled pink. Joe was thinking he may take her to a show soon if she kept advancing, he thought it might also help her get more broke.

On Friday I got a text. “We might take HQ to the walking for cancer show tomorrow, they have a 2yo class.”  But it was a big IF. They would ride her Saturday morning and decide and let me know. Late Saturday afternoon, as I was walking around the Midwest Horse fair in Wisconsin, I get a photo on my phone. It’s a picture of Quinn in the horse trailer on her way to the show. She looked like a big girl. All grown up. My little baby girl going to her very first show.  I had a small moment. Then my stomach started to hurt and my nerves began working over time. Omg. Her very first show. Her very first class. Her very first time. And I wouldn’t be there. 😔

HQ going to the show.

 The show started at five. I found out that they would be streaming the show live on reporTV.  It was after 4pm and I was still at the Midwest Horse fair with Lisa, Morgan and friends watching a demo. If I left by five I would be able watch her. Obviously I wasn’t going to miss this....and by 5pm I was in my car heading back home. It would take an hour to get home, but she was in class ten so that would be about 7 pm or so. I’d make it.

When I arrived home Scott was waiting. He had gone that morning to pick up our new car. And it was parked out in the driveway for me to see.  Of course we checked it out and I got the full tour. And then we went inside to logon to watch Quinn’s class. When I logged on, class nine was just starting so our timing was perfect. Scott got out his phone to tape the class. Then they announced Quinn’s class and opened the gate. Four 2 year olds would make the gate call. Joe riding Quinn entered last and the gate closed behind her. It was the honorable Sam Sorrell who would judge the class.

I was so proud. She came into the ring like a good girl, ears forward and alert. She looked great. Moving forward, striding unbelievably and that head nod. Up and down. Up and down. Oh. My my my. She looked really good out there! With two year olds, you never know what you’re gonna get. But she looked like she was having a great time out there.



They went flat walk and running walk. And then they reversed to go the other way. The reporTV video man did a great job showing each horse on the internet stream and included nice close up shots of each horse too. It was so cool to be able to watch her real-time during the class even though we weren’t there in person. Each time Joe and Quinn were on the screen they looked great. Nice clean passes. She was so upright and striding. I just squealed with happiness and pride. And Scott just kept saying how great she looked. We were both thrilled. When they called for the lineup I think we both breathed again for the first time that whole class. I said I think she looked great and Scott said, umm yeah!  And we laughed.

Baby girl’s first show. And it’s a blue debut. 

Then the announcer came back on and called number 315 for the win. That’s Quinn’s number!  Joe pulled out of the lineup and rode around to the winners circle. I screamed and cheered and couldn’t believe it. Scott grinned from ear to ear. We jumped up and down. Then we watched as Joe and Quinn made their very first victory lap.  She owned that ring like a boss!  Lol.

We got text messages and videos from Joe, Bailey, Julie and a number of friends. We were all on cloud nine.
Scott and I replayed the class and talked about Quinn. Mad love for Harley Quinn. She certainly is something special.  ♦️♦️♦️♥️♥️♥️♦️♦️♦️