Wednesday Craig and I drove to Lexington, Kentucky for the 19th North American Nationals.
Kentucky - a place after my own heart. Where else can I get my favorite drink out of a vending machine with a horse on it??
We ate a late dinner in The Horseshoe, the restaurant next to the motel. Only one other table had customers, and as I glanced over at it, one of the women sitting there looked up and our eyes met. It was Karen Beeson, a long time hobby friend who had attended the University of Illinois! And with her was Chris Wallbruch, another U of I alum, hobby friend, and fellow teacher! I hadn't seen either gal in at least ten years - who'd have thought??
We had a nice chat, and they gave me some tips for showing at NAN the next day. I was disappointed that they would not be there, but they'd shown on the previous two days of the show and needed to get back to Chicago and their families. (The third day of NAN was for china, resin, and collectibility classes.)
The next morning we drove to Heritage Hall/Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington and got in line to be admitted to the show.
I'd shown at the inaugural NAN in 1995 and the third one in 1997, so I was a bit rusty at showing on the national level. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous, although I did not have high expectations of winning much - 212 people were entered along with 5,600+ pieces over the three days of the show.
The show hall was massive and sprawling, with 23 tables (rings) for exhibiting.
It was a very well-run and organized show and a volunteer manned a whiteboard where classes that had been called were posted, their status as to whether entries were being loaded or if the class was closed, and which ring the class was in. I took my clipboard and entry list up there more than once just to keep track of where my pieces were going.
My show string for this year's NAN.
That's Kristina Lucas Francis in the green, a friend from Tennessee and a sculptor for Breyer and Disney (she did some of the
The Nightmare before Christmas Christmas ornaments), and other commercial companies as well as her own sculpting. (She specializes in horses and dinosaurs.) It was fun having her nearby and getting to chat throughout the show.
Another good friend, Beth Dickinson, who I have known since we became pen pals in 1971, was also in attendance. She works for Hershey (the chocolate company, not the school!) and brought me some special chocolates to try. Thanks, Beth!
Classes started being called at 8:00 AM.
My Breyer Icelandic and my HR Misty.
My North Light Welsh Pony.
My Lakeshore Belgian Warmblood and my Cheval Friesian (he won two Top Tens, one for Breed and one for Collectibility.)
My HR Sherif, a piece that usually does very well at shows. I found it for $4 at an auction in Fairbury, Illinois in the early 1990s. It's from the 1950s and has exceptionally nice detail which is why it often wins the classes in which it is entered.
I thought it might Top Ten, but to my surprise it was Reserve National Champion in Breed!
And my other surprise was when my HR donkey foal, Harry Potter, also was Reserve National Champion in its Breed class!
The show wrapped up in the early afternoon, and so we were home by 7:30. I came home tired but happy, and still more than a bit surprised that I had had such a successful day.
