THE FIRST
by Theresa Puckett, TDA Reporter
Why is that word so scary? Remember your first step, well you probably don’t, but for most it was scary. Wondering if you would fall on your face again, but you did it and it was great. There were many more first steps in your life that you weren’t sure of, the first bike ride, the first kiss and even the first love. As you look back you wouldn’t have missed any of those firsts for the world because each of them was well worth the risk. So why is it so hard to take that first step into the show ring?
I can tell you my first step into that show ring was very scary, it was the nationals at Shelbyville. I'd had Patches for awhile but bought a jennet just the week before, so I only had one show halter. I came out of the show ring and was trying to change the halter over to the other donkey to get back in the show ring. My hands were shaking so bad I couldn’t hook the buckle. A gentleman that had obviously been showing for awhile leaned over to me and said “take your time, it’s ok”. I took a deep breath and hooked the buckle. Each donkey went on to win a ribbon that day and I was hooked. I wish I could tell you from that moment on that it was easy but to this day when I am doing a tack change between classes my hands still shake because I know that people are waiting on me. Oh, and in driving, it was my third year at Shelbyville before I finished a driving class. At that time the driving was done in the indoor arena so the first year it was so deep that my donkey couldn’t pull in it, the next year he came up lame and I ask to be excused. So you could say I fell flat on my face more than once and there are times I still stumble.
Through the years I have watched many others take that first step. I remember someone, can’t remember who, but they brought their donkeys to show at Shelbyville and never took them into the show ring. They said the donkeys were too stressed, I often wondered if it was the donkeys or the owners that were too stressed. I know that now many of you think of me as that person that has been showing awhile so whenever I can I will lean over and say “take your time, it’s ok”. One thing you need to remember, you are showing donkeys and I can tell you that even a veteran can’t contend with the donkey that can we say, got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.
So you first timers out there, you are at a great advantage to those of us that took our first step when the only show in Tennessee was Shelbyville and back then it was always the nationals. Through the Tennessee Donkey ASSociation there are many more shows for you to choose where you want to take that first step and so many people that are eager to lean over and say “take your time it’s ok”. I look back and say I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I eagerly wait for each of you to take that first step, remember how those other first steps worked out, so jump in the water is fine.
