Chloe chats with Erin McGuire of Cornelius, NC, about her road to Indoors with Casallo, the official (and first) Pony Glam spokeshorse. As if there was any doubt, Casallo has qualified for all of the prestigious Indoor horse shows: Harrisburg, WIHS, and the National Horse Show. Erin will be his mount for the Large Junior division and Liza Towell Boyd will ride him in the professional divisions.Chloe: Let me start with congratulating you on qualifying for Indoors! I know you follow the point standings all year so it wasn't too much of a surprise but how did you feel when you checked the qualifying list for the final time and saw Casallo's name?
Erin: It’s always such a relief when the qualifying lists are posted!
Regardless of how many points you have, it’s still rewarding to see
where you stand on the lists!
Chloe: Speaking of where one stands, why isn't Casallo returning my emails? Didn't he notice that I got my tail dyed recently? Andrea has been making me work my butt muscles, surely he has noticed that??
Erin: Ohhh he’s a mess! He’s probably busy eating his hay net... it’s a full
time job! I’ll remind him he has other priorities to attend to!
Chloe: Well, you should tell him that the livestream footage for these Indoor shows adds at least 30lbs, so he may want to lay off the hay net! Anyway, back to my (boring) list of pre-approved questions...Are you superstitious during show season? Do you have any superstitious habits for the big shows?
Erin: NO! I look at it this way: if there’s lucky then there’s unlucky. What
happens if I misplace my lucky item? Or if it magically becomes
unlucky... then what? So I guess you could say I am superstitious about
luck!
Chloe: Uh, okay? Who knew you were also a philosopher? Can you describe for my readers what it is like to step out into the indoor arena at WIHS and the other Indoor shows? Also, I would really like to see myself on the jumbo-tron at WIHS. You think you could pull some strings?
Erin: All Indoor shows are different and the feel is really based off of location.
At Harrisburg you feel like you are in a dome because the stands are so
upright. At WIHS I almost feel relieved to be in the show ring because
the schooling area is SO tiny! Either way, it’s an honor to compete at
any Indoors show so I try to relax and stay focused. As far as the
jumbo-tron goes... maybe I could submit your picture instead of mine?
Chloe: What is the best thing about riding Casallo? Hardest part?
Erin: Casallo gives his rider such an amazing feeling. He is so suspended in
everything he does; he knows he’s fabulous. The hardest part would be
keeping his attention! He often times gets distracted by his own ego.
Chloe: Ego??? Never heard of it!... So, you have been riding with Jack Towell at Finally Farm in Camden, SC for nearly 2 years now. Share with us something invaluable he has told you that everyone should know as a rider and competitor. (Particularly something that would help Andrea, as she gets on my last nerve at shows!)
Erin: I am so grateful to work with Jack because he is such a knowledgeable
horseman and is genuinely dedicated in me, as a rider. He has said many
valuable things, but there is one saying that really puts things into
perspective for me. It went something like this: “What do good riders
do? They don’t chip. They may get deep or long, but they don’t miss. Sit
down and make the distance work. Get 3rd in the class with an okay
distance, that’s better than nothing with a chip.”
Chloe: Well said! Is this Jack character single? ... What is one thing you would want people to know about you and/or Casallo?
Erin: I’m not kidding when I say he eats his hay net All. Day. Long. He also
likes Swedish fish (or anything else you want to give him) and is
extremely jealous of his brother. He screams every time I take my other
horse out to graze.
Chloe: I am not sure why Andrea didn't just use ME as the official spokeshorse, but thanks anyway for helping her out and being such a great PG fan. In closing, because I have to ask, what is your favorite Hoof Hi-Lites color?
Erin: Sassy Silver for Casallo and Gimme Gold for Cascadini.
A huge THANKS to Erin for taking the time for this interview as I know she has a very busy schedule over the next few weeks! I met Erin over a year ago in the context of finding the perfect local PG horse rep to launch my new brand. I knew Casallo would be THE perfect choice, but I didn't know what to expect from Erin. I can honestly say that from the very first email she has always been very modest, appreciative, generous and sincere. I have enjoyed watching her success throughout the year and I look forward to cheering her and Casallo on over the next few weeks at Indoors via the livestream footage, where despite what Chloe may say, they will look the perfect size and pair! Go TEAM PG!! xoxo-Andrea
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