Not just horsing around

     Hering has developed that bond over the years with her horse whose nickname is Mo, but whose show name is Mr. Bar Gab.
     Not only does a rider have to memorize these elaborate patterns, either ride or direct a horse through them, and face the scrutiny of the crowds and judges, they must also look good while doing it.
     “One way that a lot of people describe showing horses is a cross between an obstacle course, on a horse, and a beauty pageant,” Hering said.
     “We are all trying to catch the judges’ attention and sometimes the best way to accomplish that is to wear the most interesting outfits. And by interesting I mean blingy!” said Hering.
     By “blingy” Hering is referring to the trend amongst female riders to apply crystals and rhinestones to their outfits to make them stand out in the crowd. This trend has become so much the norm that it seems that a “blingy” arms race has formed amongst competitors.
     “Well my horsemanship outfit has about 3,000 crystals and my showmanship has 5,000,” said Hering.
     “My outfits are a little older. They have 3,000 each,” said fellow equestrian Hope Foster, 20, of Stockton, N.J. “I'm saving up for a new outfit right now,” she said.
     “If you want to stand out from the competition you have to have the newest designs, you can't be out of date, and you want as many crystals as possible. You are always under pressure to get new [outfits],” said Hering.
     Pressure is something that Hering has become accustomed to over her time showing horses.
     “I started out on the local circuit just showing around some of the fairgrounds here in Maryland. But since then I've been all over the country to shows with competition from all over the nation,” Hering said.
     “I've showed in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Connecticut, pretty much all over the place,” she said.
     Hering has even won fourth and eighth place in showmanship at The All-American Quarter Horse Congress. Congress is the largest single breed horse show in the world.