There is one person you can almost always find at a horse show.
The Show Dad. 
Sometimes Show Dad is a horse person himself. But sometimes his experience with horses began the day his daughter announced that she wanted a horse.
And somehow, before he quite knew what happened, horses became part of his life too.
Now he knows when the lessons are. He knows where the tack is supposed to be. He knows what time they have to leave for the show. He knows which horse his daughter loves, which one she doesn't trust, and probably far more about farriers and vet bills than he ever wanted to know.
At the show, he has another job.
Hold the horse. 
His daughter has disappeared because she needs something. Maybe she needs to check when her class starts. Maybe she forgot something in the truck. Maybe she saw a friend. Definitely, she probably saw a friend.
Then there's Mom, talking to the other moms and chatting with the instructor. Checking the ponytail and making sure the helmet is on securely. Over to the horse for the leg up. Dad holds the horse, and Mom is there encouraging. A quick smile for Dad and a wave as his daughter's name is called for the ring.
That's Dad, and the world goes bright.
Then there is the money.
Oh, the money. 😂
The horse. The boarding. The lessons. The tack. The boots. The show clothes. The entry fees. The farrier. The vet.
The list grows quickly.
But then his daughter rides into the ring. Short legs barely reaching around the barrel of the horse, and the miracle happens. She rides it like a pro, the two of them working in tandem. A beautiful thing to behold.
This is the part I remember. And the part I will always remember.
The part both Mom and Dad will always remember. That's their girl out there in the show ring, loving life and loving a horse.
Looking back, I loved watching the young riders at horse shows. Little girls on ponies and horses who gradually became poised young women who could guide a thousand-pound animal around a show ring while making it look easy.
Sometimes they won.
Sometimes they didn't.
There were smiles and ribbons and hugs. There were also tears at the loss and more hugs.
And right outside that ring was Dad. He might have understood everything that happened in her event. Maybe he didn't. But he knew his daughter.
He knew how hard she had worked. He knew when she had a good ride. He knew when she was disappointed. And he was there.
He's the chauffeur. The horse holder. The carrier of forgotten things. The emergency helper. And, yes, quite often the guy handing over the money.
But mostly he's just Dad. 
And if his little girl happens to come out of that ring with a blue ribbon, I'm pretty sure he's going to tell you it was worth every penny.
At least until the next bill arrives. 😂
— Cheryl