Katie Murphy and her non-horse husband Roger Demers attended the Area I annual meeting over the weekend. Katie went in with what she thought was a foolproof strategy for the silent auction, but she didn’t plan on Roger playing sabaetour. Thanks for sending us your blog, Katie! Have a story or blog post to share with EN readers? Send it to [email protected].
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Katie's dog Sam models her USEA Area 1 ribbon and SmartPak giftcard.
From Katie:
We just returned from the Area 1 annual meeting. What fun! Surrounded by friends, organizers, trainers, families, and everyone who makes our fabulous region “tick” — or kick, depending on the day. I must admit, I attend the annual meeting for two main reasons: 1) good company, and 2) the silent auction.
It’s January. In New Hampshire. It is usually very cold this time of year, with biting winds and a lot of snow (often covered in ice). What on earth is there to do aside from count down the days until spring, question our sanity for choosing to live in this frozen tundra, or ponder the brilliance of migration? The meeting is a wonderful time to catch up with friends, and share the excitement of the season yet to come. Roger joined in the fun, choosing to spend the day surrounded by the crazy that is horsewoman unplugged, instead of methodically pimping out his computer with new holiday hardware. He was pleasantly surprised, saying, “Wow. You guys look so different when you are clean!”
The other attraction at the meeting is the silent auction. Dozens of items on display, ready to be yours — and only yours — for a price. They are displayed in the back of room, organized across multiple tables, begging for you to come and say hello. I have a strategy for these silent auctions:
- Never pay full price — my mantra since my first purchase, passed down from my mother to me and my sister.
- Prepare — know what is available, know the value, plan your method of attack.
- Patience — Don’t rush, observe and calculate.
- Embrace the ninja. Become the ninja. Win the auction.
Strategy #4 is particularly poignant for today’s silent auction. Why you ask? Did the ninja lose her sword? Has this samurai fallen short on execution? Not entirely. I perused, I planned, I watched, and I executed. My bid number 1306 was poignantly listed at the end of my choice items. Victory would be mine! That is, of course, until the husband tore the glory out from beneath me with a swift execution of the pen. Bidder Roger Demers obliterated the winning position of bidder 1306.
This brings me to another strategy: the strategy of marriage, a winning combination.
- Tip #1: Recall that you are a team. You’ve married, and are bound not just in heart and spirit, but legally as well. Let’s repeat that — you are legally bound.
- Tip #2: Work together. There is no “i” in “team.” Also, “pulling a fast one” was not written anywhere in our marriage vows. I checked.
- Tip #3: Ultimately, the cost comes from the same pot. You just spent more money on something horsey than your wife, who rides — and you don’t. Does that make sense?
Which brings me to Tip #317 for Happy Horse Husbands: Don’t outbid your wife on horse-related items. Today, Roger won a dressage lesson with Leslie de Grandmaison and an entry to a horse trials. A big thank you to Suzanne Adams for suggesting this blog!
