Forward March...... Gold Medal

Just needed a brag moment. Two of my girls competed in a drilling competition and my 3rd daughter won the gold medal. Both girls did very well but the older of the two won the gold out of over 300 girls.

She won before last year but due to judge error, she was taken out. I had it on camera and ran to the front but in the large arena by the time I reached the judges, they had awarded another girl. I showed them the video and of the 20 or so girls still in the running, she was the only one turned in the right direction. She would have had the gold then also.

Her oldest sister took the gold many times. It is a hard thing to do and the judges often mess up themselves as they give 5 commands and then erase one, then add two and erase one etc. They are trying to see which girl can follow the commands but often times mess themselves up. It is amazing to me how in a full auditorium with thousands of people, they can focus themselves down to the smallest command and flinch. If they flinch, they are removed.

Sometimes the person calling the commands will say, "Everything is on the number" They then give the command and the girls can't move until they call out the numbers. If they say "one" the girls then start the command but cannot finish the move until the number "2" is said.

I really hate it when they do the numbers and the person calling will say a command and then quickly say "1" and then say "3" and the girls can't move. If they jerk or twitch, they are out.

It takes great concentration and the ability to take orders. I realized that both girls that won are very obedient people. My fourth daughter did very well and I am sure we will see her up on the awards stand in her own time as this was her first year in the competition.

My oldest was going through her "memory" box the other day and had over 10 medals and 30 ribbons from her drill days. I am hoping to get to her memory quilt in the next few weeks so we can put all the t-shirts she's got to a good use.