- The fence height was fine, as was the general topography. A few hills here, some twisty turns there - and even our first ever A-B combo! But really, this course was very small, with most fences shared between BN and Intro. It would have been the perfect move-up course. As it was, I hoped it'd be a great course for us to FINALLY go clear and build confidence.
- EXCEPT: The footing was stupid soggy almost everywhere. Some areas were downright dangerously slippery - especially through the woods. I was worried that Isabel would flat out object to the footing and get stuck behind my leg. My only hope was that she'd channel her inner trail goddess and actually find comfort in digging her toes into the ground - rather than the hard concrete-ish footing we've been running on at other events.
Isabel seemed to be in a great place tho - she had handled the nasty dressage footing with aplomb, and was quiet on the trailer while I walked my courses. So I was optimistic. |
Fence 1 was a small roll top Isabel and I jumped at our last schooling outing. You can also get a clear sense of how inviting this course was just from these three fences: Intro on left, Novice on right, BN in the middle. Intro might be the only maxed out fence. |
After fence 1 we skipped through a break in the fence to get into the front field that we had schooled through last time. The footing started to get questionable pretty quickly and I was very careful on my walk to test out different potential lines to see which was the driest. It didn't matter tho - right away on our ride Isabel was tuned in and cantering forward - not paying the least bit of attention to the ground. So I started to relax and enjoy it pretty much immediately, while still not taking any chances for another lattice-type stop to happen. |
So I rode fairly strongly to all the jumps in this section - tho as you can see fence 2 was another cake walk. |
Regardless, the plan was to jump the lowest middle section: the logs. Isabel locked on and jumped fine. We could have jumped any section, honestly. Mare was HUNTING the fences!!! |
Plus we had plenty of room to get back up to pace for the quick left turn to a small log. Isabel ZOOMED back into canter and paid zero attention to the mud sucking at her feet. |
Tho we continued to slip and slide in an otherwise lovely canter out of the woods and back onto (relatively) solid ground. |
To our first ever A-B combo!!!!! Starting out with this same small bench again, then 60' to the faux ditch. |
Then we GALLOPED up the hill through the finish lines haha with me squealing and yelling and generally carrying on that Isabel is the best horse in the whole world. And yes it's on video lol. |
So there ya have it folks! Isabel and I have officially gone clear through a BN cross country course - woo hoo! Isabel felt phenomenal through the whole ride too - really enjoying it and hunting down the fences - but also still supremely rideable. I'm hoping this outing was just what we needed - both of us - for continued success.
Then we stuck around for another 2 hours waiting for scores (they were SERIOUSLY short on volunteers so nothing ran very quickly....). I was pleasantly surprised to see we moved up on the leader board despite the rail in stadium. Obviously I don't revel in anyone else having a bad day or getting eliminated (I've been there and it sucks), and I would have been equally happy with 6th place (or higher)... but this little pink ribbon is just sooo pretty :D
lovely pink rosette for finishing 5th - plus a smaller (but equally pretty) green rosette for placing 6th in dressage |
Congrats! Great job at handling the tricky footing!
ReplyDeletethank you! i was super impressed with how nonchalant izzy was about the footing - perhaps all the trail riding is paying off!
DeleteCongrats! High options next time. ;) Love that wavy bridge.
ReplyDeletethanks - and you're so right about the high options haha, esp bc really none of them were particularly challenging (except maybe that green bench lol) ... next time! for now i'm just gonna glory in our clear round :)
DeleteWow congrats on such a good placing in such conditions!
ReplyDeletethanks! the horse really pulled through for me :D
DeleteGreat conservative ride!! Next time - high options!! And you are SO right about that being the perfect move-up course, I wish I would have done that one with you!
ReplyDeletethanks - conservative is actually the perfect word for it. and yes,... high options next time for sure. i wish i had known the course would be so inviting - it might have made it easier to get other ppl (like you!) to come with me! it's cool tho. by the time we eventually make it to the same show you and Dino will be confirmed at BN anyway :D !!!!!
DeleteI'm telling you right now, colored, horse-eating muckbuckets in the woods would be a hell no for Twister. I would have gotten launched and left in the trees lol
ReplyDeletehaha you might be surprised - i've seen quite a few horses jump those buckets while schooling and only one has ever stopped - a horse who is notoriously looky anyway. but if you're worried it's an easy enough jump to build at home :)
DeleteThis post makes me slightly want to go jump something solid in a field...I miss jumping! Stampede get your act together!
ReplyDeleteEither way, I enjoy blog posts of others doing cool stuff with cool ponies. Izzy is such a good girl!
c'mon Stampede!!!! jumping solid stuff in the field really is it's own kind of liberation :) and yes - Izzy is the best good girl ever!
DeleteI'm so impressed! I am such a wimp - several of those jumps look absolutely terrifying to me. But you and Izzy were amazing! Awesome mare IS awesome!!
ReplyDeletehaha thanks! i think it's a funny thing about xc: my eye has adjusted to the size way quicker than i could have imagined. probably bc they're so easy for the horses - my trainer really believes horses have an easier time reading these solid jumps than rails in the arena
DeleteI love your course walks! They always make me want to get out on cross country again one day. Congrats on a great show!
ReplyDeletethanks!!! i think you'll have to take TC out on cross country - he obviously loved playing around on it briefly :D
DeleteAgreed! Your course walks make me kind of almost want to try cross country! (I read a lot of eventing blogs bc I think y'all are the ballsiest riders of all. Seriously.) I love how you present the jumps and then describe how you approached each one while riding. Makes it feel like one is riding with you. :D
DeleteGreat job with managing some tricky footing and having fun out there. And big congrats on your placings!!
i'm glad you like the course walks! i actually really enjoy writing them since it's sorta like reliving the memory haha. and you should DEFINITELY try cross country - i mean, your mare jumps 10' banks, obvi she'd be a beast :D
Deletewhoo hoo!!!
ReplyDelete:D !!
DeleteYou guys are awesome! Congrats on the move up in placing and shiny ribbon. Also--though I love the name, Fraidycat doesn't really describe you two anymore :)
ReplyDeletehaha thanks!! i'm definitely feeling braver than i have in years -- tho obvi still not brave enough to take the high options... we're getting better tho!
DeleteWoohoo! Congratulations on an awesome cross country round despite the rough footing! You look great in the video.
ReplyDeletethank you!! the footing was definitely not what i wanted - but it feels really really good knowing isabel can handle it easily!
DeleteCONGRATS!!! That looks like so much fun and big high five for finally going clear! It's such an amazing feeling. :-)
ReplyDeletethank you!!!! i am so ridiculously deliriously happy to have finally gone clear at bn :D
DeleteWhat a fun and creative course! Way to go.
ReplyDeleteSo my impression of some of those fences in the forest-y area is that even though they have scary stuff in them (muck buckets, tires) there isn't really a run-out option because there is forest on either side. Does it actually work like that? On the one hand that is SUPER appealing to me because I'm far more worried about run outs than stops (esp at this low level I know I can get my pony over these things from a standstill) but maybe it's an illusion? As you can imagine we don't have much forested XC schooling in California...
thanks - it was a lot of fun! and re: the run out option - you're right. one of those wooded fences really didn't have that option (unless the horse decided to go bush whacking). the other did, it just wasn't clear in the picture. but - of course fence 15 was literally in the fence line... so i have no clue what a rider would do if they got eliminated there.... i guess just ride the long way back through the course?
Deletebut honestly - you may be worried about run outs, but i'm not at all for your sake. you and Murray are gonna KILL IT at your event :D
Congrats!!! Great job on getting through a nice long course. All that terrain and the BN half-coffin is no joke!
ReplyDeletethanks!!! i was pretty pleased with a lot of things about this course - esp how good she felt through that combo!
DeleteCongrats!!!!! I love that Izzy is becoming such an XC machine! That is so cool to see :) You guys looked awesome!
ReplyDeleteand no shame in not taking the higher options - I would have done the same thing! Save the big ones for schooling outside the competitions!
Deletethanks!! i love that she's such a machine now too. i think she really understands what we're doing out there and likes it - and she's actually starting to hunt the jumps - it's great! the high options will come in time but for now we know we can go clear!
DeleteCongratulations on a FANTASTIC ride!!!! Sounds like Iz was totally on her game and so were you!! Nothing better than that :)
ReplyDeletethanks! it was a great feeling of being on the same page. in the past i've sorta intentionally gone into cruise control thinking she'd be happier if i left her alone... but then we'd run into problems. but i think actually staying present with her helped lend even more confidence :)
Delete