Monday, June 22, 2015

Tranquility: mission accomplished (preview)

So we got it done! An inch and a half of rain over night (plus a tornado watch in my neighborhood right smack in the center of baltimore city - waaaat???) was not enough to keep Isabel from getting a 36.5 in dressage and a clear cross country round. Good mare! I really am so very pleased with her. 

 This was by FAR the easiest beginner novice course we've done tho. Obvi we don't have much depth of experience... but you'll see what I mean once all the xc pics are edited and ready to post. It would have been the perfect move-up course from intro, rather than the trial by fire that was Loch Moy...
'these are nice but can we please go home now?'  - isabel
But yes, we met our goals! Three cheers for the jolly good mare! Except, well... we still are absolutely not competitive, despite the easy course. Don't let the pretty 5th place ribbon fool you - that's 5th place of the 5 riders in my split who actually completed. 

 All the same tho - I was whooping and squealing like a child when I crossed that xc finish line (and YES that IS on video lol), and feel quite satisfied with the outing. Isabel was a champ and ate up the swampy oozy icky footing like the trail queen that she is. 
horse is so quiet at the trailer - you can see the little mud spot she wore into the ground from stomping at flies, demarcating just how still she stood for so long...
Despite it not really feeling like a *true* BN outing (whatever that is...) I'm hoping it'll be a great preparation for next week at Fair Hill. I was much more present with my rides, and remembering everything we've been focusing on with keeping Isabel in front of my leg and active. Only one or two blips on that score - but nothing major. 

 Plus - as a major bonus - a lesson student from our farm showed up with her mom just in time for stadium + cross country so I actually have some media of us *riding* !!! Stay tuned :)
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46 comments:

  1. AustenJune 22, 2015 at 2:54 AM

    I totally know what you mean about being happy with your ride despite not being competitive! Great job! Isabel certainly looks like she knows she did good, too. :)

    I want to come take media of you! Fair Hill is a little far away, so give me something closer!! (Loch Moy was only 20 min from my barn. Grrr! Missed it!!)

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 6:32 AM

      thanks - and i think she was happy too. the competitive part will come eventually (maybe haha), but for now i'm more interested in building confidence and our record.

      and yes i would LOOOOOOOVE for you to come out to an event! we'll probably be back to either loch moy or waredaca in the fall, and will actually be taking a little break from horse trials through july and maybe some of august - but there will be other opportunities. i would love to make something work out regardless, esp as i suspect that even just being in your presence will up isabel's dressage game drastically lol

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    2. AustenJune 23, 2015 at 6:40 PM

      Hahaha! Pig would say my dressage game could use some upping, too! I'll definitely make it out to something, plus I want to make it out to Baltimore, and am still planning on that. Emailing youuuuuu!

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    3. emmaJune 24, 2015 at 5:54 AM

      yesssss come to baltimore!!! and i will go to DC :D

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  2. SarahJune 22, 2015 at 4:48 AM

    Just tell everyone you were 5th out of 20 :P All the hard work you've done, you deserve a little satin, even if you were still 5th of 5. That's a great dressage score and sounds like you were boss xc!

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 6:33 AM

      haha i agree completely - i will never ever say no to a pretty ribbon, regardless of how big the field was!

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  3. Alli + DinoJune 22, 2015 at 5:05 AM

    YAYAYAYAYAYYYYY!!!! The great thing about dressage and eventing is that you can still meet your own training goals even if you aren't competitive on the leaderboard. Way to go!!
    Austen COME TO FAIR HILL I WILL BE THERE TOO. Do itttttttt.

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 6:35 AM

      thanks :D and that's really one of my favorite things about eventing too - meeting my own goals and competing against just myself can be quite satisfying. one day it will be nice to climb a little higher, but for now we just focus on going clear!

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    2. AustenJune 23, 2015 at 6:32 PM

      AAAAAAHhhhhh dammit! It's SO FAR, though!

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    3. emmaJune 24, 2015 at 5:55 AM

      there will be closer opportunities !! we will make something happen.... or maybe some other plan altogether - camping with the ponies?

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  4. AnonymousJune 22, 2015 at 5:36 AM

    I was stalking you on Startbox. Congrats!

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 6:35 AM

      thanks! i really love live online scoring - so convenient!!

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  5. Grace CJune 22, 2015 at 7:01 AM

    A good outing is a good outing nevertheless- nice work and congrats! Can't wait to see photos (:

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 7:41 AM

      thanks!! we had a blast, really truly :D and the photos are COMING!!! brace yourself haha

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  6. CarlyJune 22, 2015 at 7:12 AM

    My last BO taught all of us to never tell people how many people you were competing against. So you were fifth, or rounded out the top five for your division, but you shouldn't tell people you were fifth and last. ;) But also, why do none of my shows have big ass fancy ribbons like that??

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 7:44 AM

      eh... i generally agree except that with the advent of online scoring etc i guess i don't want ppl looking it up on their own and then thinking i was bragging about doing better than we actually did... but perhaps that's just me thinking a little too hard about it haha.

      anyways, yea the MCTA's ribbons are no joke - they are LOVELY! and it's hard to tell from the pic but there's a second ribbon on the other side of her halter: a green 6th place that's a tad smaller but still has the central white streamer, since the MCTA places dressage separately. they sure know how to dole out the swag!

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  7. MeganJune 22, 2015 at 7:46 AM

    Congrats!!! Can't wait to see all the pictures :)

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 8:40 AM

      thanks!! there are plenty of pictures per usual, tho sadly none from our dressage test... :D

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  8. Kaila BJune 22, 2015 at 7:56 AM

    Awesome! So glad you have a great time. I live my 'show life' through you lol.

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 8:40 AM

      thanks we had a blast! i am LOVING all this showing!! tho just one more before a little break

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  9. LandofWOZJune 22, 2015 at 7:57 AM

    Way to go! Pony looks good in satin!

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  10. Boss Mare EventingJune 22, 2015 at 10:42 AM

    Great job!!!

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  11. AnonymousJune 22, 2015 at 11:58 AM

    Woohoo congratulations!!! And I second the motion that you go to Loch Moy again and we can have a totally awesome blogger meetup :)

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  12. UnknownJune 22, 2015 at 1:34 PM

    Sounds like you rode great!! I think being pleased with how you rode and how your horse handled the questions is a way better feeling than "being competitive," because the blue ribbons will come if you're riding well and your horse is going well. Nice work!

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 1:41 PM

      thanks - and i agree completely. i'm just very slowly chipping away at all the pieces that will eventually come together perfectly. one step at a time!

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  13. happyhorseJune 22, 2015 at 2:08 PM

    Awesome!!!! Your dressage score is my goal :) And that XC footing was NO JOKE right?!?! I did the intro division... Congrats on a majorly sucessful day! Now get ready to kick Fair Hills butt with me:)

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 2:31 PM

      thanks! and how did your rides go!?! it was definitely challenging conditions out there - hope you had fun! now that i think about it, i was probably around for your rides since i stuck around until 1:45 for my scores to be finalized and saw a lot of intro stadium.... you'll have to come find me at Fair Hill - look for a white truck w a gold stock trailer!

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    2. happyhorseJune 22, 2015 at 3:03 PM

      I was the knucklehead doing jumper (inside) turns on a little bay pony! I Silver helmet cover. I kinda lose alllll of the plans etc. every time I enter stadium and just try to get it done as fast as I can lol... My pony is an actual SAINT & puts up with my shenanigans without dropping rails for some reason. I loff heem. ANYway I got hot/tired on XC and also caught up with someone at the entrance to the woods so I just chilled a bit & took some walk breaks lol... Dressage in ring 1 was also known as giant puddle avoidance land, could not get L lead :/ blaaa. I will def look for you @ FH! I'd love to give Isabelle a pat! Yay for "different" breeds! I ride a Morgan pony (also know as the best thing to ever happen to me)

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    3. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 3:11 PM

      hm the silver helmet cover is ringing a bell - i may have seen you in warm up!! sounds like you had a blast in stadium haha. i didn't like the course at ALL - it was just figuring 8-ing endlessly around the arena.... if my mare were better at landing on her leads perhaps we would have tried some inside turns too :) anyway your morgan sounds adorable - hope to see you at FH next week!!

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  14. KarleyJune 22, 2015 at 2:24 PM

    A great ride is always an awesome feeling no matter what the ribbon!

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    1. emmaJune 22, 2015 at 2:32 PM

      thanks - and i totally agree. that feeling of galloping through the finish lines after a clear round is pretty unbeatable :D

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  15. StanthehorseJune 22, 2015 at 6:54 PM

    You should view it as a confidence building outing for your mare, being able to plop around a course like that will do wonders for when you do hit a true BN course, as long as you don't panic and stop breathing!

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    1. emmaJune 23, 2015 at 6:01 AM

      yep - my thoughts exactly! she's already demonstrated her chops for BN but these little blips here and there need fixing. fortunately my problems on course are less about panicking or stressing out and more about sliding into passive cruise control. i need to participate more haha

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  16. Madeline C.June 22, 2015 at 7:25 PM

    Sounds like a pretty awesome day!

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  17. AnonymousJune 23, 2015 at 12:32 AM

    Yayy congrats on going clear!

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    1. emmaJune 23, 2015 at 6:01 AM

      thanks! i'm so happy we finally made that happen lol

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  18. MeganJune 23, 2015 at 11:58 AM

    Congrats! Sounds like you two had a great weekend :)

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  19. UnknownJune 23, 2015 at 12:43 PM

    Wooohooo! Congrats. And hey, a ribbon is a ribbon -- you still had to complete everything to get it!!

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    1. emmaJune 24, 2015 at 5:56 AM

      that's very true - and a very good point. and it sure is so very pretty :D

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  20. MicaylahJune 24, 2015 at 10:48 AM

    Congratulations! The important part is you accomplished your goals!

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