Doozy made it back to her first horse show since April this weekend, yay!!! Tho don’t get too crazy haha, it was a very modest affair for us. Tranquillity was hosting the July running of their summer Mill Series hunter jumper shows, a super fun and popular local show opportunity that’s got a little something for everybody.
this pic makes it look like we’re alone in the field, but actually there’s trailers on either side and all down the driveway in front of my truck too
Lots of classes, three rings running, absolutely minimal rules re: dress, tack, equipment etc. And from what I can tell, basically anybody can enter any class for whatever reason. Really truly, it’s just a super inviting horse show for everybody.
And you might actually remember I brought Doozy here in June of last year, after we sorta bombed out of our first intended horse trial of the year. Basically, I learned the hard way that maybe both Doozy and I benefit from lots of little opportunities to “dip our toes in” vs “jumping straight into the deep end.”
can literally not emphasize enough HOW NICE 64*F is for showing in JULY omg
So ya know. When the forecast looked **legit perfect holy mother of god after all the awfulness this is absolutely lovely**, ahem, I decided to more or less repeat our experiences from last year. Except without the jumper class, obviously, since Doozy isn’t jumping yet.
One of the rings starts with a couple sets of hack classes, so I figured I’d catch a couple of those and see how we felt.
you’re nice too, doozy <3 <3
So we arrived about 45min before the show started — enough time to check in at the office and tack up at an unhurried pace before heading over to the ring for pre-show schooling, natch pausing every few trailers to chitchat with random friends and acquaintances.
Doozy was, not to put too fine a point on it, the epitome of civilized. Perfect princess. Relaxed, patient, alert but unbothered, and happy to go wherever I pointed her, or pause as needed, whatever. Perfect. Good girl!
she looks like she’s being tall or up in this pic but she was honestly just taking in the sights
Which ya know… lol… She should be civilized at this point haha, she’s 8 and has been haunting show grounds for three years now. But ya know. This was literally the whole point of us being here: reestablishing that, “Yep, this seems normal!”
Ymmv but from my perspective, so much happens on a show day long before the bell rings or the announcer calls out, “you are now being judged at the walk!” And with Doozy, so much of that “so much” was often **extremely** challenging for us, that we were kinda just clinging to the edge of some semblance of composure by the time we were actually doing the thing.
i’m pretty sure she’d chill at the in gate forever
Anyway, she continued to keep her shit together once we started schooling in the ring too. For those unfamiliar with the local hunter circuits, basically riders can show up early to warm up and jump all the jumps before the show starts. So it can be a little chaotic, especially in this particular ring bc the jumps are all kinda snug against each other, making options for cutting across the ring somewhat limited.
There’s basically open areas on either short end of the ring, a way to get across the middle, the gap you see in the picture below, and that’s it lol. Especially with a horse like Doozy, I’m not trying to crash into anybody in a tight spot, ya know? But it was all good, she kept a lid on anyway.
was overall a very solid citizen in our classes
Still, tho, I’m pleased with myself too bc we were here for a reason: pressure test the buttons in public. I didn’t want to just sorta delicately jog my firecracker around, handling her with kid gloves etc. I wanted to ride as if we were at home, building on some of the concepts and findings I’ve been writing about.
Specifically, my pivo-induced ‘aha!’ breakthrough about how I’ve been trying to fix rideability problems by taking away speed, when really I need to just get my leg on and ride more forward into contact. So that’s what we did!!
zero photographic proof of us doing any of that, so here’s a recent shot from a trail ride instead lol
And spoiler, it totally worked out for us!! Not like, in the sense that we won our classes or anything haha. No no god no lol. We did the pleasure hunter W-T and W-T-C hack classes, each with about 6 other riders, and placed 6th and 4th respectively lol.
Apparently the pleasure class judging is along the lines of, “Would you want your grandma to ride that horse?” and… ha, yea, no. Doozy is not that type! Again tho, she honestly was great about all the things (except canter). Tho I sometimes got stuck on a circle — Doozy covered twice as much ground as any other horse in the class so it was hard to stick to the rail.
But I felt good about our contact and bend, and was able to keep my legs on and ride the mare forward the whole time. Canter was… eh, far too wild. Mostly just fast, but there admittedly were a couple steps of that quintessential racehorse “flattening” which turned into a bit of careening around corners oops.
or alternatively this AI slop thumbnail suggestion from youtube for last week’s video hahahahahaha
But. Eh. All things in time, right? We only just recently started cantering on purpose again. And it’s taken this long in the rehab to just get the trot back to “normal.” Our canter was never that good anyway, so it’s no surprise that it’ll take more time and practice there too.
Notably, tho, even after the somewhat chaotic canters, Doozy was able to return to her trot and walk to finish the class nicely. So it’s not that she unspooled or was getting worse or more tense as we went… Nope. Just normal run-of-the-mill sketchy flatwork LOL. I’ll take it!
back home + unloaded by 10:15am
Honestly I couldn’t be more pleased with the horse after those two classes. Canter needs work, sure, tell me something I don’t already know LOL, but actually the rest of the day went a bit better than I expected. And best of all, the “rest of the day” was still like, morning haha. Who doesn’t love an early show day??
Feels exciting to look forward again. Obvi I’m still paranoid about Doozy’s leg and recovery, but every day she proves her resilience. And days like this, she’s proving to be actually the “go everywhere, do everything” horse I hoped for! One step at a time!
Spoiler alert, y’all — I’m having a LOT of fun getting out and about every other weekend for our little “bite-sized” adventures! Especially given that, as predicted, Doozy keeps getting better and more reliable with every outing. Whew!
steamy summer mornings!
This weekend’s ’little snack’ included just a couple classes at Tranquillity’s Mill Series schooling h/j show. Long timers will remember past entries at these shows, including my (and Isabel’s!) first time doing 3’ jumpers back in 2015, and one of Charlie’s 2022 jumper outings.
It’s basically just a fun, relaxed and locally popular schooling series that offers everything from lead line classes to 3’ jumpers, including hunter and equitation classes. With three rings running all day, there is plenty of atmosphere too, tho the vibes are generally pretty low key.
#civilized at the trailer, good girl <3
I was eager to bring Doozy here to test out a few sneaking suspicions. Namely, especially after our trouble at St Augustine — which is run all three phases entirely on grass, and warm ups in open fields — I started to wonder if maybe the ‘limbo’ of being on uneven terrain in a slightly undefined space contributed to some of Doozy’s problems settling in to our rides.
It might just be my imagination, but after thinking about it for a little while, I decided that our next few outings would be at venues where we could be on footing, especially for the jumping. Like at Loch Moy last week — where Doozy was definitely better than she had been at SAPC!
#civilized meandering around the various rings too!! we did our hack class in that crowded ring in the background
Technically the warm up for jumpers at Tranquillity is also on grass — a tricky little hilltop that pitches downhill in a hurry. So I tried to be clever and show up early enough to ride in one of the little hunter hack classes first as our warm up (having apparently forgotten that in Hunterlandia, you can actually come early and school in the rings, tho not the jumper ring).
I figured it would also be good practice to do our paces “on demand,” as it were, but without it being an actual dressage pattern. Sorta like a CT-Lite lol.
The hack class proved to be slightly chaotic with no fewer than TEN OMG ponies and kiddos all at once, but Doozy held it together and made it through the whole thing without breaking gait or creating a scene. Good girl!
finally getting back to that FUN feeling!
From there, we meandered over to the jumper ring wherein I did actually try the little warm up fences on the grass hilltop. And Doozy was actually fine! Like, not super duper quiet, but not so wild that we went skittering ass over tea kettle down the off-camber hillside LOL.
PLUS she actually jumped the jumps quite nicely and straight! Go figure, working on the details in a lesson pays off, who woulda thunk haha.
she jumped everything super well
Anyway. After that, there was nothing to do but wait for our turn at the gate. Doozy was again super patient and relaxed, and did her best to make new friends with whomever happened to be standing nearby.
It was actually pretty cute — at one point she SWORE to her new BFF that her ears were so itchy bc I neglect her and she’s abused, so this benevolent stranger went to town itching and rubbing all over on Doozy’s ears. Never mind that I apparently require special invitation to be allowed to do the same haha. #mares….
found long and short distances but nothing awkward
Eventually it was our turn, tho, so off we went! The course looked good, some tricky turns and bending lines, but nothing very related. Plus all the jumps were super built up with flowers and boxes and all manner of filler — something I appreciate for a horse like Doozy who can sometimes be a little casual.
minor pilot error trying to find this jump but it was nbd
Whatever it was, tho, Doozy was jumping GREAT! Trotted up to the first jump super, did a patient simple change to the second, then was a little skippy through her auto change around the short end to 3, tho you can actually see the moment I remembered to put my hands down and let the bend do the work for us instead of pulling.
a shame her face is blocked in this pic bc look how good she looks!
The little loop around from 3 to 4 to 5 went well too, tho I lost her outside shoulder in the turn to 5 and we landed wayyy off the line for 6. Nbd, tho, Doozy was on the aids enough to execute a weird little serpentine move and then stayed straight and true to 6 anyway.
She rolled back to the in-gate oxer at 7 like a friggin champion, made the funny 90* L turn to 8 like nbd, and rolled back the other way to the **liverpool** omg at 9 without fuss. And from there, it was an easy cruise down to 10, and then finished!
and happy too <3
What a good girl! I’m so glad I got video too bc it’s really easy to see the moments where I remembered to try to put my hands down, and see how nicely Doozy responds to that. It’s also nice to see that her pace generally looks pretty good all the way around, even tho it felt a little fast to me at times.
omg we got proper video for once!
credit to the mare for her first time in this ring over a course i didn’t walk <3
I also really like seeing how positive Doozy was to all the jumps. Even when the distance came up a little close, it looks like she’s using herself well and staying organized on a steady stride (vs kinda skittering over the top). AND!! Another clear round, yay mare!!
everybody got cute treats and a sample salt supplement from a sponsor
The optimum time for the class was something like 1:49, with a set speed of 260mpm. I was pretty sure we were a bit faster than that (which is fine for our purposes, that’s a pretty slow speed) but apparently with our patient simple changes and slightly scenic route to jump 6, we were close enough to snag 3rd place — woo hoo!
3rd place in the optimum time class on clear jumping, not bad!!
And I opted to call it a day with that. Sure, we could have done more rounds… but it was already 85*F by 9am and Doozy had basically been a perfect princess all day morning. And isn’t that the whole point of the “bite-sized” outings anyway? Get in, get it done, have fun, go home. Check, check and check!
So. Another one in the books — and another one where we did better than ‘just survive,’ we actually had fun and put in a respectable performance. Woot woot, about damn time lol….
A couple barn mates and I have recently been scheming about fun plans for getting out and about with our horses. When one friend had various family members coming into town this past weekend, we decided to make a whole big To-Do of it by going to a local h/j show.
Transportation was a little challenging for four total horses arriving in three separate trailers, all of which had slightly varying arrival and departure times... But: we were adamant: this would be a FUN day with ponies!!
Complete with the first proper post-Covid (bc #vaccinations4lyfe, y'all) horse show tailgating party haha. Since one horse arrived in a suuuuuuuper early trailer, the rest of us decided we'd err on the side of early too (even tho our classes were the last of the day) just to enjoy the party scene.
my unsuspecting victim dozing in his run-in
And guys -- it was great. It's been SO LONG haha. Like, normally we would save the tailgate until after the rides lol. But ya know. We figured, it was an h/j show. With one single ring. With upwards of 40 classes, starting with lead-line and groundpoles. We'd probably be there forever, ya know?
As it was, the Chucklebus arrived at 12:30pm, with a conservative estimated ride time of around 5pm lol. But we got to see a friend tackle the itty-bitty jumpers with her project pony. Plus got to see approximately one zillion hunter and jumper rounds (with schooling breaks between each height group, natch) slowly edge up in height.
hello sir and good morning -- are you ready to go play?
The prize list was honestly bizarre in terms of height. Basically, at small local stuff like this the bread+butter entries are in the <2'6 classes. So we figured anything higher might be lighter. But actually even the class list was light on options too.
They had a set of jumper classes where you could have a course set at 2'6-2'9 OR a course set at 3'-3'3. And otherwise there was a single hunter division where the prize list said you had an option to jump the course at 2'9. I talked it over with the secretary in advance of pre-entering the week prior, and decided to do the schooling hunter division at 2'9.
pictured: a party!! omg we can tailgate again now that everyone is vaccinated!!
This way, I figured I'd get a full course set at 2'9. The courses would presumably be fairly standard for hunterlandia, but honestly I'd rather that than trying to deal with whatever concoction of "jumper turns" they figured out for the same exact placement of jumps lol.
So anyway. The horses stood around like absolute professionals at the trailer for basically hours before we finally dragged them off to the show ring. Which.... Naturally took them a little bit by surprise since they'd kinda figured they were just in a random field for the day LOL.
Charlie bug-eyed around for a little while, but honestly was fine. We warmed up a couple laps in the indoor, including cantering some ground poles and crossrails etc, while I waited for our schooling round. Notably: every single division had gotten a dedicated 15min schooling session in the show ring.
ponies party too!! tho, we actually did end up moving pony mare Tink's trailer forward a little bit to give her a bit more breathing room from the boys haha
Somehow, tho, even tho I had discussed my entry with the secretary in advance, even tho I pre-entered online, and even tho the gate steward had my name on her list -- they apparently had zero plan for this class where they offered 2'6 and 2'9 courses in the same division.
The other two 2'6 entries had already done their two courses (while I waited at the gate), and were preparing to do the under saddle class. The secretary had said that even if we jumped the different height options, we'd still do the under saddle together. So I was there at the gate prepared to go in for that class.
But... The in gate person didn't really seem to understand. I thought I could go in, do the under saddle with the division, then while they reset the course to 2'9 (for which I had, again, discussed with the secretary and pre-entered) - I could jump around as a schooling session. Naturally, my two other barn mates who were doing the 2'6-2'9 jumpers immediately following my class might also school then too.
pictured: the boys lol
But the in gate person didn't agree with this, and the judge (who may have been a bit hot and tired after what was absolutely a very long day) said that there would be no more schooling rounds for this division. Even tho... ya know... There would be schooling immediately after for the next 2'6-2'9 jumper class.
I also suggested I could go and do my jump rounds before the division's under saddle went if they had to go in a particular order, but I still thought I should be allowed to school the fences first like everyone else had done (and figured I could do this as they reset to 2'9).
Really tho, it just wasn't clear if the gate person legit did not understand that I entered the 2'9, or just didn't feel like changing the fences or what. The judge was hassling her over the radio about closing the division, so they started the under saddle with me at the gate. And suggested I do an unjudged 2'6 round, or enter the 2'6 jumpers. Which... No... I entered the 2'9 class tho?
d'aww look at you, sir!! if shows were won by pictures alone, your record would be flawless <3
Idk. It was bizarre. Even tho I was literally right there at the gate trying to go in for the under saddle, the gate person disagreed and let the judge start the class. So... I opted to just dismount and scratch rather than owe these lazy assholes literally a single cent in entry or office fees. The secretary emerged at this point to remind the gate person that the organizers sign the checks, not the judge... but I was already well beyond irritated. No thanks and so long, folks.
It made no sense. I was not at all prepared to try to explain to this person, who had my name on a list, how the class was supposed to work. In my mind, I'd done all the necessary prep work: talking it over with the secretary and pre-entering. I literally did not comprehend that maybe the gate person or judge would be like, "Nah we're tired!"
Maybe this sounds petty. And it kinda felt petty being the lone voice sitting there like, "But I pre-entered? You knew I was coming? Why didn't you have a plan for how to run this mixed height division that you yourself offered on the prize list?" But ya know. I'm a stranger to them. Guaranteed if I'd had a local trainer** at my side they would have just put the fences up and gotten it done. But I didn't. So neither did they. (Nor did they raise a single fence for the 2'6-2'9 jumper classes either...).
Can't really describe how frustrating that felt, to be honest. So.... Charlie's long awaited debut as a hunter was a bust. Tho, as a point of pride, the two crossrails we jumped in the indoor warm up were exceptional lol and I have full confidence he would have been lovely for our rounds <3
Long story short, 0/10 would not recommend and won't return lol ugh.
(**Petty Post Script Alert: The lines on course were all riding at fairly variable striding, so I kept asking people what they were set for. True fucking story: one woman who was 100% one of the 'big' hunter trainers there legit shrugged at me and told me she did not know. Which was also obviously 100% not true. Are hunters really such assholes that they won't tell someone outside their group what the distances are? Or was this just a bad sample from some dusty backwater barn?? Real questions here, folks, bc damn it was kinda stunning lol)
The last few weeks of summer around here were a bit tough for really doing a lot of good jumping. We've been on the receiving end of a fairly intense localized drought - with no significant rainfall at Charlie's farm since the second week of July.
charles the field hunter <3
I'm honestly at this point pretty sure that the issues we started having with jumping (like at our last xc lesson at Windurra) had more to do with the cumulative effect of existing on rock hard ground than anything else. It's just... kinda a grind, ya know? And Charlie is a BIG horse, that's a lot of dad bod to keep pounding across the ground lol.
how cute is this course map tho??
So the time off from his nasty bat-cave puncture was actually maybe a blessing in disguise. I kept him tack walking basically the whole time bc he was never really lame. Plus, he's a relatively high mileage model that does better when kept in motion haha.
trainer P brought her gelding over too. try to tell me this classy dude doesn't sorta look like an overgrown shetland LOL
And, ya know, eventually it'll probably rain right?? (Fingers crossed for tomorrow, actually!) And I'd like to put together a proper fall season. It's the best season for riding anyway, after all.
Temperatures have cooled down in a big way, with highs hovering around the low 70s / high 60s. The horses are all completely fluffed out already -- Charlie is legit a woolly mammoth -- but it's still not quite blanket season yet. So actually Charlie may end up getting clipped a little early this year lol. The fluff + dad bod is.... not the sportiest look!!
aw charlie and tommy are frens
But anyway tho, one of the best aspects of the fall riding season in Maryland is that all the local hunt clubs start gearing up for fox hunting season. Specifically, it becomes hunter trial season!!
Hunter Trials are sorta a unique blend of hunter paces, cross country, fox hunting and show hunters. The course is maybe a little shorter than your typical BN cross country course, and contains an array of natural style fences that you might encounter on a hunt. There are usually two tracks - one with fences not to exceed 3' and the other not to exceed 2'6.
also sorta kinda (intensely) jealous of all these kiddos getting to experience this at their ages haha. tho ya know, i guess it's never too late to start!
Riders may enter the course as individuals, pairs (2 riders) or teams (3+ riders). Each jumping effort is judged individually on a score from 0-100, reflecting overall brilliance in way of going, safety, and pleasantness. According to Trainer P, her overall view of judging the fence boiled down to: "Does that look like a horse I'd like to hunt?"
distant pixels jump a log!!
For the pairs and teams classes, horses must stay together throughout the course. So, for instance, if one horse has a refusal the other must wait until they get over the fence before continuing to the next. Also, the final fence must be jumped abreast.
fox hunters apparently love their upright split rail type fences lol
I got my first taste of a hunter trial wayyyyy back in 2014 with Isabel, when we went over to Tranquility for what I had hoped would more or less constitute some positive mileage schooling xc. And... wow, I was so immediately hooked!
I had gone to that show alone and found myself intensely jealous of all the folks doing the pairs and teams classes, and vowed that I'd return with friends next time haha.
final fence must be jumped abreast
Unfortunately that day never came with Isabel (something I still regret, le sigh!) but finally Charlie and I made it out last October to the Elkridge Harford Hunt Club's hunter trials. That was easily one of the highlights of the year for me haha. Plus, it really drove home a point that I'd already sorta vaguely understood: Charlie LOVES riding in company!
aww but aren't they just the best blurry pixels ?? <3 <3 <3
Obviously he's got a lot of experience at this point, since we do group trail rides, hunter paces, and paper chases galore each year. But honestly I think he just really enjoys having company galloping around.
This makes him a great baby sitter too, as all our friends who came with us this year (we had a group of about 4 -- our usual lesson crew!) were doing it for the first time.
the scene was kinda crazy - packed to the gills with all manner of horses and ponies, including more than a few licensed jockeys on timber horses
Trainer P came too, plus we ran into all other manner of friends at the outing. Trainer P wanted me to do the first class with one of the newer juniors in our group, and her chestnut ottb Tommy. They're a very capable pair but Trainer P just wanted to make sure they had a positive experience out there for the first go.
Unfortunately I somehow took us off course and we skipped a whole section - whoops!! But it was super fun. She and the other junior in our group did their second rounds in the junior / jockey class. Which, itself was super super SUPER awesome:: There were loads of pro licensed jockeys at the event (mostly timber racers and steeplechasers, I believe) and they'd pair up with a junior to do the course. How fucking cool, right??
So for my second round, since I obviously wasn't eligible to do the junior class (womp), I went out with my barn mate Amy and her ottb gelding Punky. And we had a grand old time haha. Punky..... lived up to his name LOL, and Charlie and I spent a fair amount of time standing stationary waiting for Punky to return from whatever lark he happened to go on....
But honestly? It was SO FUN. Since it was our second round we knew the course a bit better and I jumped more of the bigger stuff (originally I was a little nervous about how respectful Charlie would be of those upright airy rail fences....). So I put that first in the video since it makes for better watching.
charlie and punky were happy and tired after round 2. carrot bites for good pones!
Charlie for his part was a STAR. He was perfect. This was the best he's felt jumping in ages. He just settled in, kept a steady pace, carried me to the fences. Adjusted for short and long, jumped everything cleanly.
And even more impressively - at one point around 3:25 in the video we had to stop to wait for Punky, who had missed a turn. So Charlie's just standing there at a halt, waiting patiently. Then as Punky made it back on course, Charlie just picked up immediately into the same exact perfect canter and proceeded directly to the next fence.
Which like... Wow. For any of you all who remember our earlier "dinosaur stuck in tar pit" days, and any of our issues with getting out of the start box.... That's kinda a huge deal that Charlie could just stop and start, no fuss no muss.
and head scritches for my best boy <3
Honestly this whole experience for me really drove home the fact that... Charlie is such a good boy. And even tho sometimes I feel like we didn't really make any big obvious "improvements" this year, like moving up a level for instance, I can look at a day like this and objectively appreciate that my horse has come so far in his maturity and schooling and downright pleasantness as a "do-anything" riding horse.
This summer wasn't the easiest for me in a lot of ways. We had a few low moments, a few existential crises, and more than a few nagging thoughts in the back of my mind on whether I can actually even do the things that I want to do. And even on this day, after our first run I was really doubting whether I should press my luck and go a second time.
But we did it. And it was good. Better than good. Charlie is just so fun, he's just such a good boy. I'm so lucky to have him and be able to enjoy him on days like this <3 <3 <3
So.... Lesson learned is that sometimes it's important to step back on those fun outings haha. And for anyone curious - these hunter paces are ahhhhmazing for just getting out there and letting it rip. I highly recommend haha, 10 / 10 would do again ;)
Happy Monday, everyone (and Happy Thanksgiving to the Canadian readers)!! We had a busy weekend over here in Charlieland, complete with FINALLY checking off an item that's been sitting on my bucket list since Nov 2014.
riding in pairs and teams is ridiculously fun guys omg
If you remember, way back when Isabel and I were first getting started as eventers, we hit up a local hunter trials at Tranquility to get a little more mileage over natural obstacles. It was a great time, but what really struck me was watching the pairs and teams classes - they looked like the absolute most fun omg. And ever since then I've been itching to get back to a similar style event.
looking like a field hunter, no? haha close enough, at least ;)
It only took four years lol, but FINALLY I got to go to another hunter trials! This time hosted by the Elkridge Harford Hunt Pony Club at a venue about 20min away from Charlie's barn. A couple other barn mates were also going - including some kiddos who are members of this pony club, and another friend who has done basically all the things with her superstar mare Cosmic.
charlie's got his priorities in order haha. also, do you recognize Noelle??
So we got to get all dressed up like fox hunters: conservative tack, fitted white saddle pads, conservative jackets, tan breeches, stock ties, the whole nine yards lol. My outfit wasn't exactly perfectly in style, with brown boots, hackamore, and skull cap (with helmet cam, natch) - but I wasn't the only one with each of those things haha.
atmosphere was really fun too
And honestly my plan for the day was just to straight up have fun. I only expected to do the course one or two times - really I just desperately wanted to do the pairs / teams rides haha.
first jump was immediately after a steep stream crossing
To add to the casual nature of the outing, we didn't even walk our courses in advance. Katie's been to the venue many times before, so just looking at a printed map was sufficient for her to know where we were supposed to go. And considering her mare prefers to lead and Charlie is always happy to follow, I honestly didn't worry about needing to know what lay ahead of us.
possibly my favorite jump on course bc of the major drop on landing haha
The way the course works is that there are low and high options for every fence, and you can jump whatever looks good to you. Technically riders are judged on style and form (the "hunters" part of this, vs eventing where all that matters is that you make it through the flags) and you get more points for high options. Realistically tho, the "judges" were mostly pony club parents so idk how serious it really was.
wheeee air time!!!
For pairs and teams, you are expected to stick together through the course. So if one rider has trouble somewhere, the rest are supposed to wait. Of particular note: the final fence must be jumped abreast.
rail road ties! Charlie loved following Cos around haha
Katie and I warmed up briefly in the outdoor polo ring (yea did I mention this venue is awesome?!) and right off the bat I let Charlie attach himself to Cos, which obvi he was happy to do. No pressure, no serious flat work. Just trotted and cantered around, and caught each of the jumps (cross, vertical, oxer) in a relaxed manner. Then it was time to head to the starting line!
red barns!
The course starts off by immediately crossing a small creek and then, bam, a set of jumps immediately on the other side. Definitely sets the tone for the horses haha!
lots o coops
Then it was off across the country side, with lots of up hill galloping over all manner of natural style obstacles. Mostly coops, lots of logs. A couple box and barn jumps, and rail road ties etc etc.
these a-frame logs were pretty cool too
Nothing was particularly challenging or large, and while there was lots of terrain it was all extremely inviting to the horses.
small coop. fun fact - we almost died over this one!
Especially doing the pairs class, Charlie felt perfectly happy to keep chugging right on along no matter what cropped up in his path haha.
MOAR COOPS
I was particularly pleased that even tho he was clearly following Cos, he was still looking at the jumps themselves too, and locking on and finding his stride. Perfect!
#feelings about going slow thru the stream crossings
Then after a brief jaunt through the woods, and another creek crossing, we emerged back into the main field where the trailers were parked to jump a couple more fences and finish abreast over the hay bales.
and another coop guys omg
All told, the course was a little shorter than maybe a standard BN course. After completing the pairs class, we reconvened with the other barn mates and picked up a third to get right back out there for another go with the teams class.
finishing abreast over the final line of hay bales
The second round was even more fun than the first - Charlie was totally in the zone and seemed to really love the whole idea of jumping with friends haha.
horses happy about the running and jomping haha
Tho after we finished that round, I was satisfied to be done for the day. Charlie's winter coat is really fuzzing out, but it was in the high 80s and super muggy out. Poor guy was covered in thick white lather!
charlie and cos were basically obsessed with each other too
Plus, from a schooling perspective I didn't necessarily see any real value in jumping everything again in a solo round. There wasn't necessarily anything I felt like needed work or would be reasonably improved from another shot.
he got to watch a lot of little ponies go too <3
The jumps were nbd for Charlie - nothing merited a look from him, nothing made him pause. The terrain and conditions were also fine with him - the streams didn't slow him down and neither did the mud. Tho obvi haha the studs helped...
quietly observing, as only a charlie can do
So after we finished the second course I opted to pull all his tack, scrub off all the foam and crusting sweat, and plug the pony full of carrots haha. And fortunately he was also very good about tanking up on some water too, phew!
aww sweet tired pony <3
We stuck around for the rest of the day tho, since Katie wanted to do another solo round, plus the other barn mates were doing the fun hack classes and whatnot.
helmet cam from the team ride!
The event was really cool too for all levels - they also had an indoor arena course with smaller jumps, and a set of communicating outdoor grass rings that had full derby courses at small heights. The hack classes were held in that outdoor ring, as were some of the games classes. It was all super centrally located too, so it was easy to watch everyone go.
aw he's the most handsome tho
Definitely a fun style of event for riders of any discipline - from hunters to eventers. And definitely DEFINITELY just another reason why I'm DYING to take this horse fox hunting haha.
look we actually got a ribbon too!!! and it has a FOX on it!
So. Another item crossed off the bucket list! Hopefully not for the last time either lol, and ideally it won't be another 4 years before we get to do this again!!
