Hey everyone
I just returned from South Farm last weekend, and while our second Horse Trial was much better than our first, we still have things to work on.
We drove up to the facility on Saturday to walk the cross country course, wheel out my minute markers so I know if I'm on time when I ride it, and to pick up Emily, who was staying at our house that night. The course was actually much simpler and much less terrainy that Winona, plus there was no bank (which was a disappointment), and no ditch (which was not a disappointment). The pace on the course was very slow, only 300 meters per minute, usually it's 325.
The next day was Dressage and XC. Dressage was extremely disappointing. We warmed up in the corner of the warm up away from the ring, so when we went over to go in, Red saw the jumpers warming up behind the dressage ring and got excited. Tactical error. We still managed to pull off an OK test, 43, which landed us in 14th out of 20.
After a quick break it was time to do XC. We made several mistakes here that could have affected the outcome. We took very little warm up, and there were horses racing in after XC right into the warm up so that made Red excited. I wasn't nervous about the course but aware that I couldn't have such a slow pace like Winona. So When I took him out of the start box, I made sure he was rolling. And he was rolling, and the problem was he kept rolling.....and rolling. We were going so fast that we only came in 3 seconds before getting speed faults. WOW. The complete opposite of Winona.
Show Jumping the next day was a very nerve racking experience. I was tied for 11th after XC, but I was pretty sure I was in 12th because they break ties by seeing who was closest to the optimum time on XC. Dang. I jumped clean on a very touchy course- rails came down everywhere. I stood on the side watching everyone after me go (in SJ last place jumps first, the second to last, all the way up to first in backwards order of placing), hoping they would pull rails because ribbons were only awarded to eight and up. I moved up to ninth, but it was not to be. Oh well at least I went home with my dressage score- had we warmed up in dressage more prudently we might have won a ribbon.
So- to do list for the next show-
1. Running Martingale (keeps horse from putting head up on XC)
2. Slow Twist Bit on XC (more brakes)
3. Warm up more for XC (Self explanatory)
4. Let horse look at jumpers while warming up
So fortunatley I have a few more chances to try this formula out before Lost Hounds Horse Trial/Pony Club Event Rally- there is a Mini Trial at South Farm this coming up weekend (the 20th) in which I will ride the same course, but I won't school the course before like you're allowed to in Mini Trials.
So what's the deal with Lost Hounds you ask? Well this Horse Trial is a rally- we compete in the horse trial and the scores factor into the rally, and we have HM in the barns, and this also happens to be the event that I am going to try to qualify for PC Nationals in 09. And if I qualify, then what? Well, I will ride in South Farm's Fall Horse Trial (you need 2 affidavits to go to nationals from recognized shows), and then I will probably compete in AECs (American Eventing Championships) next year at Lamplight. Yes, yes, exciting.
One last thing I have to report is my C2 rating I will be participating in this September at Bath- nothing much to say here, by now we all know the drill on ratings, just more knowledge and higher jumps this time!
I will probably write again next week to report on the mini trial-
Andy
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