My Horse Competition Days
Most you know that I am a horse-lover, and I've been meaning to expand my posts on that subject for awhile now. A recently-made LJ friend (lovexandxfate)has inspired me to actually do this.
So, here is the story of the mare without whom, I would never have the incredible, lasting, and wonderful memories of competing in several different types of horse shows.
Me & Hannabelle in Fall 2003
At this point in my life, I was living, riding, and working (part-time) at Linsell Farm (hence my alias). I had my full-time job, of course, but pretty much every other minute of the day was spent on the farm.
My coach had bought Hannah (a Trakehner-cross mare) to use in the riding school and possibly to be used as a brood mare. She was 6 years old when this picture was taken. I had pretty much fallen instantly in love with her when she'd come to the farm and was so thankful that my coach let me ride and lease her. I ended up buying her years later (but that's another story).
I had told my coach that I was interested in showing her, but had little (to none) confidence in my ability to do so, especially as Hannah was fairly green and I was the nervous type. By early September (when show season was winding up), she pretty much told me to piss or get off the pot. It was time for me to just do this - a hunter show.
Our first show together was at Fiddlers' Green Stables the first weekend in September 2003. Hannah had always been sensitive to her riders state of mind and this picture of us entering the ring for our first course shows exactly how tense I (and as a result, she) was:
Finally, by our last division, I was breathing and actually riding her to each fence. Here's one of our best jumps in our last round:
The next year (2004), we went to several hunter shows, a dressage show, and a horse trial.
Ashland Farm was one of our best hunter shows. We were champion in a couple different divisions including Green Hunter.
and here's me with all our ribbons:
Next was the Spiritwood Dressage show. We did a walk-trot test, and a walk-trot-canter test.
The highlight of that year was undoubtedly the Oakhurst Horse Trial in early August. I had been dreaming of eventing for awhile and was very excited and nervous about it. I love that particular discipline as it combines dressage, cross-country, and stadium jumping.
Here we are at a couple of the cross-country jumps:
Second jump
Second-to-last jump
My biggest problem on cross-country was my not-breathing. That combined with my incessant looking down, accounted for several refusals on course. Hannah being so very honest in her desire to get over each fence is the only reason we made it around. I will forever hold a special place in my heart for this mare.
There was only a short break before my stadium jumping round, and I was feeling the exhaustion that accompanied my lack of oxygen (and the 4:00 am start to the day). I gave my best effort, but it caught up with me at the 3rd last fence, where I put her at it so horribly there was no possible way she could clear it. I got organized then we re-approached the fence and cleared it. I promptly drew a complete blank where the next fence was, circled, and got us eliminated.
I was completely and irrevocably hooked on eventing at that point. That was it for the 2004 show season.
The following year, I did one hunter show (at Ashlands Farm) in a higher (2'9") division. These are from that show:
I also, unexepectedly, got to take her to the Oakhurst Horse Trial (due to Ashley & her horse Jordan having to pull out at the last minute). That event went much more smoothly, as I simply did not have time to become nervous and tense. I only found out the day before that I'd be taking her and put my energy into learning the dressage test and schooling her over a few cross-country fences at home (as I hadn't been riding her regularly that year).
Dressage went well. We went clear and in-time on cross-country. I will never forget the absolute thrill of rhythmically cantering through the cross-country course and thanking heaven that I had the chance to do this. We came through the finish line relaxed and wanting to go again. I had the biggest smile ever on my face.
Stadium had a couple of bad distances courtesy of me, but overall was smooth and relaxed and flowing forward. All this resulted in us taking home a pretty pink ribbon (9th place) and another wonderful memory for me. Here's some pictures from our stadium round:
Now you have all been regaled with my story of my show career. It feels good to have put this all down in writing. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.