This season
This season has started out on a pretty good note, except for the freak accident out at Canterbury on the 25th-when we flipped over the arrowhead fences. But as Godfrey thinks we should be, we have been placing in the top three after dressage, holding or moving up in stadium and (excepting canterbury, 25th) ending up on the top. Which is good if I want to move up to prelim soon. We're off to canterbury at the end of this month b/c Rocking horse had to cancel its recognized show. We have a mess out there! We have a large lake taking up at least five acres of our back cross country field, which leaves us with plenty, but thats where our big water complex is and some other good prelim questions. Kodie and I rode out there wednesday, after school and it was deep enough to be above my calf while sitting on my horse. yeah. enough said. So the show yesterday went well enough, got second, and michael seemed to be pleased with our dressage, i guess. It was a 37 and we only got a 7 on gaits...i don't like that, but oh well, it was D test, not C and i HATE D...it should die. We should be getting our pics from last trial at Canterbury back and *laughs* maybe they got pictures of my horse flipping over the first arrowhead! I am disappointed in that ride b/c he was so awesome in the roll back that I figured he could make that right turn to the first one, then stay straight through to the second. Thats how its suppose to go. Lindsay said she's go wide and swing out, then angle straight...but i wanted to try it the correct way...thats a mistake. *rueful smile* He already does that weird lunge to the left before he jumps, and I got him last september, so i have just had a year to work with him and only six months with mr. godfrey so I guess I should have taken the conservative route...but no, i go think "if we want to ride prelim these should be riden the way they are flagged and if you can';t make the turn then you shouldn't be thinking of moving up." so he fights me the whole way to the fence, attempting to pop that left shoulder out and do his lunge, but dumb ass, instead he lunges while I'm trying to corect and BAM he hits the side of the arrowhead and our momentum takes us clear over-in a lovely little horse head over heel type move. All I could think of was, SHIT gotta roll, roll, roll, roll! I was expecting his backside to just flaten me! lol But he was getting to his feet as I was getting to mine and the stupid jump judge just stood there with her clipboard and walkie talkie clenched to her chest while some marble statue. I swear-every time I have some problem out WAY in the back of some five hundred acres-its always at a jump where they place an idiot. She just stands there staring at me, while I pull grass and crap out of my horse's noseband, (poor baby. I yelled at her that I wanted one mintue to calm my horse done, then I'd get back on and finish the course, but she just stood there still. *snort* jesus. Whitaker was rolling his eyes and all covered with dirt, but he was moving fine and in a few seconds was dancing around waiting to finish. I climbed on and before my foot was in the stirrup he was galloping-so I circled, jumped the arrowhead, two strides, arrowhead and finished the rest of the course. Everything else was a breeze but it knocked us out of second place. *FRUSTRATED YELLING* Oh well. My mother was worried about our xc course yesterday, since it was the first time we'd done one since the fall two weeks ago, but he galloped really strong and didn't blink an eye at anything. I was proud of him. Poulticed his legs and made sure he got all the special treatment like the star treament he deserved. I can't wait to go to Pine Top in november and then poplar hopefully. Of course, we won't miss the HUGE february shows rocking horse will be hosting. I hope we can clean up the cross country course b/f then. ok, i'm to tired to type any more.