Coconino Day 9: Let the Fun Begin!

Published on by Amanda C

Yesterday was dressage for the 3Day, and I’m pretty glad that part is over. It’s too hard.

Henny agrees
I’ll do an actual dressage recap in a separate post when I have time to go back and gather media, but the short version is that Henry was tense but obedient and I had an error because I can’t brain.

Dat butt tho
After dressage was over and done with and laid to rest, it was time to focus on XC. I did my first walk of phase D, the actual XC course, and then in the afternoon we had steeplechase practice.

thats a chunk of Likit…

Many thanks to Hawley Bennett for teaching the practice, it was such a blast. It’s awesome how these Classic format 3Days have a clinic aspect to them, I’m learning so much as we go along.

Henrys face when I asked if he was ready for steeplechase
I forgot to ask anyone to video so I don’t have any media, but Henry was a rockstar. Once he realized we were out there to run and jump he was totally Game On. Hawley explained the best way to ride the fences and the track, and we jumped just a handful of practice fences to get the idea. Henry took to it instantly.

Bobby modeling one of the steeplechase fences bedore it was moved to the track

After practice we walked the horses out on the roads and tracks to check out the footing, gates, and kilometer markers. 

Then we fed, settled the horses in, and walked phase D again with Trainer. The course looks fairly straightforward… there are a couple legit questions for novice (including a full coffin where the last element is a skinny off of a bending approach from the ditch) but nothing looked big or made me nervous. If I steer, keep my leg on, and don’t get lost in the woods (THAT is the real challenge) I think we’re golden.

the last jump of the coffin

I’m not sure that I’ve ever been this excited for XC day before! Let’s do this!

17 thoughts on “Coconino Day 9: Let the Fun Begin!”

  11. Riding steeplechase is a life goal for me. I can’t wait to live vicariously through you, so you better get media. Get it!! Oh, and have a ton of fun, too! đŸ˜‰

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  13. great course! tho i’m finding myself increasingly vexed that there aren’t any updated scores from today posted yet haha (creeper status confirmed)

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