If I had to sum up the 2018 show season in one quick sentence, I would say that it definitely did not suck. Not even a little bit. There were moments that sucked, don’t get me wrong. We tried a lot of new and harder things this year, and growth is rarely comfortable. There’s still A LOT to work on and plenty of room for improvement. Overall though, I feel like I learned a lot and so did the boys. There were ribbons, which was fun, but mostly we’re all better than we were when we started, which is the real point. Also if you had told me at the beginning of 2018 that I’d end the year with a Prelim horse and a FEH Champs winner, I’d probably still be laughing.

The year started out a little bit slow, as far as shows go. 2017 was our first year running Training, during which it became pretty comfortable. Over the winter into 2018 I focused more on trying to smooth things out and nail down some of the harder stuff, which carried into spring as well. But in January we did go to a small local show and do our first Prelim combined test. The dressage definitely felt challenging, but we muddled through it for a 38. The stadium was about half Training height and half Prelim height, relatively soft, although we had a couple rails. It was the perfect first little intro to something a bit bigger, starting to experiment with pushing the boundaries of our comfort zone.

February was disgustingly cold/wet and March was pretty consumed with Presto, XC schooling, and side gigs. Our next show and first recognized show of the year wasn’t until the first weekend in April, at Texas Rose. Dressage was tense but relatively obedient, stadium was a little flat (story of my life) and lacked focus on my part, but XC was fantastic and a really nice confidence boost to start the season. Texas Rose used to scare the pants off me, but Henry made easy work of it.

A couple weeks later we went back to the small local venue for another try at the Prelim combined test, with a better dressage and a clear stadium (still with a “soft” course, with some set below height) to finish on a 35. This was the show where I tried out the hackamore for SJ, and really liked how Henry felt in it.

After that I got a bit distracted with getting Presto settled in at the barn, and playing with him, and generally felt a little uninspired about our usual list of recognized shows. Plus a lot freaked out about paying board on two horses. I decided to buckle down on the finances a bit until I felt less cringey writing that big gross check every month, and sat out the rest of the spring recognized shows. That didn’t stop us from having Presto make his big fancy show debut in May though, at the same little local venue doing an in-hand trail class.  There was a lot of neighing, but overall he was a freaking champion about everything. He mostly went just to hang out and see the horse show sights, but his 3rd place was an adorable bonus.

The next weekend it was Henry’s turn, and we went to Trainer’s barn for a Clear Round jumper show, doing one Training height round and one Prelim height round. This show wasn’t messing around with their measuring stick, and the Prelim jumps were all set to legit Prelim height and width. Trainer gave her official seal of approval to the hackamore, and Henry was a beast.

By the end of May everyone decided they wanted to go spend two weeks showing at Chatt in July, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to join. I’d made a good bit of extra money from some side gigs, and was itching to branch out to a venue we’d never been to before. So with Georgia penciled in during the summer, I sent in a hasty entry for the June schooling horse trial at MeadowCreek, to knock some rust off and get a XC round in.

This show was a bit of a “trial” in a lot of ways. We’d just started a new approach to Henry’s dressage, and Trainer wasn’t going to be at the show but gave me very explicit instructions on what to do. And wouldn’t you know it?

This ended up being a turning point in our dressage. Before that we were usually mid to lower end of the pack after dressage, but since then I don’t think we’ve been out of the top 5. We had one rail down in stadium, but a double clear XC helped bump us back up to ultimately take the win.

After MeadowCreek it was Presto’s turn again, and I hauled him down to Houston for his first official FEH class. I really just wanted him to score 70 or above, not really expecting him to make the Championship qualifier cutoff of 72, especially not with Peter Gray (one of the Championships judges) judging. Presto was SO growthy at that point. While he placed 4th out of 4 nice yearlings, I was thrilled with his score of 75.95. He was qualified for Championships!

A few days later, Henry and I left for Chatt. The first week was so hot and humid and miserable, I was really regretting all my life choices that led me to Georgia. Dressage continued on it’s “better” trend from MeadowCreek, though, and cross country was AWESOME. I really love going to totally new venues and jumping totally new things. Stadium was borderline tragic when I lost a stirrup, panicked for no actual reason, and rode Henry directly INTO an oxer. We survived, albeit with 8 penalties. I decided I really should buckle down on addressing my show anxiety, because that was just dumb.

Week two saw an even better dressage (scoring what I think was our first 9 ever), and a much improved stadium, although still with eight penalties. The number doesn’t always tell the story. But I did accidentally try to kill us both on XC when I rode terribly to the upbank out of the water and Henry had to pull out a 5th leg to save us. Granted, the course ate so many people that we still ended up 6th. I just couldn’t put all 3 phases together either week of Chatt, which was frustrating.

The best part of that whole Chatt adventure was getting to spend all that time with my trainer, getting lots of lessons and feedback. When you rarely get more than a lesson a month, if that, having a bit of a “summer camp” like that is SO valuable. We got a lot done in that two weeks.

After Chatt Henry got his annual vacation while it was too freaking hot to do anything else. In August Presto put on his big boy bridle and went to a local h/j show to do the hunter breeding class, so I could get one more show outing under his belt before FEH championships. He behaved himself pretty well, and was the winning yearling by default since he was the only one.

Henry was back to work by the end of August, but it’s still too damn hot to event around here that time of year. The next show on the docket was again for Presto – FEH Central Championships! I opted to have Martin Douzant show him for me, so I could sit back and enjoy seeing my little baby horse do his thing. I had zero expectations for Champs, really just wanting to not be last. I was shocked when he scored a 79.9 (an 80.2 from Robin Walker, and a 79.7 from Peter Gray) to win the yearling colts and take Reserve Champion overall yearling. I don’t take FEH results that seriously when it comes to accurately predicting a horse’s future, but considering what a rough start Presto had, it was still a really amazing and fun moment. As a “hobby” breeder, with a 2nd generation homebred, I was hella proud. Still am.

The following weekend it was Henry’s turn, with the recognized event at Willow Draw. We hadn’t shown there before, partly because it’s a one day, and partly because it intimidated me a little, but Henry was perfect. He put in a very solid dressage (except for an unnecessary flying change – oops) for a 32, I finally got my act together in stadium for a clear round, and he was a little machine on XC (even when I tried to bury us at the trakehner), finishing on our dressage score for 2nd place. FINALLY I managed to put together 3 good phases.

The fall seemed to pass like a blur after that. The next weekend we went to another Clear Round jumper show at my trainer’s place, doing more Prelim classes. There were a couple small mistakes, but Henry was super, and we were both really feeling comfortable at the 1.10m height.

If spring was a little slow, we were making up for it now. A couple weeks later we headed to Louisiana for Holly Hill, all by ourselves. The dressage judge really hated us (to be fair, she seemed to hate everyone) and we got our worst score of the year, a 39, on what I felt like wasn’t a bad test. We put in another good stadium round though – clear – and a REALLY FUN clear XC. A couple of fences had me worried, but Henry was on fire. We finished on our dressage score again for another 2nd place.

There was no rest for the wicked, and a couple weeks after Holly Hill we were off to Texas Rose for our first P/T. I was relatively terrified, because Texas Rose is by far the biggest most intimidating venue in Area 5, and why I let trainer talk me into doing my first “real” Prelim stadium there, I had no idea. The dressage was ok, aside from my error (hey there’s no half pass in Prelim dressage, just FYI), and we got another 9 on our test for a score of 34. For a first recognized Prelim test, with an error, I’d take that all day long. Stadium was huge and terrifying, I wanted to die, but aside from goofing up one fence, it was a decent round. There were rails down, but it wasn’t bad. An unfortunate slip on XC led to me having to circle in a combination, picking up a 20, but I was still really happy with the show. I left feeling like maybe we could really do this Prelim thing for real.

Which was good, because turns out we really were doing this Prelim thing for real. We officially entered our first Prelim horse trial, with Trainer’s blessing, at a schooling show in December, held at a venue that uses the same courses as their recognized events. Legit Prelim without the added pressure and cost of recognized, and it was free since I had so many volunteer credits to use. Can’t beat that. My only goal was to finish, but Henry really stepped up and blew me away. He got a 30 in dressage, our best score of the year. A few rails fell in stadium but it was a solid round, just a bit flat and quick, which doesn’t work that well when your horse isn’t particularly careful. But on cross country, he was a freaking machine. We had one of our best rounds EVER at any level, everything flowed really well, and he was just eating it up. I took my time on purpose, so we had lots of time penalties, but we finished with no XC jump penalties and a newly minted PRELIM horse.

2018 was quite a year! What stands out to me most is the growth, partially in skillset but mostly mentally. Some things went well, some things didn’t, and some things are still an ongoing process. But my viewpoint has changed, the way I look at showing has changed, and my goalposts have moved yet again. I learned so much throughout the year, about riding and about myself, and I’m so grateful to have Henry and Presto to take me on this journey. I’m not sure that any year will top this one, but I sure am looking forward to finding out what 2019 has in store.

Last week Roaming Rider did a review of her 2018, and under her Lessons Learned section, one of her bullet points was “form a tribe”. She’s right in that it’s a bit of a corny saying, for sure, but I 100% agree with her on just how crucially important it is to any kind of success.

I know that, for me at least, Henry and I wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are today if not for the people we have surrounding us. Our vets, our farrier, our trainer, our friends… they’re all part of that support group, they’re all important, and when you combine them all together it has a bit of a dream team effect. The importance of the roles of the vets and farrier are obvious – they keep Henry at his physical peak, keep him looking and feeling good, and help me make sure that he stays that way. We’ve had our vets (yes, I use a couple, depending on what it’s for) ironed out for years, and this year we finally locked on to a truly fantastic farrier. Not only do Henry’s feet look a whole lot better, but because his angles are back to where they should be, it’s had an overall positive effect on the entire rest of his body. We’ve done less maintenance this year than ever, despite a busier show schedule, increased work load, and more traveling.

But those are the most obvious “tribe members”, right? It’s easy for anyone to understand why they’re so critical – they look after the physical side of things. But what I think is even more important, although much less visible, is the emotional support. Friends, family, trainer… wherever you get it from, it’s really hard to be successful in this sport, or to grow yourself as a rider, without the right kind of people around you.

I keep a relatively small close group of friends. I’m not the best at socializing (okay that’s probably a gross understatement, I can hear everyone who knows me laughing wildly at that) and I’m not that great with people. As I’ve gotten older I’ve decided not to keep close ties with people who don’t enrich my life in some way, people who make me want to be better and do better. I believe strongly that we become like the people we surround ourselves with. I want to be around people who aren’t afraid to dream big, to raise the bar, to push beyond what other people might see as the limit. They might not be where they want to be yet, but they’ve got guts and they’ve got heart. But also people who are honest and who truly want the people around them to succeed as well. I ain’t got time for petty, or nay-sayers, or people who want to stay in their comfort zone forever and keep everyone else down there with them.

I’m lucky to have a lot of friends that I find to be genuinely inspiring. Whether it’s their unfailingly positive attitude, their tenacity, or their sincere selflessness, I look at the people around me and see a lot of good. Everyone is human of course, but what’s in your heart is what matters, and at this point in my life I’ve somehow managed to surround myself with a extraordinary number of golden-hearted people. That trend continues from my close friend group to what I guess you could call my “barn family” – my trainer’s other clients. Pretty much none of us board together, but you’ve never seen a better, more supportive group of people in your life. Everyone is sincerely invested in each other’s success, and that kind of support is priceless on both good days and bad.

I’m truly convinced that the reason there are so many good people in one place is because that kind of attitude comes from the top – the “top” in this situation being my trainer. You reap what you sow, and she sows work ethic, positivity, and gratitude. She can always find the good in a situation, and is one of those truly weird people (completely unlike myself) who seems to always know the right thing to say. She’s honest, she doesn’t put up with self-pity or cattiness or bullshit, and she has a good eye for a horse. Most importantly, she isn’t afraid to dream big FOR you, even if you don’t believe in yourself enough to do it on your own, and she always has your best interest as her priority.

My whole world has changed since I first started eventing. I’ve always been one of those people who is content to do things largely on their own. I didn’t NEED anybody else, right? I mean, to a point that is right… you don’t really need people to just get by, if you’re self-sufficient. I could take lessons with whoever and check off all the boxes and we probably would have done just fine. “Fine” isn’t what it’s all about though, at least not for me. The relationships I’ve formed have been the difference between “fine” and “wildest dreams”.

Since these people kind of fell into my life and made me realize how much of a box I had kept myself in, they’ve completely changed how I see everything. Most importantly, myself. They’ve challenged me and inspired me, supported me and believed in me, and that has truly changed my life. Find people like that: people who believe in you no matter what, people who don’t let you play small, people who constantly make you want to be better – as a rider and a horseman and a human. Find those people, and your road to success, whatever that may look like for you, suddenly becomes paved.

As I mentioned early last week, my only big purchase from Black Friday was a pair of Freejump stirrups. These days I’m spending more time in the saddle, jumping higher, and going for longer/faster conditioning rides, which have taken quite a toll on my already bad knees. My increasing pain over the last few months pushed me to research other stirrup options, and with the Freejumps being on sale for a ridiculously good price, I couldn’t resist the temptation.

It wasn’t just a random, spur of the moment decision though. By the time all was said and done I looked hard at 4 different companies/irons and reached out to them asking questions related to my own particular issues or preferences. Only 2 of those companies responded, one of which seemed to just copy and paste the information that was on their website, which answered precisely none of my questions, which is why I asked them in first place. The other was Freejump, who forwarded me data relating specifically to the questions I was asking, and followed up with a phone call from one of their reps, discussing my particular issues, explaining the differences between the models, recommending which one might suit my needs best, and even offering to find me some stirrups to take on trial.

I really wanted an iron that would help a bit with shock absorption, but was still quite solid under my foot. I’d used the jointed irons in the past and found them to feel unstable, so I was hoping for something with just a little bit of “give” to help ease some of the pounding on my knees. Before I talked to Freejump, I really wasn’t aware of how they were built or why. I knew they were safety stirrups, due to the open and flexible outer branch, but I didn’t realize that they were built on a metal core, also designed to offer some flexion upon impact.

The two models I had been looking at were the Soft’Up Pro, the ones with the offset eye that hang perpendicular to the horse, and the Soft’Up Classic, which is built more like a traditional iron. The main difference is the top – offset eye vs traditional eye – although the newer Classics also have additional stud grips built into the footbed. More grip was definitely appealing, but given the fact that most of my pain was knee related, the offset eye made more sense. The rep also said that most eventers seem to prefer the Pro, since, if you do lose a stirrup, it’s hanging right there at an angle that makes it very easy to pick back up.

I was originally planning on taking Freejump up on the offer of a trial pair, but when I saw them on sale at Riding Warehouse, with only one pair of navy remaining, I decided to just buy them. I could always return them if they didn’t work out, and I didn’t want to miss out on a super good price (or the only color that matters in the whole world).

They went on my saddle last Monday, and in the course of the last week and a half I’ve jumped in them, gone on a couple long trots, had a gallop day, and used them for a show. It’s been a pretty good little trial run. A lot of people have been asking me how I like them so far, so here are my first impressions.

First off, I was kind of surprised by their weight. I’ve previously ridden in Royal Riders in some capacity over the last 10 years (they used to be on my jump saddle, then moved to my dressage saddle when I got the Lorenzinis) and the thing I liked least about them was that I felt they were too light. That’s the main reason I’ve steered away from composite irons ever since. The metal core of the Freejumps makes them feel much closer to a traditional metal iron than a composite, which to me was a plus. I want my stirrups to hang down next to my foot if I lose one, not be flopping all over the place like a fish.

The footbed was also interesting, much grippier than the cheap composites, but not as abrasive as the cheesegrater footbed. The metal studs sit higher than the other grippers, giving a little bit more traction on the bottom of the boot. To me they could still be a bit grippier (maybe the Classic footbed with it’s extra studs has more?) but they’re at least AS grippy as a cheesegrater pad. Sometimes I think they’re more grippy, sometimes I think they’re the same… jury is still out on that one. I think the way that they hang and the way they’re made helps them stay with your foot a little bit more, making them seem grippier than the footbed itself might provide.

The first thing I thought when I put my foot in them was that they felt comfortable, which, my next thought was “that’s a very weird word to describe stirrups”. It’s accurate though. That offset eye, plus the angle and shape of the footbed… your foot just seems kind of drawn to them, settling into the perfect spot. I also felt right away like it was easier to put my heel down. Whether that’s the slight flexibility of the iron or because of the way the footbed is made, I’m not sure, but it’s definitely without a doubt easier to drop weight into my heel and keep it there.

Where they’ve really impressed me so far, though, is on conditioning days. Typically during our long slow trots or gallops I have to shove my feet “home” in the stirrups to prevent my ankles from burning, and my knees are always SCREAMING the next day. That first gallop day though… I never shoved my feet into the stirrups at any point, and while my left knee (the worse one) was a little sore the next day, it was nothing compared to before. I think now I can finally raise my stirrups a hole for XC without feeling like my legs are broken.

So far I’m very pleasantly surprised, to be honest. I was hoping that a stirrup change would help, but I didn’t really expect it to help that much. I was looking for just a little bit of relief, and I’ve gotten way more than that, and gotten it immediately. For anyone that has been eyeballing Freejumps, I fully recommend that you ask questions and do some research and try them out, especially if you have bad knees and/or ankles. My only reservation at this point is longevity… I have no idea how they will hold up over time. Like any composite, or any iron that isn’t one solid piece, I fully expect them to have a more limited lifespan than a traditional solid metal iron. If I’m this much more comfortable on a day to day basis, though, it seems a fair trade.

I am lucky enough to have collected a lot of really nice equipment by this point in my life. From my Majyk Equipe gear to my Lund tack to my Tucci boots to my Devoucoux saddles to my TraumaVoid and Samshield helmets, and everything in between, I have spent a very long time accumulating a lot of nice things, slowly but steadily upgrading as I could afford it. Because life is too short to not have nice things, especially when your horse is a unicorn.

If you’ve spent any time around me at all this year, though, there are a few items that you’ve probably heard me talk about more than once. These things have shown themselves to be fantastic purchases, proving their usefulness over and over again to the point where I find myself constantly singing their praises, probably to the point of annoyance to some people. But buckle up, because you’re about to hear about them one more time. These are the top 3 MVP’s of 2018.

Alessandro Albanese Motionlite coat

I’ve had my eye on these things since they first came out, but since I already own a really nice custom coat, I couldn’t totally justify the purchase of another one. And then we decided to go show at Chatt. In Georgia. In July. That was the last push I needed to finally bite the bullet and buy one of these.

My only regret is that I didn’t buy it sooner. It’s SO stretchy, and SO comfortable, and SO lightweight. The air flows through the mesh so well that you can feel any little breeze. It washes easily, fits beautifully, the price point is completely reasonable, and I honestly can’t think of a single negative thing to say about it. If the weather is over 60 degrees, you will see me in this coat, for sure. I often find myself wandering around the showgrounds still wearing it, not even realizing that I’d forgotten to take it off. I want one in every color. Even if it cost twice as much, I would still buy it. If you show in hot weather, you NEED this coat. Period. I even convinced Bobby to buy one, and he’s the cheapest mofo I know.

Trailer Camera system

When I got my new trailer (you da real MVP of 2018, trailer, not gonna lie, but I thought that might be a little impractical on this list…) I knew without a doubt that I wanted a camera system in it. I haul a lot, I haul long distances, and with Presto being so young and precocious, I wanted a way to be able to make sure no one was in trouble back there. I left my tech guru father in charge of picking out the best camera for my situation, and I certainly have not been disappointed. Really I have no idea how I ever hauled without cameras back there. They were extremely easy to install and the peace of mind they’ve provided has been absolutely priceless.

I can see if they’re eating, if they’re sweating, what the airflow is like, if they seem fussy, or if maybe one particular little turd has managed to untie himself and get his head under the chest bar (AHEM looking at you, PRESTO). The picture quality is fantastic, and I have never once had any issues with interference. When I hauled Presto to FEH Championships in September, a cement truck pulled out in front of us and I had to slam my brakes on, barely missing his bumper. I could feel Presto scrambling in the back, but thanks to my camera I could quickly and easily check on him and see that he was fine, upright, and quickly went back to munching hay. I really can’t say enough good things about the value of having cameras in your trailer, and there’s no doubt that they could potentially help prevent a bad situation.

People love to comment and say “I wouldn’t be able to stop watching the camera!”. I always roll my eyes a little at that, because it’s ridiculous. As with anything else, you quickly adjust to just glancing at the camera sometimes, or when you’re stopped, keeping your eyes on the road the rest of the time just like you always do. So if you’re on the fence – install a camera system. You won’t regret it.

Tiger’s Tongue

I already reviewed this thing in depth, so I won’t go into all the details again, but if you’re looking for a cheap and easy thing to give as a gift or throw in your grooming bag, grab one or two of these. I use mine pretty much every day for a wide variety of applications. At only $6 this is an incredibly useful little item, and just when I think I’ve come up with all the possible ways to use it, I find another thing it’s good for. In one day alone I used it to scrub buckets, give my horse a bath, and clean Magic Cushion residue off of a boot – and it excelled at all 3 jobs. Cheap, versatile, and effective? Can’t beat that.

 

What are your favorite purchases of the year? Any must-have items?

The good thing about being the only person in Prelim is that our 30.7 dressage score was good enough for first. Admittedly, anything I did that day was going to be good enough for first, as long as I stayed on and didn’t forget the course. Which was enough of a challenge for me at a first Prelim attempt, let’s be honest.

After dressage I walked stadium one more time then swapped tack and got back on. We headed down to stadium warmup, which is very small and the footing is pretty deep. I hate all warmups as a general rule, but I hate that one the most. I just could not get Henry in front of my leg at all coming out of the hairpin turn (he’s kind of the worst at handling deep footing) and he decided maybe the solution was to just stop. Twice.

That was not the solution.

Trainer promptly went and acquired me a whip, Henry got smacked on his hiney for the first time EVER by me, and proceeded to become extraordinarily offended. His eyes bugged right out of his head as he leapt into a gallop, feet magically unstuck from the deep footing, and he marched right down to the oxer and pinged over it like the Good Boy he usually is. We went up to the ring and waited for the people walking the course to clear out, and Henry stood there doing the equine equivalent of rocking back and forth in fetal position in the corner, still wide eyed and absolutely beside himself about getting a smack on the butt. Seriously horse, it was one smack. And you kind of had it coming. Get in front of my damn leg, you drama king.

Once we were in the ring I picked up the gallop like I meant it and powered down to the first jump. After which Henry landed and basically just kind of dragged me the whole rest of the way, screaming “OH MY GOD I WAS A BAD BOY, OH MY GOD SHE HIT ME” on repeat. Still traumatized, clearly. He definitely never once even vaguely thought about stopping. I think I could have gotten him there upside down and backwards and he still would have jumped. Granted, he never once even considered listening to any of my attempts at a half halt either.

You know what’s not useful on an overly dramatic horse that’s having an existential crisis about having been a bad boy? A goofy little loosely-fitted hackamore with a leather curb strap that is essentially a glorified halter. In normal circumstances it’s great, but this time… not so much. We ended up just too deep and flat, past the distance to a few of the verticals, and had rails there. Which is the complete opposite of Texas Rose, where his rails came at the oxers.

The hardest jump sequence to me was 5-6-7-8, which weaved across the diagonal. 5 was an oxer placed very close to the in gate off of a really awkward short turn, then bending to a vertical in the shade, then land and hang a sharp left to an oxer, then land and hang an even sharper right to a vertical. It was a very herky-jerky sequence and the turn to 8 was sketchy at best.

Really though, Henry’s little temporary lapse in sanity aside, it was fine. It was our second real Prelim round ever, no one died, and it wasn’t tragic. Two phases down, one to go. I sure was laughing my butt off as I pulled him up though, which took some effort. Henry’s eyes were still bugging out of his head like we might all just randomly start beating him at any moment, because clearly that happens to him all the time. Honestly Henry, you are ridiculous. IT WAS ONE SMACK. In FIVE YEARS of owning you.

After that I had to shove him full of cookies back at the barn, which seemed to convince him that he was indeed a Good Boy again. He relaxed and went back in his stall to munch on some hay for a couple hours before cross country, his Bad Boy experience completely forgotten.

My ride time was at noon on the dot, as soon as dressage wrapped up (dressage is all in the middle of XC, so I’m pretty sure no one wants to be doing their test as horses are galloping right past them). I stepped into warmup just as the last person was saluting, and after a couple laps of gallop and a few warmup jumps, Trainer sent us on our way with a “Good luck, have fun, ride smart!”. I got over to the startbox and turned on my helmet camera, which ended up being a huge mistake as we had about a 10 minute delay while all the jump judges finished finding their spots. As soon as Control radioed and said they were ready, my camera beeped and died. Not even kidding. I’m really sad about it now. Luckily there were a few people videoing and Hillary was taking pics, so I at least have some media.

I figured that I would know after jump 3 (the big red wagon) how the rest of the course was going to go. As usual I wanted to come out of the startbox positive, getting him thinking forward right away. If you can get Henry convinced that he’s running away with you a bit (which he isn’t, but he thinks he might be) at the beginning and jump a couple of fences from a more open gallop, his confidence swells. He came out of the box all business, pinged over fence 1, and when I landed and put my leg on, he eagerly dug in and galloped away. At that point I thought “Hmm… I think this might be a good day…”. We jumped the big rolltop at 2 out of stride, then wove around the mound to the wagon. I saw the distance as soon as we came around the corner and so did Henry, and again, we galloped over it right out of stride. A huge smile crept onto my face at this point and I let out a “HELL YEAH GOOD BOY”. As predicted, by jump 3 I knew how it was going to go… and I knew we had this.

We wove through the woods over the combination at 4ab, down the big log stack with the dropped landing, over the skinny, and then up and over the Irish bank. The chevron came up fast off of a short turn but Henry never even blinked, just popped over and kept right on galloping through the trees to the trakehner. Clearly for our first Prelim I wasn’t worried about time at all… I hadn’t even worn my watch, nor was I going to press him for speed. Trying to make 520mpm would basically be a flat out gallop for Henry, and I wanted to just let him gallop at a comfortable pace and focus on having good jumps. It sure seemed like everything came up one after the other really quickly as it was, without many long gallop stretches. I guess that’s the effect of riding through the woods versus out in the open.

After the trakehner we had a narrow rolltop out of the woods, coming back into the main field for the water. This was a “busy” spot, with a log down into the water, a skinny on the opposite bank, then immediately to a bending line of arks as we curved back around the water. I sat and whoaed as we came down to the water, taking care to jump in quietly (and slightly to the right) lest we go blasting past the skinny. As soon as we landed from that Henry moved right back up to gallop easily over the arks, landing and powering away, back up the hill. He had plenty in the tank, and he seemed to be having a grand ol’ time as he hopped over the bench like it was a speed bump.

From there we headed to the jump that I thought might be most tricky, a big corner off of a left hand turn, heading back into the woods. The tricky part for my horse was the fact that there was an unflagged fence right where we needed to turn, and I thought Henry might lock onto that one, messing up our approach to the corner. And he did lock onto that one (Henry you are predictable) but I stuck my right spur in and got him turned toward the corner instead, which he locked onto with equal gusto. By this point he was having such a good time I think he would have jumped a tank if I pointed him at one.

After the corner we curved around the edge of a pond and popped out a few strides away from the brushy boat table (I dunno what else to call it, it’s a table with an orange boat on the front face and brush on the top). He jumped the freaking snot out of that, stumbling a little on landing but quickly righting himself back up and galloping on. From there we went to the downhill bank combo – a skinny rolltop, two strides to a downbank, then down the hill to a chevron with a dropped landing. That put us back into the main field once again for the last two fences – the train and the big ugly last table. The train was easy peasy, and I came up to the table thinking “ok, self, don’t mess this up”. And then, there it was, the nice forward distance, and we closed the last 5 strides to get up to that thing perfectly. He jumped it like a freaking superstar, with room to spare. Definitely not tired.

And then we crossed through the finish flags, and then trainer yelled “YOU HAVE A PRELIM PONY!” (which you can hear in the video) and then cue all the bawling that I already wrote about on Monday. We racked up plenty of time faults, as expected, but we were clear. We finished. We did it. We actually fucking did it. Days later I’m still pinching myself, and still stuffing Henry full of cookies.

It was a totally respectable round too, not even a case of survival. I felt like I made mostly good decisions, and my horse felt like he was brimming with confidence. He had plenty left in the tank, definitely could have gone faster, and strutted back to the barn like the damn unicorn he is.

It was one of the best rides of my lifetime, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.