The Fringe Eventer Blog Post # 8

Sunday Morning Quarterbacking

So, as with Monday morning quarterbacking, today is the day to look back on our first schooling show and review where we are and what we’ve learned. This is the very first time Lexi and I have completed an entire cross country course or stadium course withmore than 4 jumps in a row. In fact, in our stadium round she started to slow down after about the 5th jump. I have no doubt she thought she was done. No way Jose!

We finished the morning with a 35.5 in dressage and in 3rd place. I choose to ride the dressage test in sitting trot because we need a lot of work with the ever elusive sitting trot. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we can do it, but elbows, chin, boobs, and ankles aren’t supposed to flop around quite that much.

I have not ridden a complete stadium course in over 10 years and I must admit I found myself far more concerned with potential hazards of the stadium course than with cross country, especially since the jumps come up so fast. I mean, in reality (or my version of reality) cross country courses are easy to memorize and if I get lost, I usually have somegalloping cantering time to figure out where I’m going. Yeah, been there and definitely done that!

Being the eager equestrienne that I am, I stopped to slip on my vest, grab a drink and headed straight to the start box. In fact, they weren’t even set up yet. We circled around for a few minutes, joked with the staff, and then headed out on course as the officialsacrificial Tadpole virgins (cough) offered up to the cross country course gods. Our fate was as much in their hands as ours.

The 10 fences rode something like this:

So, we technically did not have any refusals. Each time she stopped in front of a jump she immediately went forward and never stepped back. That is one rule I do remember. We did however add 7.6 time penalties and I can assure you they were not in the form of a speeding ticket.

So, you and I may both be wondering, just what did I learn? I learned that camping in a tent during the summer sucks but saves money, and yes I would do it again because I am cheap. I learned that all the prayers in the world won’t help our canter work if we can’t get what we had in the warm-up…in the actual arena. If you find that awesome canter I lost between the bell and A please let me know and I’ll come get it! I learned that I don’t need Ginko in order to memorize a stadium course. Thank God for that one! Being a Master is hard enough. Taking herbal supplements in order to remember how to get to fence #5 would have been a hard pill for this gal to swallow. I re-learned that I have to wait for the scores from ALL three phases to be posted before getting excited about what 50 cent ribbon I get to take home and proudly display to my husband. “Look what I got honey and it only cost me $ (insert ridiculous sum of money).”  I learned that I still love the people, camaraderie, atmosphere, and the thrill of an event. I learned that after 2 days of walking many miles through sandy soil, freshly mowed grass, and riding in two-pointit is not a good idea to wear heels to church and torture my already pissed off calf muscles.

But, most importantly, I learned that I’ve still got it!  Booyah!

We left exhausted but smiling with six sound legs. In the end we took home a platinum (not white!) ribbon and although I know this isn’t about the ribbon I don’t think I’ve been this proud of a stinking ribbon in a very long time. You see, I broke my mare to saddle. I taught her what she knows. I was the first to jump her. I have done it all with her and while I will always have a soft spot for my Prelim horse who came to me full of experience and miles there is a deep seated sense of overwhelming pride to be found in doing it on your own and brining your equine partner along with you – side by side - for the ride. Well that, and not falling off. Oh, and not getting lost on course.

So what have you learned? I hope you learned that camping at an event, especially when done with a good friend can be a real money saver and a lot of fun. Take a tent, throw a cot in your trailer or tack room, or even hang a hammock. Might I suggest you take a cruise up to the local small town McDonalds for some local flavor and a bite to eat.  Apparently that is where the entire town was Friday night. Who knew what a hot and hip hangout the Mickey D’s drive thru could be? Somehow over the years I got caught up in feeling that I needed to stay in hotels and eat out at restaurants when showing. I think thiswas derived from the plain fact that most dressage shows (think Wellington) don’t have many folks crashing in tents or on cots in the back of their trailers. No, most DQ venues are full of very expensive RV’s and trailers with sleeping quarters. It also helps to have a friend who like you is cheap.

I hope in the future, like me, you learn or re-learn just how much you love every aspect of this sport. I can’t for the life of me think of anything I would have rather done this weekend. Ok, maybe winning the lottery. I think that would run a close second.

Until next time…look up and kick on!