Today. Sunday, things are traditionally very quiet at Riverside. Most other barns are closed down and we have all the arenas between which to choose. We chose Meredith's, right across the way. The three of us, Lindsey, Lisa and myself on Capote, Samson and Princess respectively had a long flat lesson fine tuning frame, bend, submission, and trotting through the swarms of wasps with nary an ear twitch. Then some low jumps. Then the subtle and seemingly accidentally slipped in direction came from Hugh, "Jump the 6, keep cantering, jump into the trees over that coop and out of the trees over this one."
Coops. Solids fences with a cross section of a triangle, solid face of boards on either side. They were at the edge of the normal area. Meredith's space has an extra appendage off one side, with scattered trees, a few paths through them, and these darn big coops. Samson was perfect, big bold strides, jumped the two like nobody's business. Them came Lindsey, also a perfect pair, and Capote soared. Last were Princess and myself. She did not suck back, jumped over the first coop, with a gentle drop off the far side, galloped through the trees with aplomb, and jumped the exit coop clean and careful. What a blast. The three bays walked home swishing their tails with a je ne sais quoi that was as close to cocky as I have seen them. What fun!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
What the Truck?
Fourth round of the modified 3'3" hunters at Sonoma Horse Park Strides and Tides September 2012 show. Sean and YiOu in the audience watching me ride Princess for the first time. Not that I am riding her for the first time. She arrived March 13, 2011 and has been doted on carrots and treats ever since. But Sean and YiOu, my son and daughter-in-law, have never bothered to get their behinds up here to see their Equus caballus sister.
Got to a great start with a bold distance to the first fence. N.B. I usually chicken out and pop over the first fence very conservatively. Rounded up the 5 to the 2 judges line, down the diagonal in 7. That was stretched out to a measured distance of 99', 3 feet longer that a typical 12 foot stride of 96 feet and no problem with getting to the second fence. Up the bending 6 and again no problem with making the distance. Finally, in the "scary" corner returning to the single oxer with the super long approach, I noted a little motion in my left field of vision.
Rattle-rattle-rattle-whoosh. It sounded like a machine gun. It reminded me of New York City early morning bakeries opening up from their hermetically sealed bunkers. It was the door of the catering truck ripping open. It was loud. Princess thought so too and jumped sideways 20 feet in 2 strides. But I reminded her that "good" hunters are never unhinged, take everything in stride, and are always obedient and calm under all circumstances (meaning they are either dullards or act drugged).
In any event, a little inside leg bending her away from the cacophony, we were re-established and on our way to the last fence, and last place in that class. On a lighter note, I did get two 75 scores the day before with 2 nice rounds. We'll get there. JP and UP
Got to a great start with a bold distance to the first fence. N.B. I usually chicken out and pop over the first fence very conservatively. Rounded up the 5 to the 2 judges line, down the diagonal in 7. That was stretched out to a measured distance of 99', 3 feet longer that a typical 12 foot stride of 96 feet and no problem with getting to the second fence. Up the bending 6 and again no problem with making the distance. Finally, in the "scary" corner returning to the single oxer with the super long approach, I noted a little motion in my left field of vision.
Rattle-rattle-rattle-whoosh. It sounded like a machine gun. It reminded me of New York City early morning bakeries opening up from their hermetically sealed bunkers. It was the door of the catering truck ripping open. It was loud. Princess thought so too and jumped sideways 20 feet in 2 strides. But I reminded her that "good" hunters are never unhinged, take everything in stride, and are always obedient and calm under all circumstances (meaning they are either dullards or act drugged).
In any event, a little inside leg bending her away from the cacophony, we were re-established and on our way to the last fence, and last place in that class. On a lighter note, I did get two 75 scores the day before with 2 nice rounds. We'll get there. JP and UP
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