Twelve

I am a little conflicted about this post.  I am bubbling with energy and enthusiasm about our Pickwick Medal Win at the Sonoma Horse Park Strides and Tides show yesterday.  But the Miss Manners training deeply embedded  in me after years of dutiful reading would guard against such boastfulness.  So I have reached an internal truce.  I will give all the credit to Princess. She did all the actual work, after all.

Hugh White got her through the Montserrat Ring challenges, with clanking wine glasses and noisy catering trucks to be desensitized to, on the open days.  I had the easier job of coasting on that experience and gently asking for the impossible, jumping 12 jumps exactly the same.

Think about the math involved.  Travelling 12 miles per hour, with 12 foot strides, and meeting each obstacle approximately 6 feet from the base, so that it is in the middle of the next 12 foot stride.  A gifted world class pro sees that they are "on stride" 8-10 strides out.  An amateur (that would be me) counts down 3-2-1, three strides out, making for coarser adjustments to meet the sweet spot.

Once in a while, every so often, the gods grant us out heart felt wish and give us 12 in a row.  Twelve jumps with equal take off points, consistent pace, prompt lead changes, even bends as if scrolled by a protractor. At the finish, we came down to a trot, and then a walk, dropped the reins and smiled the knowing smile of a job well done; it would not really matter where we were pinned.  The satisfaction of that experience would be enough.

But then to have Kelsey hear the line up and hop up and down, I figured something good happened, maybe a second?  Then she mouthed, "You won!"  And I knew Princess and I communicated at every stride, every jump, in a coordinated positive round, and were recognized for that.  Super cool. Thanks UP and HW.