What a weekend!! This past weekend
was Huntington Farm’s July USEA horse trial; we take advantage of it being
right down the road from Tamarack, and take most of the horses. I took Rosie in
her first Prelim, Jumbie in her first Training, and Simply competed in the
Novice. I came into the weekend with little expectations as Rosie and Jumbie
were moving up and you never know how they will handle it until you try! They
stepped up to the plate and showed me they were truly ready for the next level.
You go
into a move up as prepared as you can, obviously if you don’t feel the horse is
ready, you don’t move up! Rosie has felt so on task at every event this year,
the plan from the start of the year was to try her at prelim if all went well. It’s
almost comical how often things go wrong, but luck was on our side and she has
stayed confident and sound through the beginning of the season. We took her to
the GMHA Team Jumper Challenge on the Thursday before Huntington, where she did
her first 3’6” round in public. There was a big crowd and she acted as if she
didn’t even see them, she was such a professional! This really proved to me she
was ready to move up.
Over the
entire event, she acted as if she had been doing preliminary for several
events, she didn’t feel like a green horse in any way. Rosie had never done a
full coffin, ditch and wall, or a drop into water (we had at least schooled
drops into water!) and she answered each question like a true event horse. She
then jumped clean around the show jumping, finishing in second place! I was
over the moon! She really feels like she is much more experienced than she is,
I can’t wait until the next one!
Jumbie
also had an excellent move up! She had a decent dressage, not our best test but
it put her into fifth place. She then had a clean cross country and made the
time which moved her into first! She had a few spooky, green moments, which was
to be expected but she handled it all very well. I was hoping she wouldn’t be
too tired for stadium but she wasn’t! She jumped a double clean show jumping
round to win her first training! It is such a relief to complete a first move
up, but to win it is just amazing! I am so proud of these girls for handling
the weekend so amazingly well!
To top
off an already successful weekend, Simply competed on Sunday, winning her
Novice division! She was a little spooky at the jump judges on cross country
but we managed to get around clean. There were a couple times I thought she may
try to run out, spooking at the people but when I said “jump this!” with my leg
she went! She seems to be pretty bold and willing and I think her spooking will
go away with more experience. She then had a clean stadium round, finishing on
her dressage score!
I just want to thank Ann Kitchel and everyone at Huntington
Farm for running such fun events! And a thank you to Lila Gendal for helping me on Saturday, couldn't have done it without you :)! Also, I want to thank Denny and May Emerson
for giving me the opportunity to bring along such nice horses!! I am so lucky
to have these amazing horses to ride and compete!
The wonderful Horsepesterer came out and took some great
videos of the horses on Saturday, thanks Dave!
Rosie’s Dressage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66nvoMxUNY8&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66nvoMxUNY8&feature=youtu.be
Rosie on XC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzEL5N8Jzms&feature=youtu.be
Rosie's Stadium:
Jumbie's Dressage:
Jumbie's Stadium:
