The Ultimate Debut!!!

Saturday August 17, 2012 Lincoln Creek One Day Horse Trials –

This event was a particularly monumental competition for the big spotted horse and I. First off, it is our debut riding in the Beginner Novice division (slightly more complicated and longer courses and jumps up to 2’7” in height).  AAANND;  Mom and Dad were there to spectate and help out!!!  They had planned their trip to the northwest in conjunction with one of our competitions so they could be sure to come watch us! Yay!!

So, Friday night Mom and Dad came out to the barn with me to meet Deuce and Flash and then help us get ready. They graciously carted gear out to the trailer and then helped in giving Deuce a much needed bath. I wanted those white spots to really shine! I think Deuce really enjoyed having a staff to dote all over him, too.

Saturday morning was not too terribly early. My most awesome husband and I loaded up Deuce and Mom and Dad followed us on up to the event.  Deuce did not have any of his barn mates with him so he was pretty happy to hang out with me and his “staff” at the trailer and look around at all the other activity around him with casual interest.

After getting the big spotted boy settled with a bag of hay, I picked up our number and course map, and we all set out to walk the course and pick out some of the better spots to view the majority of the cross country ride later in the afternoon.

The course proved to be very similar to the order that we took when schooling it with my coach early in the week. It’s a good thing Deuce and I had successfully taken on nearly all of the jumps on the course as some of the obstacles were looking a bit stout and tall as I took a look at them up close.

Back at the trailer, we got Deuce dusted off and tacked up and ready for dressage warm up. I think I got on too early and then it did not help that they were running late to boot. Deuce warmed up great with lovely transitions, big forward trot, attentiveness to my cues and softness in the bridle. After about 30 minutes we were ready for our test, but we still had a long time to wait before it was our turn. I did not want to get him too tired, so we walked around for awhile and visited with some of my fellow competitors in warm up. There was a big young and fancy warmblood who was enamored with Deuce. Every time we passed each other, he would either lock his hears on him or turn all the way around to follow him (if his rider let him) It was really funny to see his fascination with the big boy, his rider and I  couldn't decide if it was Deuce’s spots, his demeanor or what that led to such an attraction but we both certainly got a laugh out of it.

Test is over, there's that smile!

Finally it was time for our dressage ride so we walked around the outside and waited for the bell. The Dressage arena was situated just on the other side of the creek from the start of cross country course and Deuce found it hard to focus when he could see a rider  and horse’s head every now and then up over the shrubs. Well, that will be fun. I put him right to work and hoped to keep him busy enough with all the cues to not give him any time to think about the cross country course. My family was on the side lines ready to cheer us on and reminding me to smile! So my stay busy strategy worked pretty well, he was quite correct and forward except for his free walk. He took that time to lolly gag down the diagonal. I tried to push him forward without being obvious or having him break into a trot but be was not having it so much for a big score with the coefficient factor. The rest of the test was okay, nothing spectacular. I still need to work on loosening up and letting him move forward.

Dressage went late and it did not leave us much time to get a tack change and over to the cross country course. However, we had lots of help so we were ready to go in record time. Deuce and I hopped over the warm up jumps a couple times and we were ready to go.  He was nice and supple and forward and ready to jump. My job was to keep him together and sit tall, keep my leg on and keep him straight.

We set off to the first log and we were on course. Deuce settled into a nice big canter and was waiting for my direction to each obstacle.  After the logs came the infamous red roll top right near the main path area to the trailers (I had been warned to not take that jump for granted as many horses had stops there since there was so many distractions).  I remembered that on our approach to “big red” and sat up with my leg on and said “GO” but really, he did not need any encouragement. There was no question as to if he were to go or not. He was already looking for the next jump. We had a long gallop to the stout looking table. So I worked on keeping him together and staying organized, we have a much better ride when he is not so strung out and galloping fast… so we took the open space as an opportunity to work on staying together. We’re getting there… he came together a bit, then on approach to the table he was completely focused and I sat tall and he launched! We sailed over, landed and cantered on, going across the road over a ditch, the around the corner to the ramp and off through the next field for anther stretch of gallop. We were having such a blast! Deuce had such a lovely forward and rhythmic pace! No fence backed him off, he just jumped and cantered on. It was an amazing ride! 

NAILED that roll top BENDY LINE!
and already looking for the next jump!

Then it was around the ditches and then over 5, a roll top and a sharp right turn and about 4 strides to 6, another slightly bigger roll top. Lots of folks were opting to take a circle after the first roll top then getting a straight line to the next one. But I like a good challenge... That exact approach is our nemeses as it sets Deuce up to easily pop his left shoulder and run out if I don’t keep him straight. But why make it easy with straight lines and circles!? . We were both on our game. We jumped the roll top looking right and I sat tall, held my outside (left) leg and he went nice and straight right over, looking for the next hurdle. What a thrill!! We carried on making our way to the water,  where we had a nice big log, then over a ramp, turn down into the water. Again he was game to just keep going down in the water and splash, splash through and out, then 5 strides up to a ramp. No trouble at all and canter on to our bench with an odd angle, then up a steep slope to the lookout hill and down the other side, then out and around a corner through the brush and a log/stacked hay bale jump then gallop to finish!!! 

Last jump to finish line!

WAAA HOOOO!!! Clean round and a wonderfully fluid ride!!! We were both soo proud of ourselves! We had a nice walk back to meet up with Russ and Mom and Dad. Time was tight again and the Stadium course was only going to be open a few more minutes for course walking. So Deuce and I hoofed it over to the course, Russ met us there and kindly held him while I took a walk around the twisty course. I was really happy that it had some very interesting and colorful jumps, but of course that makes me worry a little too… and when I worry, he worries and backs off stuff and that’s when we have run outs or stops. But all these bright colors and shapes will be good for us to learn to work it out!!

We went back to the trailer for another break, had some water, ate a bite or two and even had a moment to go check scores…. Deuce and I were at the top of the list… in FIRST PLACE!!! I could not believe it. Our Dressage score had us in 4^th but our clean cross country moved us to first! (Time was not being calculated into scores at this event, so penalties were only coming from faults from jumping rounds) Second Place was only 3 points behind us, so if we pulled one rail, we lost our placing. Pressure is on!!!

We got tacked up again and headed off to warm up for our stadium ride. I started thinking about the course, and each turn and keeping him together to minimize the possibly of pulling rails. After some trot and canter transitions, we hopped over a few warm up fences again and were feeling pretty good. So we went and watched a few rounds of the course.  I say we, because Deuce was really studying too… he focused on each horse in the arena and followed every turn. It’s like he was learning where to go too!!  Soon it was our turn so we trotted smartly in, made our warmup circle, listened for the whistle and then crossed the start line. The course was fairly tight, which works in favor of one who is trying to keep a fired up horse together for each fence (which is exactly what I had on my hands!) Deuce LOVES jumping as soon as I cued for canter he was locked on the first fence and never took a sideways glance ant the bright colors and shapes!

He sailed over with a lovely depart and landing. All I had to do was keep him together, steer him to the next fence, find the line and he would take me to it. No qualms at all about what they looked like! It was another pretty awesome ride really. Fence 7 to 8 was a bendy line left about 5 strides between. I nearly forgot to make the turn to 8… on stride 3 of the landing I remembered to look left and find my next fence, and point him to it.  I felt bad for Deuce, it was a cruddy approach but somehow he found the distance and came around the corner and cleared it without even touching a rail! Whatagoodboy! Yeah, I was loud with praise on the landing after that one! He pulled the weight for the team for sure!  We had a combination 2 stride which he went into and out of beautifully straight and then around another left turn and an oxer then around to the last fence and finish line!!! No Rails! Clean round! We did it!!

Mom and Dad and Russ all greeted us at the exit gate with praises and pats and rubs and hugs for both Deuce and I. We felt like such champions!  We went back to the trailer to un tack, eat, celebrate a little, pack up and wait for final score postings…. and that pretty blue ribbon!  

To have such great rides and have my family there made the event pretty special as it was, but to end up with a blue ribbon at the end of the day made for a pretty awesome way for a debut to the Beginner Novice division!!!