After Dressage, I had nearly 2 hours until Show Jumping. I took a look at both the show jumping and cross country course, but I wasn’t able to fully walk either due to the late start we had in the morning. Oh well, show jumping was 8 jumps with 1 related distance, and XC was basically one big loop.
May got to hang out in the shade and enjoy the breeze and grass, while I got to actually eat some real food. It might have been 10:30 in the morning, but I needed lunch! Once we were about a half hour to my SJ time, I pulled May off the trailer, threw on our jumping stuff, and got back on. Given that XC was running immediately after SJ, I just put all of May’s XC gear on and wore my vest. And then promptly forgot my armband. Whomp Whomp.
The husband ran back to the trailer while I warmed up again. It was a short, but good warmup, so I cut it a bit short. I wanted to watch a couple of rounds before I went in. Unfortunately, May had other plans and wasn’t super interested in just standing at the in gate, so while I caught bits and pieces of other rounds, I wasn’t able to watch the whole thing through. I do not think I saw anyone go through the related distance line (remember how I didn’t get a chance to walk it?)
Entering the ring for the round was a bit awkward, as you had to check in with the volunteer at the in gate, and then trot to the other end of the SJ field to check in with the judge. I also wanted to trot by 7 because, for BN, there was a 7B. As a result, right after 7 there were a bunch of poles in the grass, and I wanted to make sure May saw them before we were at the base of 7.
So once we checked in with the judge, I trotted along past 5, since that was a couple of hay bales and sometimes hay bales are scary. I picked up my canter, and May immediately started throwing her head around. Ugh. I got her attention back somewhere around 4, as I made my turn to jump 1. Unfortunately, our lack of focus meant my line wasn’t as crisp as I wanted, as May drifted behind my leg and towards the in gate. What does this all mean? It means we pretty much clobbered jump 1.
I kicked forward and got a slightly better rhythm and line to jump 2. We jumped in a touch weak, so I decided to balance up and do the add. Except I HADN’T WALKED the line. SO I got 3/4 of the way down the line, and I realized it was SET SHORT. It was also too late to chase her for what would have been a MASSIVE distance, or just faster shuffling corgi steps toward the nothing distance we already had lined up. Oops… we got to the oxer with no step, no impulsion, and no distance. Cool. May HEFTED herself over it, somehow leaving it up. Seriously, there is video evidence of this that I need to upload for you all.
By this point, I was pretty angry at myself for riding the first 3 jumps like a monkey. I kicked on to 4 and actually had a pretty nice jump. I keep kicking to 5. I am DETERMINED to have almost a “hunter gap” to this fence. We. Will. Not. Chip. For some reason, I had it in my head that she might look at that one, so I needed to ride strong. It was an oxer, which I hate, and it had some hay bales under it. Now, I am not sure we have ever jumped hay bales, but I know many horses that have taken offense to them. (I got an awesome nose bleed once after a horse took serious offense to some hay bales.)
I think it went fine though. 😉 It ended up probably being our nicest jump on course. Jump 6 I don’t even remember jumping. I probably stopped breathing that point. At 7, I was determined not to have the same issue I had at 1, and I rode more determined through my line. As a result, 7 was a non issue. I turned to 8. Kicked on, and was over. So SJ finished with just one jump down, but I was pretty frustrated for myself for not starting the round well.
SJ was pretty messy for a lot of people, and I later heard that the first jump when down a lot for people. Overall, we moved from 4th to 6th out of 19. No matter the score though, I was determined to go out and attack XC.
These pictures are awesome! May looks SO CUTE with her little ears pricked and soooo happy! You guys look great!!
Thank you! I HAD to buy the pics when I saw them. Totally in love.
That was always the thing I found most frustrating about eventing- you get ONE chance for a good SJ round. I now show in the hunters and I love that I have 2-3 over fences classes a day, that way if I make a mistake I get a chance to correct it. Glad you were able to regroup and turn thing around to finish the round- that jump 5 photo is AMAZING! I also love to support show photographers- good on you!!
Oh I would’ve loved to redo that line (probably could have asked, but the mare only has so much gas in the tank). If I rode in and just kept my leg on, it would have been perfect, and how many times is that the case! haha
sounds like a pretty great round – esp considering you were able to adjust and improve as the jumps went on!! i’m pretty much guaranteed to make at least one bone headed mistake at a jump, but generally hope for that wake up call to happen in warm up instead of the round. ya’ll look great tho, i love all the pictures too!!
That’s why I have to ride an honest horse at an appropriate level! We both have to get to the other side, even when one of us screws up hahaha
It was your first show in forever so don’t beat yourself up too much. It sounds like you came back to really ride the last fences in the course. That picture is fabulous though.
As an AA, sometimes I just do it for the pictures 😉
I think that is a totally valid reason! XD
You both look more than ready for BN!
Thank you! Definitely want a jump lesson before I make the commitment. She is totally capable. I’m the weenie!
we are all weenies but yeah those jumps look tiny 🙂 HA May looks great and so do you! Great job (I despise Show Jumping and Dressage both only do it to get to CC!)
what were the jumps supposed to be set at they look a lot lower than what i jump in intro which is 2.3? I may need to come to KY to jump 🙂 HA those are my kind of jumps!
They’re supposed to be 2’3” but it was the first schooling show of the season. XC was legit tho!
You guys look great.
Thank you! She was so good
Well done she looks wonderful!
Thank you! She was so good. We were just a bit rusty. 🙂
So your photographic evidence makes it look like you had a fabulous round!!
Those photos are awesome!
Thank you! I had to buy them hahaha (there were definitely at least an equal number of not-so-flattering ones tho)
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