SEMF Show

The last week feels like a blur so I am going to try to break it down by day.

WEDNESDAY 

I packed the horse trailer, cleaned up the golf cart (my hounds think it is their outdoor sofa), and headed to the show about 11:30am.

When I pulled in trainer wasn't there so I checked the stabling diagram and started bedding what I thought was my stall.  When trainer got there they had stall counts wrong and myself along with other non-boarders were incorrectly not stabled with trainer.  After trainer arrived we got things sorted out but I did have to move stalls after I bedded and unloaded so I was pretty grumpy about that.  By the time I moved and helped trainer unload it was getting late.  I hacked Poppy in one of the rings along with the gazzilion other people.  I was happy she handled the traffic well.  After hacking she got a bath, dinner, and I rushed to get home and feed my horses at home.

THURSDAY

My division class (High Adult Amateur Jumpers) was held in the outdoor ring.  Since my NAL Classic was going to be in the indoor Friday I opted to skip my division class and show in the 1.10m Training Jumpers in the indoor ring so she could jump around in there before the classic.  I thought I would show around noon but due to the large number of entries and the Equitation riders using the lower jumper classes as practice rounds the ring dragged all day.  I showed about 5/5:30pm!

It was a nice course and Poppy jumped around great.  I walked the course early in the day so I didn't notice they made #10 a liverpool until we approached it.  We were both surprised so I just closed my leg and rode hard up to it.  She looked but rode to it brave.  We had a clear blue ribbon round so I was thrilled.  She got bathed, cookied, poulticed, and then I rushed home to feed.

FRIDAY 

We had alot of rain so this day was pretty gross.  The Classic was going early evening so about mid day they posted order of go (I was 16th of 24) and the course.

I first walked the course without trainer before the formal walk.  There were several options and spooky jumps.  Jump 1 started with a wall with open tunnels.  Nice and spooky to begin with.  A couple lines had options, for instance a direct 6 stride or hold out in 7.  Most lines rode forward which means I would really have to land and go so I could steady and set her up the last couple strides.  When I walked with trainer she had me change my plan of 6 strides from fence 9 to 10 to a bending 7.  I would then gallop and do the 6 strides in the jump off.  There was one tight risky turn in the jump off after fence 10 to go inside to fences 3AB.  Since 3AB was on the rail and if I didn't get straight and was pointed toward the stands could get me a refusal, I opted not to take the risk.  This course was set at 1.15m.  

The outdoor warm up ring was practically flooded and the teeny tiny indoor one was loaded with people.  I chose to ride in the outdoor.  Although wet it wasn't deep.  Poppy was good and felt great.  We then saved a big vertical to do in the indoor before going in the ring.  Oy it rattles me jumping with so many people in a tight space.  There were alot of faults and some eliminations on course.  When it was my turn Poppy did her usual rearing at the in gate and trainer had to lead her in.  Weirdly when she does that I know she will be on her game.  I walked in and showed her the liverpool then slid inside the timers to show her fence one (the spooky wall).  She rode up boldly to the wall, galloped down the 7 strides from fence 2 to 3AB, a steady 5 strides to fence 4.  Fence 5 was a vertical to a bending 7 strides to 6AB.  This was tricky because a fence blocked the view of the in and out until you got there.  Fence 7 was the liverpool to a going 6 strides to 8AB then I did the bending line to make 7 strides fit from fence 9 to 10.  We were clean!  We had to stay in for the jump off.  It was fence 1, gallop down to fence 5, inside turn to fence 9, hard gallop to make to 6 strides work to fence 10 (and a pop with the crop to get her there) and around to 3AB whoa 5 strides to fence 4.  Clean again!!  I was sitting in 2nd place until the last couple horses went.  We ended up 4th.  I couldn't have asked my mare to be any better. I thought she was perfect.  To nit pick, I could have been tighter on my turn to #5.  I am happy though.  A good start to the new NAL points year!  A lady came up to me later and asked about Poppy and gave her some awesome compliments.  That meant so much to me since I worked so hard to bring her along and do most of my riding on my own.  The only sad part about this day was that while my friend filmed my course my phone ran out of memory so no video :(.  I keep praying it suddenly appears but no such luck.  I am anxiously waiting to see photos from the horse show photographer.  

Remember I said Poppy was doing leadline?  Since there was only the one kid entered in lead line and it was getting so late after my class my consolation gift for not letting Poppy to be used for it was to give the kiddo my 4th place NAL ribbon.  I felt bad but my horse comes first.

Ok I know this is getting way wordy.  I will go over costs in another post.  This was definitely not a show where I could "do it on a budget" though.  Not one of the cheaper shows at all.