First Show of 2013!

Saturday was our first show of the season at Hoosier Horse Park in Edinburgh and it was the first for many things for Riva and myself.

    *  First time showing Training Level Test 2 & Test 3

    *  To ride two tests at Edinburgh in the same day

    *  For Riva to not act snarky toward other horses in warm-up (no pinned ears, snapping, etc)

    *  For me to be relaxed and focused only on Riva and myself in warm-up

*  To be able to walk Riva on a loose rein and chat with another competitor during warm-up     (thanks to Sarah of mybrainonhorses!)

 



     *  To smile almost all the way thru 2 entire tests & enjoy myself

 



 

My awesome, super supportive husband arrived home from a week in KY for work on Friday afternoon only to turn around and haul us to Edinburgh on Friday evening.  Despite cold temps and drizzling rain/snow, we tacked up and headed to school right after we arrived.

Riva is very familiar with HHP and although very up and alert, we had a good schooling session that evening, with just 2 other riders in the ring.  We kept it short and focused, then put her in her home away from home for the night.  Riva immediately made friends with all her neighbors - esp the super cute gelding stalled to her right, so that husband & I could head to our favorite Mexican place for margaritas and fajitas :)

 

My rides times for Saturday were 1:03 and 1:59 so for once we did not have to rush out of the hotel at dawn to prepare!  We still arrived about 7:45 am to feed Riva and watch other competitors.  So happy I got to watch a few rides and chat with some fellow bloggers!

Amy of slowandsteadysmilerwinstherace was there as trainer/show mom for her lovely young daughter who was showing her adorable Halflinger in their first combined test - we got to watch her jump round and talk with Amy.  Also watched Sarah of mybrainonhorses compete her project horse for the first time and watched their jump round.  I didn't get to watch her dressage tests on her other horse as her test times were right after mine.  We also ran into the barn owner where we first boarded our OTTB when we adopted him and where Alexis worked her first job - manly Western barn (Alexis worked several summers as a camp counselor and taught beginner lessons for two years). 

TL Test 2 was up first with 11 in our class - I felt very good about our warm-up and headed into the ring with a smile.  Riva was the most forward I have ever felt at a show but focused (maybe 6 is the magic grown-up age!).  I was worried that she would break to canter for the trots across the diagonal, but she did not.  The only problem we had was when I asked for the right lead canter transition, she shook her head hard and kicked out, bucked into the canter, and veered toward the center of the ring while breaking to trot.  I got her back on the circle and back into canter - so we lost points in the transition and the circle.  But I kept smiling and did not let it rattle the remainder of my test (that was a first also!) 

TL Test 3 went much the same, without the 'yeehaw moment'.  While obedient and forward, she just was not quite as up for this test.  I was late asking Riva to transition to trot from the canter diagonal - but other than that, all went well.

Results:  TL Test 2 - 62.8 %  and a 4th place
                TL Test 3 - 62.4% and a 5th place

Thank you to my wonderful husband for being my fill in trainer, photographer, groom, and best friend all weekend.  I could not and would not want to show without him there!  And another thank you to my thoughtful youngest daughter who surprised me by showing up just before my first test on Saturday - she had to work in the afternoon, but managed to run down and warm me up and read my tests for me.  I started crying when she showed up out of the blue on Saturday!