The two ponies were superstars at their first ever sanctioned event- both finished on dressage! We got in around 10 on Friday night, got the horses all settled in very nice permament event stabling, and then Mom, Zion, and I headed to the hotel. Saturady morning was a bit brisk, but clear and we had lots of time to kill as the first ride wasn't until 1. We walked and grazed all the horses and then took some time to watch the Intermediate XC. I have to admit I was a bit envious- Beacon would have eaten up this course, instead he was just as happy gobbling up his hay back at stabling.
The weather took a turn for the worse and the sky went black- then the wind picked up and the clouds tore open with hail! Yes- HAIL! I was so thankful for being in a permanent structure (Beacon can't stand the tents when the wind blows) and for having my ride times later.
The torential hail, then rain, then hail again had finally calmed down a bit for Poco's dressage, but the wind was still whipping! A trash can actually came tumbling into the arena right as we were about to turn down the centerline! She bravely held it together and while tense, some pieces were quite good, scoring a 38.5. She was also quite good in show jumping- not batting an eye at anything and was fairly consistent in her rhythm- quite workmanlike. But it was XC where she really came into her element. She was super brave and honest and just a delight to ride! She's going to be a XC machine! She finished on her dressage with double clear jump rounds earning a very respectable 8th place in her first ever sanctioned outing! Good job Poco!!!
Kai was a bit amped up with all the wind so I was initially glad that his test was in the indoor as he calmed down a bit until we rounded a corner and he saw "OMG mirrors!!!!!" We had some very spooky moments (whoops) and then he settled down and finished his test nicely. Too bad about the spookiness because it could have been a very nice test, but he still earned a 38.5 (same as Poco!). It's nice to know that even on his worst days he can still score in the 30s. His show jumping was good, but perhaps a little quick at points- we are still working on that nice soft consistent rhythm and while it is there more often than not, he's not quite at the point where he can maintain it while surrounded by wind! He was also excellent XC, but he got a bit too excited about cantering thru open feilds- it's very exciting! He came back for the jumps, but we might experiment with some different bitting options so there is less "discussion" about coming back to a propper balance. Besides being a bit overzealous, he had a great day, also finishing on his dressage. He was tied for 8th all the way till the end, but the other rider must have had better collective marks because he finished in 9th, just out of the ribbons. But what a great first outing!!
Beacon and the grey mare (name?) hung out in their stalls. Beacon was sound off the trailer which is super and has enjoyed his corner stall with a big window out the back where he hangs his head out to watch all the excitement. The grey I'm going to hop on now and see how she behaves herself on the show grounds. We are shooting to be on the road again in an hour or so.
