My last show of the season, Medal finals weekend, was the weekend before last. The September 15th deadline has kept me busy since then however!
The best part of the weekend might be this cute jumping photo of me and Ernie. I mean who can resist that guy, particularly with a tail like that? <3
I felt like I rode okay over the weekend, but could have done better. I think I needed to loosen up my elbows a bit in my rounds. Ernie was good, but very distracted with allergies and flipping his nose around at times because he didn’t have his nose net on. I will have to figure out something to make him more comfortable without a net next year. He had been fine all of our other shows but clearly whatever allergens bug him most have been rampant recently. He was still flipping his nose a bit with the nose net on this past weekend.
Of course competing in the medal final classes themselves was the highlight of the weekend, as well as the most stressful part. I had my limit adult medal first. Other than one crappy fence I had a pretty good round, scored a 78, and got called back in 4th for the test. Of course that meant I had to test first. Wow that is stressful!
So they are announcing the test and for those that don’t know the instructions are all given using jump order numbers from the first round. So you need to memorize the first round (jumps themselves are not numbered) and then mentally apply jump numbers to figure out your test. So I had to canter out of line against the rail (you stand in line in the ring so trainers can’t help) directly to the fence I biffed in the first round (I totally did it again!) then trot the next fence, canter two other fences, halt, then sitting trot back to line. My test was good besides the first fence and Ernie being very strong and tense about sitting trot back to line. I got a scare when the second person to test didn’t halt after the 4th fence, but turns out she was incorrect instead. In the end I moved up to 3rd.
After that I was pretty flustered for time and fairly soon after had to go do two over fences and two flat trips in the other ring then take Ernie back so I could go out and walk my next medal course. I had a hard time letting go of the old course I’d memorized before, but eventually got there. My low adult medal round was not as good as my limit round had been. Ernie was more tired and softer and I didn’t back him up well enough with my leg. We got a score of 68 to end up 7th. My other classes were a smattering of 4th through 6th place over the weekend, besides two hunter rounds I didn’t place in at all. I swear the “older” adult hunters is the most competitive division in our association, lol.
It is kind of weird being done with show season already, feels like we just got started with the way COVID-19 canceled several shows along the way. It sounds like we will have an awards banquet this year after all but it will be drive through style and set up by barn. I will have to think if I want to do that or not to get my swag for the year end standings.
I’ll have to sum up my show season feelings in a later post, maybe when I get my year end stuff. I’m happy to have had such a good partner for this short show year though!
On to improvement season!
Congrats for getting out there. It sure is surreal showing in this times I tell you. That is a great photo of you and Ernie and his pegasus tail! Fly Ernie Fly!! HA. I am so glad you go to show and it sounds like you did excellent esp considering how much time we sat around and didnt ride forever 🙂 HA!
Ernie is worth his weight in gold. So glad you got him!!
Thanks! I’m quite lucky to board at a barn that hosts quite a few of our association shows which makes it so much easier to do it, particularly this year.
Ernie is great, I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do together and having so much fun in the meantime!
Congratulations. I think I would have blanked on the medal round so good for you!
After they read the test the second time and I still didn’t have it all figured out I was freaking out a bit. I actually had to yell and ask for it to be read one more time and was worried I still wouldn’t get it!
Congratulations! Sounds like a busy day! I’m so happy you found Ernie and had a successful (albeit short) first season together!
I definitely wish my classes didn’t end up all clustered together on medal day, made it much more stressful! I’m so glad I gave Ernie a chance after thinking he was too small for me, he’s so much fun.