We're home - and the last day of the show certainly provided its share of comedy and adventure. We had the Hunter Stake in the morning - a chance for The Mighty to earn a little $$. We had a beautiful round going, certainly enough to place highly. Only 2 fences to go. Then we came to the 2-stride going towards home on the far side. About the time I could feel him thinking about saying 'no' I said 'yes' most emphatically (and I must confess...too early) and we left out the last stride jumping in...and since I was (again...confession time...getting ahead of him..tsk tsk Michelle) already leaning out, when he jumped in I got popped out of the saddle, and lost both stirrups. So I'm sort of clinging to his neck and he's wondering what the hell I want him to do, so I tell him to go ahead and jump out of the big oxer dammit. He did, in 3, which was okay since I didn't make it back into the saddle all the way until after that 2nd fence, and I never did get my stirrups back. Needless to say - class blown.
But we still have the $1.5k Dexter Hunter Classic- we can redeem ourselves! These are the fun classes, and for this particular event, they took out the fences dividing Hunter Ring 1 and Hunter Ring 2, with the course itself sending you between the 2 rings. We also got to bust out our formal tail coat (shadbelly) and cravat. Off we go - easy peasy. Right up to fence 4, which was completely non-threatening (to me) but you jump that looking across this suddenly open space across to the other ring, gallop slightly downhill, then slightly uphill and jump the large(ish) oxer in the other ring. We won't mention names but someone (rhymes with Might He?) decided to try ducking left around the jump and just miss it entirely. So again with the circle back and big cluck and squeeze over it and by now his eyes are bugging out as I ask him to gallop over to the next ring and jump this other big(ish) oxer then around to the right, up the diagonal line, down the judge's line, up over the wagon wheel then BACK to the other ring and finish over another big(ish) oxer.
Our score was a pitiful 30 + 3 style points, so it was all over for us. I took him on a trail ride to get both our heads screwed on right, and meandered back to the barn. I took his tack off and was just getting ready to change clothes and pull braids when Teri came running up and yelled 'put your tack back on you're riding the 2nd round!' I guess a bunch of riders DNC or had off-course, so we headed back to the ring and did the 2nd round, which again criss-crossed rings, and included a dreaded trot fence. All of which we managed. We even got 6 style points :-) We ended up 7th (and he earned $105!) and got to participate in the victory gallop which we both dearly love - he can gallop with the best of them! Then we really were officially done.
So - moments of brilliance, and moments of wtf. S'okay - it's all fun - even the hairier moments make for good stories later. We were originally scheduled to do the first week of the August series, and have now elected to add in the second week. It will be good for him, and me (but not my bank account). But oh well, this is what I do and it's so totally worth it to me. I really do have a special horse- and even when he's being a dork I love him more than anything. Sooo.......on to August!! Donations being accepted hahaha! Items will be sold, extra odd jobs sought!
Soundtrack for Sunday:
Uprising - Muse
Stronger - Britney Spears
Basket Case- Green Day
and of course -
With apologies to Katy Perry (Last Friday Night):
There's a stranger on the course, it's not just another horse
Mighty's looking all around, I think a single rail was downed
I smell trouble in the line, he thinks all the fault was mine
Our goose was cooked in the 2, I'm gonna have a giant bruise.
Pictures of this round ended up online - we're screwed...oh well
It's a blacked out blur, but I'm pretty sure it ruled...Damn
Last week in Canada
Yeah we jumped across the tops and we took too many shots
think he refused but I forgot
Last week in Canada
Yeah I maxed my credit cards, but won a round and was a star
then he refused a trot fence, yeah it really made no sense
backed him up and made it work, he's always seein' things that lurk
Last week in Canada
Always say I'm gonna stop - come August show my wallet'll pop, and we'll do it all again
Trying to connect the dots, don't know what to tell my boss
Think I'll be gone again, horse is much more fun than men
JLord ripped her favorite pants, horse show's no place for can't
think I need a vodka shot, and a tackroom with a cot
Pictures of the show made it up online, we're screwed - oh well
It was such a blur but I'm pretty sure it ruled - damn
Last week in Canada !
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