Your turn: how was your event this weekend?

Valinor Farm hosted a wonderful BN, N, T and PT trials this past weekend. The weather held off on Saturday (I don't know how it was on Sunday). The stadium was challenging. The sandy soil (Valinor is in Plymouth MA- of pilgram fame) provides for a wonderful crosscountry run across some very nice obstacles including a great watercomplex. Sorry- I have no picutres to submit-I'm lucky I remembered to pack my saddle, nevermind a camera.

Valinor rocked, as Anon said. What a great event. Dougie also rocked but Em doesn't want me talking about it...;) Great weekend, THANKS to the Risso family at Valinor. We'll be back. Next time, I'll be 100% sound and riding.

Spring Run went well too. Managed to escape the rain (most of it), but it was HOT. Ugh that sticky, muggy air that everybody just baked under. Other than that, it was a wonderful event, as always. The horses ran smoothly & the footing was great.

Spent Saturday's ride convincing my super brave horse that the bucket in the corner of the ring would not eat him... nor would the thistles that were in the bucket. I think I made my point as Sunday's ride was much less... "active".

But we trotted a wee tiny crossrail with no hesitation! The next time around, even though I wanted to go to the outside of the jump, super brave horse took me right to the crossrail and stepped right over it. :) We'll make an eventer of him yet, thistles be dammed!

Just a shout out to acknowledge Ringwould Jaguar - an Australia Stock Horse! There are a scant few representatives of this breed in the US, and they are smart, atheletic and vey versatile!

I went to Seneca on Saturday and did training. It was stinking hot, and my dressage wasn't until 2:30. Had a very good test for him, but only got a 36.4. Oh well, my trainer and I knew it was probably his personal best as far as relaxation.

Had one rail in stadium that was my fault. There was an option for a liverpool, and we've never done one in competition before, and he just sailed over it. Of course, I rode a bit backwards to it because I thought he might look, but he just never does.

There were quite a few scary rides in training at least, and lots of rails.

The cross country was nice and open and gallopy, but for some reason, I didn't let him gallop enough! We had some time faults (and so did almost everyone else, but he jumped everything well, even though I was not riding very well. We actually stayed in fourth place the whole time, even with a rail and time faults. It was only his 5th training ever, so the fact that he's jumping the jumps is the most important thing. Now we can start fine tuning things.

was at the horse park on Saturday over seeing things. Got to take some photos of mini ponies and a mini donkey all hitched up practicing the water jump.
Omg so cute and fun.
My daughter and I got to go for a ride. I even got to drive for a bit.
might be hooked!!! too much fun.

Queeny Park Horse Trials had a great show too, despite it being 98 and full humidity most of the weekend. I had my personal best dressage score, and only added time faults on XC (98 degrees!!!) to that score. This was my first event moving back up to Training after a bad ankle injury towards the end of last summer, so I'm REALLY happy with that.

I was at seneca on Sunday riding BN
it went pretty well I got a 43.5 in Dressgae..pretty good for my pony and me (I?) and stadium was great but I dropped 2 rails...one was my fault and the other was him being lazy needless to say I'm not too worried about them as we usually Never (knock onn wood) drop them. and then XC was amazing! Aside from the fact that dorito felt the need to be a nascar driver which made me have to trot (ever so slowly) the last part of my course...let me tell you- one- you can hear everything the announcer says (like your friend having a stop at the ditch) and it take A LOT of urge not to canter (gallop) off!!!!

we ended up 9th (would've been 6th w/o rails) but I am EXTREMLY happy with my go and ready to move up to novice (knowck on wood yet again)

and just a shout out to my old barn (the one I originally learned how to ride at) Hopkins Spring Farm in Woodbine,MD....
their barn burned down last night...only one horse was in
and from what i know EVERYTHING burned down...even the indoor ring....so I would like to wish them all the best

I didn't event anywhere this weekend! (horse and me have been 'off' just coming back=)
I live vicariously through you ALL!
Anyway
did you notice in the Australia-r (they add R to the end of lost of things that end in A esp their own country, like Arena-r, you can here one of the interviewed guys say it in dressage) Video at 7:37 when the horse jumps into the coffin, the top log rolls right off!!!! It's SO COOL! The rider (pardon me for not checking names....looking at the horses more than the people I suppose...) is explaining how his young horse was a bit spooked by it. Nasty fall avoided!! I LOVE IT. Just thought I would share!