Las Cruces 2014

Six months after our fabulous elimination in Stadium at Watermelon, seven months after our elimination due to similar circumstances at St Johns, Naners and I made the eight hour drive to Las Cruces to see if we could actually get around a stadium course. It was cold! And guess what? Memory foam in the cold is like a brick. So, while I was able to put enough blankets on to be warm in the gooseneck that night, sleeping on a brick kept me awake more than I would have liked to have been.

Friday's stadium schooling went well, Naners didn't even think of refusing. We were scary fast, and it wasn't pretty, but we got around. The temperature warmed up and it wasn't windy, so almost pleasant. Then I finally got to go somewhere I've wanted to for years: White Sands.

Yes, the sand is white. The sun was behind a cloud, and it's hard to photograph anyway. We swear one of these years we'll ride there, as you can.

Saturday morning: dressage. Intro B again. I love that test, but I'm so sick of it and it isn't changing. We got all 6's and 7's and a 36.3, which is about what we usually get on that test.

Stadium: We jumped all the things! Our first double clear stadium round. I was thrilled.

Between dressage and SJ the wind had picked up and it was blowing dust. So I broke out my SSG goggles. They looked a little odd, but not having dust in my eyes? Totally worth it.

I was second shooter for the photographer for XC, so sat out for Prelim and Training. Storm clouds came in and before Novice started the rain came down. I headed for the barns, being wet and cold before I needed to ride would not have helped my day. When I dressed for XC I had to put my jacket on, hiding my fabulous loud pink shirt. It was drizzling when I mounted, by the time I went out on course the clouds were gone and the sun was out.

XC was a much more difficult ride. The third jump, a tiny log, sits between two bigger jumps. She tried very hard to not jump that one. She has a thing about her tiny jump being near big jumps. I had to really ride, and fortunately she wasn't going so fast that putting my leg on felt like the last thing I should be doing.

We still had several less than attractive jumps

But we got around, double clear for XC too. So, for the first time ever Naners and I finished an event on our dressage score, placing third, which was dead in the middle. Go us!

Map of Las Cruces

In case I ever need to direct someone to it.

Watermelon... another letter finish

Getting OOTT (out of town trainer) to help me this weekend was probably the smartest decision I've made in a long while. One of the reasons I'd been hesitant is she can be extremely demanding and I just can't take that sometimes. Fortunately, turns out she is one of those people that can change her coaching technique depending on who she's coaching. So, for me it's a lot of, "take a breath, pat your horse, take a breath, slow down half a mile an hour, take a breath..." you get the picture. I was pleasantly surprised that she had me figured out and treated me just how I needed to be. As a result Naners and I were able to get straightened out before our stadium schooling round on Friday and it was an absolutely lovely round. We were slowish, I'd half halt ten strides out, again at fourish and then she was quiet enough I could let her do her job. OOTT has us figured out.

We had a nice dressage session Friday afternoon where we got us put back together and it translated into a lovely dressage test Sat afternoon. It was calm. No rockets. Not our best test at a 38.2, which put us in 2nd, but I was very pleased.

By the time stadium came around it was Hot out. 85. It snowed at our house just a week ago. Fortunately, jackets were waived. Not a ton of warming up, because we didn't need to. She jumped everything in warm-up like she had the day before. We get into the arena and she jumped big over fence #1, fence #2 went nice, fence #3... stop. It was a scary bumblebee lattice. Stop. Stop. We're out. They let us try it again, no go, so we trotted an x-rail on our way out. Then of course I cried a bit. OOTT asked me what I did wrong and I knew I was totally looking down. She reminded me it wasn't the end of the world and I went to ask about going out on XC and they said yes, though the TD was a bit concerned, but I'm not. Arenas aren't something we're in a lot. An XC course is just a fast trail ride and we've schooled most of the jumps, even if they have moved them around. If it does not go well OOTT is going to school us before we head back home.

Pro Shots from Las Cruces

Alas, the photographer's camera was malfunctioning when we jumped the biggest Pre-Comp jump, so  we have only the smallest.

November

Snow is on the ground and Banana's shoes have been pulled. And it looks like I'm going to have to buy her boots for winter jaunts down the road, if yesterday was any indication. Yes, it was below freezing and snowing but my neighbor and I rode down the road. It was actually really nice.

I know it has been awhile. Las Cruces and then I had one of those "50% of your grade" things to do.

So how was Las Cruces? Decent. My best eventing dressage score to date 34.5.

6's, 7's and an 8! Go us! However, our awesome score only had us in 6th. I wish it had been one of the BN tests instead of Intro.
 
We had a refusal in stadium (my fault, forgot to ride her) and then inevitable time faults. Which, if I'd been thinking at the time, I could have made up. We dropped to 7th.

XC was fine: no refusals, within time. Alas, no one else had refusals or time either. She definitely has an issue when her little jump is between, or next to, big jumps. She was pretty wiggly into a bunch of them too. She needs more milage.

We finished in 7th, which if I can't win, getting a pretty purple ribbon was awesome! I only have one other one, back from when I was a kid.

The driving was brutal. I went out on XC at 1:06. I pulled into my gate at 11:06 after the 8 hour drive. Thank goodness the Starbucks in Bernallio is open at 7:15. Southern New Mexico is actually quite pretty. And they grow cotton down there.

So, goals for next year? None. I think I'm going to stop trying to be "An eventer" and go back into my "let's have fun doing everything!" mode. So, we're going to try competitive trail and maybe go to some real dressage shows. If I can get the three saddles I want to get rid of sold I will be buying a side saddle. The nice thing about Naners is that she's really game for anything so I want to take advantage of this. I'm never going to be really good at any one thing, it's not my style, I like to be competent at many things. Naners is a fine mount to be doing this with.

Oliver the mini continues to amuse me and Aruba is gaining weight. Things are pretty happy here at Pam's Pony Place.

Banana's First Event

Late Thursday morning my partner-in-crime and I loaded the horses, picked up her daughter at school and headed out to Flagstaff. We had our usual, "Thank freaking goodness we don't live on the Navajo Res" conversations and sang along to ABBA.

Yeah, sorta not the most pleasant place to call home.

Her daughter was in the back of the truck wishing she didn't know us. We got to Flagstaff in the correct number of hours (6) and were unloaded and set up before the sun set. Banana happily munched on the hay in her stall and wasn't pacing.

Friday morning we did a stadium schooling round. Banana did a lot of "What the heck?!" as we went around the course. Colored jumps! Oxers! I had to really ride. One we did end up circling, but otherwise all was well. After that we schooled XC. Thank goodness they have that option for pre-comp. It just sets a greenie up for a better chance of success.

We went to the water jump and she put one foot in and drank. And drank. And drank. I'm pretty sure she lowered the water level by a couple of inches. We did eventually get in. Then left, then went back in. Good first experience. Afterwards it was bath time and some quality stall hanging time.

Saturday we didn't have Dressage until 2:59. So, I braided! It only took me half an hour to get the first braid done as I had to ponder what style we were doing. She was tolerant and my speed increased after the first.

Ah, sewn in button braids how I love you.

So, dressage. We got to warmup and she some "What the heck?!" moments. She was listening to my aids, so I wasn't worried, but it's always nicer when she'll stand still on the buckle. The ring steward gave her some scritches and she relaxed and stood still.

I was quite pleased with our ride. It wasn't perfect of course, and we still have a lot to work on. We got a 7 on one of our trot circles. But, when I finish and have tears in my eyes because I love riding my horse so much there's just nothing awesomer.

We look like a real dressage pair in this pic

We got a 44.5 which put us in 2nd place! Unheard of for me and I was giddy. The Pre-Comp scores were really close. 1st had a 42, 6th had a 49. We all had a chance of winning.

Naners enjoys her post-dressage snack

Sunday morning: chilly as a cold front was moving into Flagstaff. Jump judge meeting at 7 am. But...

Best Volunteer Raffle Prize Ever! I won a free entry for next year. And, I got to sit in a meadow and watch people jump.

After jump judging prelim and training back to the barn I went and soon Stadium and XC.

Things were going well, then fence 6... no ground line, scary filler that had just been pushed to the sides of the jump. We pulled a rail. Then she jumped the next one really big

Then off to XC! Where we got around everything and within time. However...

You wouldn't think that jump would cause her to stop dead 20 feet out, but it did. She wanted nothing to do with it. I had to use my crop! She never stepped back though, so no refusal. I think her attention was on the other jump, not our little stick.

When the scores were posted we were in 2nd! Alas, they'd forgotten to put my rail in. So, I informed them of the mis-scoring and got pushed down to 3rd. Oh well. They were nice enough to give me a 2nd place saddle pad for good sportsmanship though. I really didn't want the 3rd place rope halter because I have zero use for one.

And that is the tale of Banana's first event. Where she got a banana yellow ribbon.

Eh

St Johns was okay. Bean and I were 4th of 6. So, not last. It wasn't the most enjoyable weekend for me, though I felt better when I figured out why. Bean is just not fun to event. So, I've decided I'm done competing her, though I may still do some local shows.

My event write up on Eventing Nation

I think I'm going to have to start wearing a hair net on XC. I hate my scragglies.

XC Fun!

Bean is being ridiculous. This morning we walked over to stadium schooling with Lover Boy and his people and she piaffed the entire way. The Taskmaster told me I was under no circumstances to not allow her to piaffe if she wanted to, because she needed to express herself and that was it. Okay, except leading around a 16.2 piaffing horse? Hard on my thoracic outlet syndrome arms. My right arm was regularly high enough that it's starting to not work. This is not good.

Then I lunged her... crazy horse. Bucking, airs above the ground, running at full speed. I was starting to think the Taskmaster was nuts sending me out with her! Then I got on, and she was her normal, quiet, obedient self.

The people manning the XC schooling looked at me like I was nuts when I told them it was her first time out. First jump: stop. I wasn't shocked, she had No Idea what was going on. She jumped it from a standstill, whacking me in the mouth with her neck. Mental note: remember to wear the mouth guard. Second and third jumps she paused, but went over. By four she got it and on we went.

Not my best equitation

We got to school the water. I let her stop at the edge and put her nose down to it. She realized it was water, took a drink, and walked right in.

The next time we went in though she jumped into it with all four feet. It was hysterical.

Totally good over the rest of the fences and they let me go back and re-school the first three, which she did awesomely. So glad we did that.

Report Time

My report from Santa Fe on Eventing Nation

What we're thinking of for the coming year

My friends and I have the following tentative plan:

April 14-15 St. Johns H.T. (AZ)
May 19-20 Spring Gulch H.T.(CO)
June 1-3 Colorado Horse Park CCI2*/1* & H.T. (CO)
June 11-16 Pony Club Camp at St Johns (AZ)
July 14-15 Coconino Summer H.T I (AZ)
July 20-22 Coconino Summer Classic 3-Day Event & H.T (AZ)
August 4-5 Rocky Mountain H.T.(CO)
September 6-9 American Eventing Championships

Others options are:
February 18-19 Las Cruces H.T. (NM)
May 5-6 Watermelon Mountain Pony Club HT (NM)
June 1-3 Colorado Horse Park CCI2*/1* & H.T. (CO)
June 16 Round Top H.T (CO)
June 15-17 Golden Spike H.T (UT)
June 22-24 Abbe Ranch H.T (CO)
July 21-22 Aspen Ridge H.T. (CO)
July 28 Moqui Meadows (CO)
Aug 12 Colorado Horse Park One day (CO)
August 18-19 The Event at Goose Downs (NM)
August 31-Sept.2 Northern Colorado H.T. (CO)
September 28-30 Colorado Horse Park CCI1* & H.T (CO)
October 13-14 Grass Ridge H.T (AZ)
November 17-18 Las Cruces H.T. (NM)

We may also do some dressage shows in ABQ
March 10-11 Dances with Horses 1&2
May 26-27 Horses Unlimited Dressage Challenge
July 7-8 Horses Unlimited Fiesta de Dressage
October 20-21 Harvest Fling