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.

Las Cruces Write Up

I just realized I never posted my Las Cruces write up on Eventing Nation

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.