More the Merrier

“Focus on the journey, not the destination.  Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” 

                                                                                -          Greg Anderson

We had an incredible weekend.  Maybe when your expectations are low it makes every success even sweeter, or maybe I just am really, really pleased with the way things went.

The forecast was for an eighty percent chance of showers and thunderstorms all weekend long with a threat of severe weather on Sunday.  I packed a tower of socks, two raincoats, and enough spare pants to clothe an army.  Amazingly we made it through with only one rain delay and reasonably dry feet.  Even if it had stormed the whole weekend, I’m not sure it would have dampened my spirits.

 

Mr. Ryder did some serious growing up over the weekend.  I am so glad we did our dress rehearsal dressage show the weekend before.  From that experience I learned that I needed to pack multiple toys for time in the stall.  I also learned that schooling Friday night might be beneficial, so we tacked up and headed to the warm-up ring.  While the soup didn’t seem to faze Ryder much, I apparently need to put “crossing an extension cord” on my pre-event practice check list.  It took us a good five minutes to get across it.  I was beginning to have serious doubts about our foray into cross country the following day.

After our splish splash in the warm-up, I cleaned up Ryder and put him in his stall with lots of toys while I walked cross-country.  I consider Longview my home event.  I’ve been riding there since I was eight years old.  With eager anticipation I looked down over the hill to the start box, straining to spot our first little log.  It was nowhere to be seen.  With horror I realized they had replaced the friendly little starter log with the old Baby Novice fence.  Sure, it was still a log, but this one was up on a platform and easily six inches taller and wider than anything I’d asked Ryder to jump yet.  From that point forward my thought process was, “If we can get over that first log, we’ll be golden.”  I knew the atmosphere would probably get to him.  I expected lawn chairs, people, and red and white flags to cause much loss of focus.  I did not expect to have to jump his biggest jump yet, right out of the start box.  That’s one thing I love about eventing though, there is no time like the present to learn.

We had a really good warm-up for Dressage on Saturday.  He was relaxed, rhythmical and happy.  Unfortunately we lost a little bit of that when we went over to the main ring and in the heat of the moment, I didn’t ride him as well as he needed.  We put in a fairly lack luster test, but amazingly my sister still managed to get some very nice photos.  Thank you!

Like a big boy, Ryder strode down to the cross country warm-up and we made about one lap before he realized that this was terrifying, overly stimulating, and so very much not what he wanted to be doing.  At one point while I bucked, reared, and spun my way past, the ring steward asked my coach if I was okay.  Even while holding on for dear life I had to laugh at her response, “Oh yeah, she’s fine.  The horse might not be, but she’s fine.”  Sure enough, when I finally got enough steering to choose the direction and approximate speed we started jumping and he settled in pretty well.  We still had baby moments, but eventually we even stood still and watched others warm-up.

In trying to make cross country a fun, no pressure situation, I didn’t ride aggressively to the first jump and we did have a stop, but we came back to it and even with the distraction of a horse crossing the finish line in front of us, Mr. Ryder went right over on try two.  We had some green moments around the course.  Going through the ditch in the woods was a little scary.  We had a hesitation followed by a standing jump over the little drop jump, but for the most part Ryder marched right around his first cross country course like a champ.  I was just absolutely thrilled with him.

Sunday Ryder did his first real show jumping course.  We were all tacked up and ready when they had to send everyone back to the barn for the rain delay.  We stood sheltered under the barn eves for about an hour and a half.  Amazing the wiggly, easily bored Ryder eventually went to sleep.  Standing and waiting is a very important skill for a horse and I was so pleased that he stepped up to that tall challenge so well.  The warm-up was once again soup, kind of the consistency of cream of wheat.  Any horse that didn’t like water either got over it or had a very poor warm-up!  Ryder handled it all well.  Once again, we were presented with an oxer that was bigger than anything I’d practiced.  This time he made a valiant but not very smooth effort the first time and jumped it like a pro on the second try.  In the rind he needed a little coaxing over the first several jumps.  I rode with my stirrups longer than normal to help coax him around and had some very ugly position moments, but by the last four fences Ryder was really getting the hang of things.  I’m sure I left the ring with a face splitting grin.

Ribbon on boot so mouthy doesn't eat it.

 As proud as I am of how well Ryder managed all the challenges of the weekend, it was an extra special weekend because we had an amazing support crew.  Normally at an event my husband or one other friend comes along.  Sometimes my coach is there, but otherwise we are pretty well on our own.  This time, we had people!  My mom, dad and sister all showed up on Saturday to run video and take pictures of both our rides.  My mother and father-in-law both made the trip to cheer us on, as did Ryder’s owner.  I’m quite certain I heard a familiar rebel yell of a foxhunting friend as we made it over fence one plus we had a barn full of well-wishers.  With nasty weather and no certainty of even getting to ride, Ryder’s owner and another barn friend made the trip again on Sunday.  They even had t-shirts!  

It is so wonderful to celebrate a young horse’s successes, but it is so much more exciting when you can celebrate with friends and family.  So, a big heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out and to those of you who cheered from your phones and social media.  It may have just been a little starter course, but Ryder and I felt like we were at Rolex.  It was very cool and gave me a new appreciation and a new perspective on an old sport.

“I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy.  Let’s face it; friends make life a lot more fun.”  - Charles Swindoll

Hatching

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg.  We are like eggs at present.  And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg.  We must be hatched or go bad.”  - C.S. Lewis

We made it through our first show together.  We weren’t polished and perfect.  Some would argue we weren’t ready, but we went in the ring, did the movement in the right order and left the ring at the appointed time.  What is better is that each time we went in and came out, we performed a little better.

Ryder found all the great big fancy moving dressage horses quite a bit intimidating in the warm-up, but we worked through it managing some semblance of a trot by the time we headed over to the show ring.  Our first test was hurried and minced, but we didn’t have any explosions or arguments. 

Saturday afternoon Ryder was much more confident in the warm-up.  While not jaw-droppingly floaty, he was at least ridable.  The second test showed a note-able change in our rhythm.  It still wasn’t consistent, but at least the trot was actually a distinguishable two beats most of the time.  I did not have Ryder on-my-aids which became readily apparent in our trapezoidal halts (they are supposed to be square) and butt swinging down the rail.  While test two left plenty of room for improvement, I was still very happy with the progress we made since the morning.

I was hugely optimistic about Sunday’s test.  We had a pretty decent warm-up.  However when we went over to the show ring we lost our concentration.  By the end of the test, which included several whinnies, I was getting a little frustrated.  I have to remember that as a four year old, Ryder is still mentally immature.  He is going to have focus issues on occasion.  How we handle those issues is paramount.  Even with a lack of attention we still made baby steps forward.  We got both our canter leads and again our trot was a little more cadenced.  Progress was made.

When we first arrived at the show, someone commented that it was brave of us to do our first show together at a Recognized Show.  I laughed to myself, because I was using this Recognized Show as a dress rehearsal for the Event this coming weekend.  I understand that most people view shows as a chance to show their very best.  To justify going to a show you must have prepared perfectly for months.  I realized a long time ago that I am never going to be perfect and I will never be as prepared as I think I should be. 

Baby birds love to sit in the nest and flap their wings, but they always need momma bird to shove them out to test their wings.  For whatever reason, we never think we are ready.  That’s why I like having several shows on my calendar each year.  One, it takes the pressure off of “that one big show.”  Two, it creates deadlines.  The shows act like momma bird pushing us out of the comfort of home and letting us test or wings.  I don’t expect to soar the first time out.  It is okay to flutter fairly pathetically to the ground.  But next time we’ll be a little stronger.  Next time, we will flap a little harder and stay aloft a little longer.  And the time after that, we might even look like we are enjoying it a little bit.  Someday, if we keep trying, we will be confident and magnificent.  Someday our Perspective will change.  No longer will be looking out of the next and judging the decent to the ground.  We will be looking to the sky and preparing to dance with the wind.