To be on the safe side, I choose to only to the groundpole division. I wanted our first really jumping show to be a good experience and I didn't want to push him too much. We had two classes, and two jump offs. All of our rounds went clear! Yay!
He was pretty funny to watch. He is definitely still learning where his feet go and how he should get over a fence. The show committee really took time and effort to set the groundpoles course. Instead of just laying out a pole on the ground, they took the time to make each jump a new challenge. Some jumps were set with two or three poles stacked on each other or in a pyramid, some were on crazy angles, some had planks instead of poles. some had flower boxes, some were set up as small crossrails (laying the poles on the legs of the standards) and one had a brick wall as wings on either side of the jump. I'm really glad they did that because it presented tons of new things to Jet.
We got there at a good time but due to my trying to remember my course, signing up, then getting ready, we only had a 10 minute warm up before our first course. We did alot of walking, then some trotting, and a short canter in each direction. He picked up the canter right away!! Yay!
Our first course was a disaster. I didn't trust him enough to go over the poles because he tried to bulge out on the second fence. So I was tense and stiff, and so was he. He took a few of them pretty hilariously though. He took the brick wall fence from 6 feet away and 3 feet high! I got left behind on that one for sure..Most of the time he just trotted over them but once we got faster he took it from farther away.
Our first jump off was out best course. We cantered most of it and I trusted him enough to the fences to give him a release and ride it like a real jumper course. We placed 4th out of 12 in our first class.
Out second course was interesting. This course we had to take the brick wall fence from the other side and he took it huge again. I wasn't expecting it and lost my stirrup. I could hear everyone gasping when it happened lol Between looking at my next fence and keeping him straight, I was laughing the entire time! I fortunately picked up my stirrup before the next fence and finished the course well.
Our last jump off, he was tired. He wouldn't pick up the canter so we trotted most of it. He picked it up after the first fence, but was on the wrong lead so I brought him down, and asked again, picked it up on the right lead, but he tripped and lost his confidence in the canter. I let his trot the rest of the course and because I did, we placed 6th out of 12 riders.
I decided to ride the courses as hunter courses, although they ended up being more like a jumper course. I wanted to keep it controlled and slow, get good spots and distances(the distances didn't work out too well some of the time lol), make sure if we cantered he was on the right lead, and help him the entire way. We ended up going faster than I planned but he was having a blast and enjoyed himself and as long as I was in control asking him to do it and he was being good, I allowed him to go a little fast. He never kicked out to the side and his ears were up over every fence! It was a great experience for both of us and I'm very glad I went.
Here are a few pics that I think are either good, hilarious, or explaining what I said above:
Bulging at the second fence, first course
Brick wall wings. I got so let behind!
Trotting to fence 6, first course
Fence 6, look at his ears when he goes over them!
Not knowing what to do with his feet, jumping with he front, trotting with the back
Cantering in our first jump off
Angled zebra plank fence
Our last fence for every course but the final jump off
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LOVE THIS PICTURE<3
Second course, losing my stirrup over the brick wall winged fence
Cantering out of fence 5
Fence 6
Pretty boy!
Curling over on him because I had the worst stomach ache :(
(:
Cantering in our last course, Jump off 2
All done!
-Em and Jet
