Harmony in the Park show results

Alternate title: In which I grab 4-3 by the balls
Alternate title: Horses, man. They keep you guessing.

As you may recall, Hampton had been tight, behind the bit and just overall weird in the weeks leading up to this show.

Sunset grazing at the show

I came fully prepared to deal with Tight Hampton. I took him on extra walks, massaged his back, used the nicest snaffle and curb bits I could find for his bridle.

When we warmed up Saturday for our first test - the PSG - he felt just fine. Not tight at all. I kept giving him plenty of breaks in the warm up because it was hot, and I didn't want him to get all riled up and tight.

hahahaha.

Well, we got in the ring and I had a dead broke, behind the leg, diving in the bridle plow horse.

It was sort of impressive that we fumbled through most of the movements in the most downhill fashion possible. Half halts didn't work, bumping him with my leg only drove him more down. He just laid on those nice bits and drug me all around. We missed the 3s too. He just wasn't sharp.

BUT, I could tell the judge (a notoriously hard judge) WANTED to like us and give us scores but she just couldn't. We ended up with a 58 and some change which I thought was generous at the FEI level.

You know who is NOT downhill, Royale! Who also did well this weekend!

Whenever I have tests like that, I always get mad (mostly at myself) and it makes me ride better the next time.

An hour later we did 4-3 and you better bet I put his normal bits back in and came into warm up lighting his pants on fire a little bit.

The test still had some moments where he dived down, but overall it was much better - we got all our changes and FFS it's 4-3 which is INSANE as a test. Sadly I went off course once (I got the PSG and 4-3 canter work confused. Easy to do) We rode under the same judge and this time got a very respectable 64%+. Now I was much more encouraged. (You may recall the last time I rode this test I got a 52 and a 55 ....)

From Saturday's 4-3. 64%+

Sunday we just had 4-3 and I must thank the show organizers who were letting people go early (we rode an hour early) so that we could miss the incoming storms.

I warmed up Hampton much better, I made it known that I meant business and he was plenty fit and he better stay sharp and respect my half halts.

We went in the ring and he felt really great!!

The ONLY little issue we had is something out in the distance in the 4H barn caught his eye and he stopped dead in his tracks after one of the counter canter loops. I mean STOPPED DEAD from a canter. hahahaha! That earned us a 3, but I recovered quickly and went straight into the canter half pass zig zag. BOOM. It's so rare that Hampton does things like that at shows. I laughed it off, horses be horses man.

This one was under a different judge and she rewarded us with a personal best score of 65%+!! This is a personal best at 4th! I KNEW Hampton could be a 65% horse at these upper levels and now he is!! And we still left plenty of points on the table! This is encouraging as maybe we will get my 65% at PSG one day. His conformation is very difficult for both of us to overcome but it's not impossible.

Ahhh look at all those 7s! Got a 7 on his gaits both days too! 

We were also High Point AA at 4th level for Sunday. And we are qualified for Regionals at 4th!

And we missed the downpour by mere minutes! Whew!

Overall a good first show. It was a bummer we had that First-Test-oftheyear-Itis for the PSG but it happens. I didn't know which Hampton I was going to get that day and I played it too safe. But overall we have made a lot of progress over the winter. I raised quite a few 6s up to 7s.

And I apologize for the utter fail to get much media. I ended up showing at the same time as Liz and my coach most of the time so we couldn't get photos for each other in the ring.

Most adventures coming up!