Let the bodies hit the floor

not a dressage show

Finally I have some decent blog content!

Drama - check!
Hilarity - check!
Carnage - check!

On Sunday I took Hampton to Flying Cross Farm and did a little mini-trial to close out our year with something fun and playful.

Sidenote: Our last time seeing any kind of XC fence was five years ago. In fact the zipper on my vest was so corroded I had to have help to unstick the damn thing.

Hampton was quite fresh and frisky and also decided to be buddy sour with his trailer buddy. The trailer ride is about 5 minutes long, by the way. He's a quick bonder. So there was so obnoxious screaming, leaping, threats to buck and sucking back. But whatevs. I was able to just work through that crap and had a really lovely dressage test. We did BN test A. The judge agreed and gave us a 21.4 which I think is something like a 79%

Eventing judges I love you.

We went back to the trailer and change tack and I had Hampton looking like a proper fox hunter haha!

I ended up buying this saddle off Facebook, and went out and got a breast collar, new stirrups and some leathers to go with. He was looking pretty legit haha!

Looking like a proper fox hunter or something!

Next up was show jumping and I had a good friend from college coach me through warm up and she really made all the difference. Hampton was jumping great - really round and up under me. He felt sharp and in front of the leg. But without running on the forehand and careening everywhere.

Our show jumping round was clear and smooth. He was taking me to jumps and seemed to be enjoying it.

At this point I'm like "hey! this isn't so scary. Maybe I can do this!"

ha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

So, I decided to go XC before our trailer/show buddy. So that meant having to canter Hampton away from his BEST FRIEND IN THE FUCKING WORLD. I'm thinking, ok horse you are 12 and a show veteran. This shouldn't be an issue anymore. It was obnoxious.

Jump 1 was fine, but I felt him start to waiver and wobble and suck back before fence 2. I put my leg on and thought he would jump it but he stopped and dropped his right shoulder like some sort of cutting horse and I went flying off the side.  I probably leaned at the fence, too, because I was thinking he would go. He didn't. Wonder if I'll stop leaning at fences now. The fence was literally less than 2 feet high. He could have walked over it. I felt like it was a bit of a dirty move, but I know we are both rusty as we have not done this in 5 years. But still. c'mon HAMPTON.

Flying off a 17 hand horse is a good time, let me tell ya. hahaha. Also, it's the first time EVER I have fallen off Hampton! He was like OH SHIT and took off (back toward his buddy of course)

Thank you to my friends who caught him! My coach for the day said he why don't you just get back on and keep going? Since this was a very VERY laid back little mini trial, and there was no one around waiting to go .... that's what I did. I told myself ok, just get over that fence number 2 and then call it a day.

So I got on, and gave him hell. No problems with fence 2 this time .... And so I kept on going. And ended up riding the rest of the course and all the way to the finish flags! No other issues - in fact he really starting taking me to the jumps.

Fall colors were so pretty on the farm!

I am ok - I did bonk the back of my head and had a little headache, and as I am typing this my right shoulder is starting to hurt. But I am glad I had my TraumaVoid helmet on, and that the ground was a little soft for my landing. I got right back up and did my walk of shame to get my loose horse. I felt like a real eventer.

So that is the story of how I fell off at fence 2 at the STARTER level at a horse trial.

Please do not feel guilty for laughing. I am laughing. And was laughing after I fell (in between foul language). it is hilarious and everyone is ok and that is eventing, right? haha! I got back on and rode better and had a great round, so that is what counts. I am happy that I did that and finished on a high note.

the only disappointment is that there is no video. womp womp

Back to the sandbox!