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| Was chilly, but not Cold AF like KY was. |
I think this was our third December trip to Aiken and we made the best of five days of course. Hampton hauled great and after a settling hack on Monday after our arrival, we hauled about 15 min away on Tuesday to an equestrian neighborhood where we had a lesson with Alex Gerding in the neighborhood community ring.
Can I have a neighborhood dressage arena please?
Anyhoo, we lessoned with Alex and then on Thursday with KE who was also new to me and I REALLY enjoyed her lesson of really digging into the basics.
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| Lesson time |
We hit up the Stable View schooling show on Wednesday where I ran through my new 4th level freestyle basically for the first time in an arena. *cringe* I couldn't hear the music but even so it went really well and scored a 69%.
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| Tack cleaning haha |
Friday we spent time just floating around Jumping Branch where we did some poles, a little bounce, some "galloping" and played in the water complex. I love Aiken because I can let Hampton really open up out in the fields as the footing is such nice sand instead of muddy ruts and holes like Kentucky fields.
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| Bad video grab of Hamp jumping out of water haha. |
Saturday we did the recognized Stable View show and Hampton was FRESH and TIGHT. He hasn't been like that in years. I was a little unprepared but the freestyle went fine and scored a 67%. When I went to do 4-1, he had gotten even tighter and basically drug me around. I could barely touch his sides. In fact he kicked down a board during a flying change.
Usually Hampton is naughty maybe once a year and I think that was the day. hahaha.
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| Stable View: Photo by Meghan Benge Not pictured: Me absolutely fighting for my life lol |
We of course hit up the good food spots and shopping. Hitchcock Woods is still closed from hurricane damage so that was a bummer.
It is really a pleasure to show Hampton at 4th level which is not easy but it does not put pressure on him anymore. He feels happy and possibly a little too fit. I just have one more 4th level freestyle score to get for my silver freestyle bar.
For now, we keep working. The hardest part is staying motivated.
