Wins, speeding tickets and dirt for lunch

 Pat the horse, slap the blogger?

I am finally finding time to sit down and write. Buckle up.

A summary since AUGUST. Time slipped away.

I had the very cool opportunity to ride with probably the most well known American eventer currently. The clinic was fun, I learned a lot and I also ATE SHIT in front of this said Olympian after Hampton decided the ditch was not safe to cross. We have a cameo in a couple of his social media videos. 

Even though I hit the dirt, the rest of the clinic was great and we did our first bank out of water and bank into water - plus everything else went smooth. Not sure what troll was in that ditch but Hampton said hard pass.

***

This might be my favorite photo of the year. This is an up bank that Hampton misread and pretty much tripped up it. But he saved us and off we went to the next!

Shortly after, we competed in a jumper derby and another run at Beginner Novice at our home base Flying Cross Farm. Hampton was ON IT in all phases, landing us in first! Major props to Hampton because I was sick as a dog during the event and really didn't have much in the tank. He took us around like a superstar.

Here's a deluge of photos:

Landed in first after dressage

No issues at the ditch. Full send.

and out of the half coffin

Show jumping

I mean look at him.

Water crossing

Clear!

LOOT

***

Then -

We worked cows! Hampton becomes drunk on power and LOVES bossing the cows.

This heifer squared up. lol

***

Ope! Then we did a one-day dressage show and just casually pull out a 65%+ at I-1. 

***

Then BACK to eventing land where we completed our first Hagyard Team Challenge at the KY horse park. I had AMAZING teammates, we won best costume and finished 10th out of more than 20 BN teams. Pretty solid. 

I had to.

Individually, Hampton finished 6th in his division. He won the dressage on a 23 but ... are you ready for this ... I got speeding tickets on XC for going too fast! Low key I am proud of that because I have had trouble trusting Hampton at more than a brisk canter. Not because he is naughty, but because he sometimes trips and doesn't feel the most sure footed sometimes. But I let him use the boosters out on XC and we both had a great time.

Yes the pig nose stayed on!

Show jumping in the iconic Rolex arena was a core memory. Hamp felt a little reluctant and I thought maybe the big arena exposed our inexperience. We had a rail, but Hampton was as honest as can be and left the rest up. He just didn't feel as hungry as he has been feeling. I blamed it on shitty riding and letting him fall behind the leg.

Warm up over this max fence

The walk down the ramp!

You can tell when he is behind my leg because I start to desperately jump up his neck.

Last jump!

Turns out he was brewing a big old abscess in his left hind, which I am now nursing. Hoping this thing will pop and we can return to work. 

That is the cliff notes since August. 

What a season. Damn, Hampton you are a legend. No notes.

Hits Different

 After our BN run at IEA I started getting a little addicted to the high that eventers chase.

So after mild peer pressure this time, I entered Revel Run (up in Michigan). I thought the weather may be nicer to us and the location looked lovely. Before that event though I went to a little local mini trial that had a ditch and bank. I wanted to be sure we could tackle those without schooling them first.

No need for me to worry, Hampton said yes maam to both.

Me: We are jumping this ditch
Hamp: ON IT!!!

We also squeezed in lessons with Stephen Hayes who is a lovely and kind teacher. Hampton picked right back up and worked hard on balance, half steps, changes and cadence. 

***

Revel Run is a LOVELY location. Remember how we used to all dream about galloping on golf courses? Welp, Revel Run is a former golf course and maintains the lovely landscape and scenery. There's a big old club house with a full bar on site too. Too bad perimenopause keeps me from drinking like the old days, but it's the thought that counts.

Clubhouse

We stabled at a nearby farm that is about a 10 minute hack to the Revel Run property. Then another 10 minutes to dressage warm up. There was a spooky bridge you had to cross as well. All of our years of trail riding certainly paid off and Hampton marched right over.

The bridge

Cute combo on our course. Rode great!

Dressage

We were riding the average bus in dressage and scored a solid 30. I am not sure why people seem to expect that Hampton will/should? score a sub 20 every time out. It is odd to me. Just because he "does the Grand Prix" certainly does not suddenly make him a 10 at every movement in Beginner Novice? He has average gaits at best. And when the judge is faced with 10 lovely bay geldings, all who are steady and on the bit and riders ride accurately - what else is there to score on? Quality. Quality of the gaits, quality of balance, uphill nature. There were some QUALITY horses in that BN division, and Hampton scored very appropriately. Also, a 30 is not a bad score? 

I digress.

Hampton enjoyed this little peep hole in his stall

Cross Country

I still have pre-cross country tachycardia but we went out there and slayed it. Our first up bank, rather large down bank, ditch/somewhat half coffin-ish combo in competition! The course was so fun and Hampton was absolutely amazing out there. He did a very quick safety check at the down bank, and for a second I thought he stopped but I think he just hesitated. We were clear with some time because I need to step on the gas. #DQproblems

Pro photos by Megan Cole
Last fence - Hampton game AF

XC makes him more uphill than dressage does

Show Jumping

We showed jumped on Sunday and Hamp was out there more confident than I think I have ever felt him. Unfortunately we had another two rails. I failed at helping him balance and I think show jumping on grass is a bit tricky for him. Also, when Hampton hits rails he does not care. He literally moves right on with life. He is an unbothered King. Perhaps a lesson for us all haha. Regardless, the course was otherwise smooth and confident which is all I can really ask for. We were knocked out of the ribbons but the confidence and experience we both gained is invaluable. 

My face is losing the terrified look bit by bit haha

Hampton's face here melts my heart. He is trying so hard and is so focused

***

After a pretty easy August we have some more adventure in September!

This fence felt easy!

Hamptons first time in big ol ice boots haha

Enchanted IEA

 Update.

Clinic with Lillian

We took more jump lessons, we worked with Lillian again. She gave us the green light and ...

I entered a Beginner Novice.

I know this isn't a big deal to most. It's "small" and "easy" but I have never done a recognized BN, I have barely done anything of that height at schooling competitions.

To say I was about to shit my pants nervous is an understatement.

I picked IEA - which is conducted at our home base, the Hoosier Horse Park. Hampton has been there many, MANY times.

Not pictured: Anxiety at 11/10

And then they had torrential rain. And the course was underwater a week out.

By the time I walked the course on Friday, IEA staff had completed the ultimate pivot and moved the course so only safe ground was used. It was a fun, windy course and the footing was PERFECT. I cannot express how grateful I am to all that went on behind the scenes.

Dressage was solid but a little boring. Still, we were sitting in first heading into cross country.

Then somebody fell off. Hold on course.

Unbeknownst to me, the rider before and after me fell at the same fence. The fence right before the water.

Off we went. The first fence was a GIRTHMASTER and I feared it to the point I may have closed my eyes on the approach. Hampton, however, jumped it, probably was wondering why his rider's heartrate was 200000 bpm today and kept on going.

This 4A-B combo rode perfect!

Fence 10 also frightened me because its WIDE. 

"Will not touch!"

We did trot through the water, and trotted fence 7 but hell yeah. The rest of course he stormed around (for a Clydesdale cross) and we finished double clear.

Hampton literally pranced back to the barns - I am not sure I have ever seen him so proud and full of himself. Definitely not after a dressage test haha.

We had show jumping early on Sunday and while Hampton jumped awesome, we did have two rails which knocked us down to 7th. Couldn't have cared less though he was SO GOOD and I was so happy to have completed my first recognized Beginner novice OF MY LIFE.

Pro photos by Xpress!

Truly having the time of my life out here.

Thanks, Hampton.

The Way Back

 When I was a teenager and immersed in the Indiana Morgan Horse Youth Club, we did a "field trip" one weekend to the Hoosier Horse Park where we were fence judges for a horse trial. I don't know which one it was, but this was the 90s.

We got quick directions, score sheets, a radio and sent out to our assigned fences. I plopped down next to a girthy looking log. I immediately was in awe of these riders who soared over this log one after another, and one girl had a refusal and fell off. She got back on and kept going. I thought wow what a badass. I can't recall what level this was, but I remember they jumped my log and headed to an up-bank into the woods.

I thought wow ... I would love to try this one day. But, Eventing was never an opportunity for me as I was in the Morgan/Saddlebred show world and that was just not on the menu. I have always loved the sport though, and follow it in the media. 

When I got Hampton, I thought maybe I would event with him. And we did - we competed in a couple of little mini-trials in my first few years in Kentucky. Hampton had always loved jumping and we did ok at these little mini trials. He was young though and wasn't great at carrying his big body around.

I think this may have been 2012 or 2013?

There were times I thought oh ... maybe this isn't our sport. 

... maybe we should not be doing this.

But he often jumped super cute, despite my terrible technique.

And sometimes we did alright!

Except then I fell off at mini trial at STARTER. I got back on and finished the course, and Hampton seemed fine. When we got home, he was LAME coming off the trailer. Lame at the walk. That started the whole soundness battle for years to come. I basically quit jumping him at all.

I poured everything into dressage, and ... you all know that story. 

But I don't want to keep pressuring Hampton into doing the upper levels all the time in dressage. Real talk, the Grand Prix is beyond his scope. He did it because I asked him and he figured out how to manage his body to do what I asked.

Maybe, maybe we could try very light jumping to give us both something fun and low pressure. 

Windridge XC. It almost looks as if he is cruising.
 This is in fact a crisp canter.

I did a couple of clinics with Lillian Heard, that went extremely well. Hampton loved it and stayed sound. Peer pressure ended me up at my first recognized event at Sporting Days where Hampton loped around to 2nd place. He seemed to really enjoy the jumping and the "game' of hunting for the next one.

Sporting Days  XC

It took zero convincing to get me to enter Windridge in North Carolina on Derby Weekend. The dressage was a massacre where Hampton scored the lowest score of the show, an 18.5. And again, he was happy and willing in stadium jumping and actually really took to cross country - hunting for the next jump and having a bit more pace. He ended up winning the Starter division on that 18.5.

Windridge show jumping.

Hampton's happy face is the best

Hampton - happy
Me: Oh shit where's jump 6

He was in GAME mode here.

Windridge was a decent test because they have pretty significant terrain. Hampton was unbothered by it and was sure-footed. The terrain made me more nervous than the jumps to be honest.

So here we are. We have found our way back to where we started.

Just a pair our having fun. Zero expectations.

But no, I am not giving up dressage. You can still find us schooling all the things. And I am sure we will hit up a dressage show or two.

We just add in speed bumps now.