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.