Indiana HT-Trouble's 1st recognized HT!

We had a fantastic and hot weekend at Hoosier Horse Park June 3-5. We left Thursday afternoon and got there with time to sneak in a quick ride. Trouble was looking around a bit but he settled in well and did some nice flatwork. The next day I gave him a canter school in his jump tack in a big grass field by the SJ arena. He was a little worried for a while but then cantered like a champ. My original plan was to ride him twice on Friday since we didn't do dressage until Saturday, but it was hot and he was well behaved for our morning ride so we skipped the 2nd one. I have to say I'm glad I chose to skip the extra ride, because it was even hotter on Saturday and he was quite lazy in our warmup for the test. I felt like he was relaxed, forward and listening, but didn't have that extra spark. He went into the ring and did an obedient, forward test and I was happy with his canter transitions in the harder test since they are in a weird spot and it was our first time doing test B. His free walk was the best one he's done, and the trot work felt really steady. We ended up with a 29.5, in 9th out of 25 starters. I was disappointed with the score because he felt much worse in our test 2 weeks prior and it scored a 25.5! There was a 4 way tie for 5th on a 28.6, and the leader had a 22 and looked like a dressage horse, so that was a little consolation :) When I got the test back, the judge (Vicki Rauwolf) nailed us on most movements for "not enough bend", which I thought was strange because we've never had that comment on a test before...different strokes for different folks I suppose. He still got several 8's, including gaits, but I was really dismayed to see 3 or 4 6's....I think he's gotten two 6's EVER! Oh well, we know better for next time!

We walked the SJ course, which was substantial and a bit scary with lots of turns. I was concerned that it was the hardest course so far this year, but I pushed those thoughts aside and thought it would look better if I walked a few more times. Cathy emphasized "chasing him short", meaning keeping his canter coming forward to a connection in the rein instead of letting his stride get long and out of control. This made a lot of sense to me, especially since he jumps well from the base and I don't have to worry about him being clumsy with his legs.

There were quite a few panels, gates, planks, etc, as well as lots of bending lines, a rollback turn, and a 2-stride. He warmed up nicely and we only jumped a few fences since it was about 100 degrees at 3pm. He had to wait around a bit before going in the ring so he was antsy, but he perked up when we went in and jumped the first curiously but didn't offer to back off. He barely tapped the 2nd (an oxer on a bending line from the 1st) and it unfortunately came down. The third fence was a bright white gate/oxer off a tight left turn which I expected him to look at. He came through the turn and I kicked him up to the fence and he leaped over it in spectacular fashion. I had to get him back quickly because the 4th fence was on a right bending line and it was an airy vertical. He stepped over it well and I got organized afterward. Approaching the 5th off the rail on a turn, I didn't quite get him turned as quickly as I should have an I underestimated him drifting out to the right towards the barn so we didn't get lined up correctly and ran out of time to get straight :( We circled back around and jumped it fine, so I don't think it was the jump that caused the drift, just a green mistake and me not thinking ahead! The 6th fence was on another bending line, and it was a BIG triangular panel oxer that I was sure he'd suck back at. He came through the line in a good rhythm and jumped the fence with no problem, going into the rollback turn nicely to line up for 7. He jumped the oxer at 7 and American flag panels after a long canter to 8, then we came around to the 2 stride. I felt him perk up, but he let me keep him in a smaller canter and he jumped both verticals neatly. Finally we came around to the last fence, a purple and green oxer, which he jumped great! I was mad at myself for letting the turn get away from us at 5, but I was really proud of how mature he felt to the fences. Cathy was happy that I was able to hold him together and not let things fall apart when we started to have problems. The ring felt really small and I thought he did a great job handling the atmosphere, jumps, activity and a hard course! We picked up the 8 jump faults as well as 6 time for the circle, but I still think it was the best SJ round we've had so far!

The XC course walked pretty tough, with a lot to do for a BN course. I thought it would either go really well or I wouldn't be able to get him over the first fence :)

Thank goodness it was cooler on Sunday, and a storm was starting to roll in so they let us go a little ahead of our scheduled time. He warmed up pretty excited, and I was SO relieved to see XC fences in the warmup as practice fences. He jumped the 2'6ish table looking but forward the first time, and we jumped it 5 or 6 more times just to make him bored of it.

Into the box we went, and he took a few trot steps then cantered straight out. I felt him wiggle some going to the first like he wasn't sure what to do, but I just put my leg on firmly and straighened him and over he went. It was a really inviting log on a long straightaway from the start box, the 2nd was a rolltop with a gap underneath that Cathy thought they would look at. I steadied him up early before the 2nd and rode a great rhythm right down to the base. The 3rd was a ramped vertical with straw underneath and feed bags beside it. It turns out that the most stops happened here, it was riding quite spooky. Trouble didn't seem to mind it and jumped bravely. The 4th was a rolltop right after the 3rd which he took in stride, and the 5th was a bigger vertical log off a right handed turn. About 5 or 6 strides after 5 was a small up bank going into the woods, which was surrounded by Novice & Training fences. It was a lot to look at, and afterward you had to avoid a Prelim fence and find the path out of the woods. I slowed him down and set up in the turn, riding forward to the 5th, and he jumped it neatly but hesitated coming to the bank. I gave him a small tap on his shoulder and clucked and he trotted right up. He was a little cautious in the woods and spooked at the P jump and an opening in the trees, but I let him trot out onto the packed sand by the pavilion so he could check it out while going slowly. We trotted up strongly to the revetted ditch, and he popped over it no problem. Next was the log right before the water (about 3 strides!), and he was curious coming through the turn where you could see the whole complex but didn't back off-he jumped the log boldly and then kept a small canter stride down the lip into the water. He looked at the edge but his feet were already in and he wasn't worried. In the middle of the trot through, he had a sudden moment of not knowing what was next, but I kicked him on and we found the out. He locked on to the fence right after the water and jumped it great. I felt like he was really having fun now! Over the little hill we went and back into the woods to jump #12, the sunrise ramp that catches a lot of horses out. He added and jumped it neatly, cantering quietly away. A green house with shingles was next, and right before, it occurred to me that we were only a few fences from home. He jumped it well, and I let him come to a trot coming out of the woods so he would see the path. I glanced at my watch and saw that we had a little over a minute left, so we needed to step on it a little. He didn't feel tired, and he enjoyed being able to go a bit! He balanced up great to the 3 stride of rolltops, and there were jump judges/photographers in the trees next to it that I thought he might worry about. He was textbook through the combination, and I let him gallop on after to the bench. I should have set him up a little more to the bench because he got close and tapped it, but landed fine and we were on to the last. I glanced at my watch again and saw that we would be right on the optimum time, so I just steadied him a little and let him jump the rolltop out of stride. I cannot describe how happy and proud I was to cross the finish line and feel like he really understood what he was supposed to do out there and that he had fun doing it! There is nothing more rewarding. Even though we finished out of the ribbons, I left the event feeling like I have a real event horse now and things will only improve from here. I am so lucky to have Trouble and I can't wait for our next event at FRVPC on June 24-26!