Please just stay between the flags!

So this weekend was a good one for us! Clif, Tess, Mom and I headed to Leeburg, VA for Loudoun HT held at Morvan Park. I had never been to this event, I did go a few years back to watch the Derby Cross event which was good fun. But, honestly I had no idea what to expect ...except that it would probably be big.

(The barn all pretty for spring time!)
We left early Friday so that everyone could be ridden and braided Friday night to make Saturday as least hectic as possible. Tess went for a little ride and was pretty good..a bit annoyed at times, but mostly good! Clif was his normal good self and enjoyed the low key time as not many horses were stabled there. I set off to walk my courses and wheel my course...for anyone who knows me..yes I wheeled a course. I also failed at wheeling the course as I was about 80 meters off what it was officially wheeled....smoooooooooooth Hillary..real smooth. The course looked lovely, the fences were absolutely beautiful and the whole flow was quite good. It was a serious preliminary, with a few good questions. There was a vertical down hill to a big corner on a quiet 7 strides on a bit of an angle, so I was a bit nervous how the little corner demon (clif) would handle that. There was just a bit to look at at several fences and for Tess that can interrupt her Princess thought process and serious confidence effects. So there was definitely enough to do.

(My really classy horse..this is what he does when he is pleased with himself)

Saturday was dressage, sj then xc. Clif actually completed the event before Tess even started....it was a bit of an odd schedule but worked none the less. Clif was quite good in dressage, he was really accurate, relaxed and quiet. His test did not score as I would have thought but tied him for 1st none the less. He jumped SJ really really well, he was super round in his topline, which is such a good feeling on him as he can tend to be a bit strong and flat when he gets nervous. I think he was just excited the jumps shrank from his last outing and was thanking me by cooperating! He jumped a clean round (I think the only clean SJ in his division actually). We then went immediately to XC...he was a maniac in warm-up...back to his monster self, which was a relief! He was really solid throughout the whole course, he was a bit of a jerk for the first 3 fences which is a bit his style. He settled down for a narrow cabin at 4 and continued to jump really well from there. I couldn't see a spot to save my life, poor guy. He stuck out, galloped quick and jumped big; he was great the corner, I couldn't have asked him for a better spot or to be more straight. He ended with a few XC time penalties (I know, I know, I need to go faster!) to finish 1st and win a very beautiful hand made brush box!

(Princesses do not roll)

Tess then got to start her day with a happy rider! She got a quick 20 minute warm up for dressage, which she seemed to enjoy as she put in her best test of the season. While it was not stellar by any means, it was very very very much improved. There only a few moments of objection and anger :). I was really happy with some of her trot work where I was able to slow her down and show off her movement a bit...she's so fancy when she wants to be! Poor princess then went straight (and i do mean no break at all) to SJ. She was SUPER! She jumped like a little baby, I actually laughed a her on course. She was jumping big over everything, she felt really fresh and rideable...yay! She also had one of the only clear rounds in her division! We then went to straight to XC. She was good...I have no big complaints..we just never found that super rhythm we had at Chatt Hills. She was very backed off the first fence so we had a discussion there to start the course off a bit more positive. We just lacked a bit of accuracy to a couple questions, she never intended on not jumping them, she just had no intention of staying in the middle of the jump! I also found out we need to work on her not backing off, she had great strides to two different tables and backed herself off so much she ended up off the distance which was fine in the end, but would have been less for her had she listened. It was amazing to feel how much she has matured; there was no major issues, she was really good, now it is the fine tuning we need to work on! Tess finished with a few XC time penalties to finish 6th in the open division out like 16 or more horses...she was a good princess!

(Clif won a pretty brush box, blue ribbon and Tess won a pretty green ribbon)


This week is insane with school...wrapping up class and starting finals. Insanity! Tess will continue with life as usual, galloping, trotting, blah blah blah..she seems to be enjoying the work though. Clif will get a few days off..he just feels a bit dead in his flat work which is not like him. He quite a monster most of the time, I know that this tiredness is coming from how hard he is trying and all the new muscles that he is using, so I just feel he needs a few days off with some hacking. He will then go straight back into his normal work around Thursday. All of us need some R&R sometimes.....but some of us do not get it.....

Pat the ponies! Hope everyone is well!

Hillary

Can Your Brain Explode?

Tess says, "Oh, yes it totally can; that's why I think so slow, I saw a brain explode once and it interrupted her eating habits greatly", Clif says "It can explode if you have one dummy!", and I say "Brain? What Brain!?!?".

(Tess being adorable as usual!)

The past week has been insane and it is only getting worse! School is coming to whirlwind of an end with huge papers, presentations, tests and finals....what is left of my brain is constantly throbbing. The horses are also busy, Clif is working on corners and skinnies like there is no tomorrow and Tess is happily going along with my new found method of riding her. On a happy note Clif is jumping better than he ever has and is jumping hard skinnies and corners with no problem (which is actually some what annoying after last weekend!). Tess jumped like a little superstar this weekend and was awesome on the flat today (so exciting!), her trot is awesome when you can slow it down, have her moving over her back; she's my very own little Ringwood Cockatoo (HA!, if you have never seen this horse's dressage you should most definitely google it a.s.a.p).


(Clif jumping in the mud!)


This week is full of school Monday to Thursday at 5pm, then it's race home to ride the horses on the flat before it gets dark! Friday we will head to Loudon HT just outside of D.C. in Virginia. I have never been there so it should be a good time for everybody. Clif is going hop around the Preliminary, hopefully we will have our normal good go and his confidence will be back to normal as well. Tess will also have her last (knock on wood) Preliminary run before the CCI* at Virginia in May, I will try to go a bit faster this weekend, but I will do whatever the little princess requires to jump the jumps on the first try! Although, I'm thinking that should be easier this time, she is really having a good time and liking her job.




(Clif having fun)

Oh yeah, how could I forget!? The ponies got some famous time this week on the USEA website. They both got their pictures in the Chatt Hills Recap, pretty school to have both horses in it when there was about 160 other horses to choose from. Here is the link: http://useventing.com/blog/?p=8767 .



(Tess galloping along)


Enjoy the weather and I will hopefully be writing good news next week!
Hillary

Excuse me, I cannot fit through a 2 foot wide area with flags on either side!

Well, well, well don't I have lots to talk about!?!



(Clif as a 4 year old at his 2nd novice, he was jumping the middle fence, the outside is the preliminary....)




This weekend was Chatt Hills just outside of Atlanta, GA (actually it's where I grew up until I was 6, something like going home I suppose). Chatt Hills has to be one of the most gorgeous pieces of land in the country; there are rolling hills, big trees, rivers, brand new barns and brand new arenas... creating happy horses and happy people!


Friday was a nice quiet arrival day. Tess and Clif both were really happy in their stalls. I rode Tess first, she was really quite good....she had people telling her how much they liked her, making her even more happy! She did not even neigh until she was back at the barn, not sure the point of that, but whatever you don't ask questions you do not want the answer too. I got on Clif for a few minutes, he was really good. I must admit watching the other intermediate and advanced horses I was a bit nervous our flatwork was not going to be up to snuff. But just when you start doubting yourself....Buck Davidson told me he was a really lovely horse and wanted to know a bit about him...how about that for a pick me up!?!? Maybe that's what I should do...start tape recording positive things that are said about my horses and play them while I ride..except I really cannot get the hang of that whole Ipod while riding thing..but then again maybe that is because if a trutle moves Clif will bolt off. I will give Clif that credit as well, I now know my hearing is in prime condition, at least while hacking :).


Saturday was quite busy! The little princess was actually semi-normal for her dressage! She was by no means ridable or great, but she was cooperative. Cooperative is something I will take! From cooperative you can go to good, from good you can go to ridable, from ridable you can go to great. One step at a time I suppose, poor Tess she hates those STUPID DETAILS..who cares about bending and lateral work..I mean really!?!?!? Clif was really relaxed and supple for his warm-up..even I was impressed with him, not that that is too unusual though I guess. He had a minor explosion in the warm up when a horse came directly at him (even though he was 40 ft away!) and had yet another explosion when the judge rang the bell behind him as I trotted by...love those off the track horses (actually I do, they are fun!). Clif was really good about calming down, which I was very proud of him for. His test was really quite solid considering how green we both are, not bad for the first one! The test just lacked the accuracy and brilliance that we are both capable of giving, which is unfortunate, but hey we will figure it out! Our judge was Brian Ross (who is a fairly tough judge), he seemed to really like Clif, yay! We got a 38 which put in 8th out of about 16 or so...Clif even got a few 8's..one was on his canter to walk transition!



Cross country was also on Saturday. I was lucky enough to walk the courses with Buck Davidson, as Sharon White was not there this weekend and let's face it, I need guidance! Sharon recommended Buck..he was really great to walk with. He and Sharon are very much alike so it was good to keep giving me confidence about what I was doing. The courses looked good. The prelimb was nice with a few serious questions....my eyes about came out of my head at one thing we had to do! (If I ever figure out technology I will be sure to post the XC Video of tess!). The intermediate was good as well..sharing quite a few tables with the advanced, having some great gallopy fences and a few technical questions. Tess was first out on XC; she was a superstar! I am so proud of her..and actually quite proud of me, I tried riding her a new way that is a bad foreign to me, but she loved it (and since this is somewhat like a marriage when she's happy, I'm happy :)!). She answered every question like she was going beginner novice; it's so nice to sit on a horse who is capable of so much and is finally figuring out life. She was a bit slow, but that was intentional due to her two weeks off from various Princess Mishaps. Clif went out next. He warmed up well, a bit quiet and relaxed, which at the time I welcomed! He started the course great. He jumped the first technical questions awesome, it was a big vertical log downhill on an angle to a skinny, he was perfect. The next questions did not go to well, I took my eye of the skinny or put my shoulders forward (or probably both!) and we missed, came back around and just jumped it alone and well. He continued on to jump the max tables really well, and quiet. We then came to a little table to a pretty skinny corner. He ran out again at the corner and then took off; so I stopped took a breath, came around again only to have him run out again. After that I retired..weird feeling walking off the course with Clif! He is not a course to run out...ever, I actually have never had a run out with him on XC, I've had a few stops at prelimb (like 2, and one bad go this fall that was completely my fault). In hindsight, I'm not sure he was feeling well, he never got his "HA, I'm going to ran away now!" attitude he gets, he just quietly galloped around, which at the time I was grateful for. Hindsight is 20/20. After talking to Sharon and watching the video, Clif will be headed to the vet in the morning just make sure there is nothing going on even though is sound.


Sunday was the ever so exciting show jumping. Seriously, if you ever want to see the carnage of eventing it comes on the Sunday after cross country. I don't know why this happens, but it makes me appreciate the horses I have even more. Brian Ross was also the TD and was nice enough to allow me to show jump, what a nice guy! The show jumping was quite big, it was a really nice course, just big! Clif jumped sooo well, he tried so hard. I did not give him the best ride unfortunately for him. We had two rails...I just missed my striding to an oxer, it was apparently a nice 4...i got there in a short 4..duh Hillary go somewhere! The next was at a skinny vertical, I completely picked that whole way up to it...fairly sure that is the #1 rule of show jumping, DO NOT PICK TO A VERTICAL, especially one that is like 3'7'' or bigger! Overall, he got several cookies and big pats for his effort..he saved me over the hardest fence on the course. Good Clif..almost makes up for yesterday......but yet, it doesn't! ha! Tess was sitting in 5th going into SJ (good pony!). She jumped well, she finally was backed off when the jumps were very scary and 3' 7''...she actually jumps so much better when the jumps gets big because she pays attention! We had 1 rail...it was a bit too bad, but it was a pretty mutual thing, I should have really told her no when she ran through my half halt and she should have attempted to listen!

All in all though it was a fabulous weekend for Tess. I am very very proud of the princess. I am actually really happy with Clif's dressage and show jumping, while the XC was disappointing we will figure it out and try again later. We are heading to Loudon HT where both horses will run the Preliminary, it was a planned Prelimb run for Clif, but turns out he needs it! This will also be Miss Tess's last real run before her debut at the CCI* level at VA Horse Trials in May! Go Tess!

Everyone take care and appreciate your horse even when it does not go as planned :)-





Hillary