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