August 12, 2016

HCHC Schooling Show Photos: 1-3

And, for your #failfriday, drumroll please... 1-3.  Thanks again to Paul Wood for these amazing photos!

Note the ears: if Connor's ears are not on me, he's not on my aids.  

Well, um...this started well.

Just passed the judge for the first time, and he did not like it.

The classic pulling breed pose: tense throatlatch, strong underneck.  He's flipping me the bird.

Usually one of our best movements...usually...

"You want me to canter AWAY from that scary tent?  That I can do!"

This whole next series of five pictures is hilarious.  Me trying to keep Connor on or close to the rail, Connor saying "NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE".  Not pictured: a spook that occurred in the middle of these photos that made me lose my stirrup in the last three.


Um, at least he's fancy when he's spooking?

No bonus points for knee action in Dressage, little buddy.  Not sure if that was due to judge, mud or both.  Spook happened right before this picture.



So cute, so tense.

What's hard to see is how far off the rail I had to ride to control him here.

He's cantering very strongly, and we have a simple change through the trot at X, and he was totally ignoring me, which leads to....

"WHOA DAMMIT!"
One more time, because I can't end on that downward transition picture.
The good news is:
- I'm not disappointed by this ride.
- I learned a valuable lesson.
- I got some amazing pictures out of it, which is the point of my riding career at this stage I think.
- I changed my entry for the rated show to ride 1-3 both days to try and get a 60%.
- The rated show is at the Hoosier Horse Park, so hopefully we'll have less shenanigans...
- Our scores were still good enough to make us First Level Champions of the schooling show, and we should be getting mailed an award from that.  We've never been champions of anything, so that's pretty cool!

17 comments:

  1. I would call it Friday Funny rather than fail since you did complete the test. Congrats on that accomplishment. It is tough when they are focused elsewhere. I think Comrade has given me those moves too when he decides to spook.

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  2. Good for you- you kept riding and didn't give up. He will figure out that the judge is there to admire him and then life will get better. :)

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  3. But he is so dang fancy and handsome when tense and spooking! Gotta love that! You both will rock 1-3 in your first rated show :)

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  4. Yay champions!! Connor is adorable when he is being a terrified cart pony.

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  5. Ahh too bad they didn't get the spook on camera, some of that stuff is great for posterity!

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  6. Ok, he's super cute when he's spooking and DAMN he's got the moves! Now, if he would just be so kind as to use his powers for good instead of evil...

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  7. I agree with Nicole, no fail there. Just a tactfully (judge's language I think) ridden test haha

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  8. Connor is a heck of a lot cuter than Tony when he's tense and spooking ;)
    Congrats of making it through, and good luck at the rated show!

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  9. Congrats on Champion. At least he looks very cute while ignoring you.

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  10. Connor you are still fancy and cute even when ignoring your mother! haha naughty pony. It happens!

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  11. I'm catching up on the Grand Prix special at Rio and watched the first horse spook at the dressage stand and yesterday someone's horse spooked at a flower, so Connor is in good company!

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  12. Congrats on the championship! He is still cute and fancy, even when tuning out his pilot :) I was mesmerized by his clean thick tail tbh.

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  13. Ha! Some of those tense canter pics look just like some pics I have from Gavin at a schooling h/j show from a month ago. I'm not sure that I'd say he had totally tuned me out, but he was hot as hell.

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  14. "I got some amazing pictures out of it, which is the point of my riding career at this stage I think." This is literally how I feel about my riding!

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  15. Congrats on champion! He still gets points for being the cutest ever

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  16. That knee action tho!!! Haha gotta love those learning experiences ;)

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