First, nice show. I don't enjoy the drive to the NJ Horse Park but the
footing is good and everything on the grounds is easily accessible.
Nice venue. Plus, the horse show office staff was GREAT. When you
can check into a show and be out of the office in less than five
minutes, well, that means alot.
Courses were very good. Very challenging in the jumper ring;
the jumps were beautifully decorated for the hunters.
We got there in time for Choccie to take a tour around the show
grounds and then have breakfast in the trailer with The Nose. They
shared buckets <rolls eyes> "Hey, his might be different than mine!"
I got a funny picture of Da Boyz In Da Hood (aka the trailer) with
Choccie eating hay and The Nose peering under his neck, hoping
that I was armed with a cookie.
<http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n28/svleopold/Fleance/BoyzInDaHood.j
pg>
or
http://tinyurl.com/5qx6bc
Choccie was first and he was great! A little peeky to the first two
jumps and then settled in and did his job. The footing on one of
the lines was a little tacky and although he was there in the striding
he slipped in a half-stride. LOL. Ex-jumper. His second course was
stellar as was his third class though he was a tad deep to the jump
out of the one five stride. Pinned fourth and seventh of 23 horses.
Unfortunately, my sister ran out of tape on his seconc class but I
will post his third class this weekend. I do have a picture where he
is looking very cute:
<http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n28/svleopold/Fleance/Middle***2008.
jpg>
or
http://tinyurl.com/69sd7t
When Donal came out of the last class he patted Choccie and
said "The jumpers were just too much for his mind." And then he
said "That was fun!"
I talked to an "R" rated judge at shows whom I know - she said
Choccie was "adorable" and "certainly jumps well enough" She
thinks he will have a lot of appeal for hunter judges because he
is pretty, jumps well and is so soft and happy.
Next was Cruiser. The Nose came out of the trailer his normal
placid self. We tacked up and wandered to the schooling area
for the jumpers looking over the jumper ring. Cruiser instantly
locked on to the ring, but was very laid back, playing The
Nose Game with me. Donal warmed him up before the course
walk - he warmed up great, jumping spectacularly and then
went off to walk the course, while I held Cruiser for him.
I had a different horse. :-) He was on his toes, ready to Go
Jump A Course Now. He kept scanning the ring and every
time Donal emerged from behind a jump he would whinny
at him. When Donal came back Cruiser quieted. I legged
Donal up and we did a couple of verticals and they went
to the ring.
The Nose walked calmly down the hill into the ring. The
buzzer buzzed, Cruiser picked up a canter. And attacked
the course. I have never seen him like this before. Really,
he would sightsee out of the ring "Oh look at all the people
there, oops here's a jump."
He jumped spectacularly over the first part of the course.
Donal turned to jump six, a maximum oxer via a tight
six to a careful jump - Cruiser turned the corner and
said Yeah! and they hit a forward spot to the oxer.
The Nose went airborne and as soon as Donal landed
he said he saw the five. But opted to ride his plan and
do the six strides. Cruiser shortened his stride for him
but got a little too close to the careful jump and had it
down with a light rub. Then was great the rest of the
course; just an unlucky rail from a hind rub at the in
of the triple combination.
Donal came out of the ring kicking himself about the
six. He said that when he jumped in and saw the five
he probably should have gone ahead and done it. Even
though Cruiser "came right back" he just did not have
enough room to fit the six. And that shortening him
that much may have led to the rail at the triple combination,
because it backed the horse off. I told him not to worry
about it; there is always another horse show.
I really did not care. I was mostly just blown away by the
change from the nice baby horse doing his job to a
horse that KNOWS the job. And likes it.
So that's the Middle*** re****t. The only downer to the day
was not gtetting to meet Betsey and Katie. But There Is
Always Another Horse Show.
Oh yes. Donal needs a haircut or a hairnet. ;-) And the
half chaps were back; I think he forgot his boots, which
he finally had at the last show. Fortunately, with the advent
of zippered boots, judges are used to seeing either half
chaps or black duct tape securing the boot.
Sue
svleopold@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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