Hello world! I have been soooo busy. I don't have a recap from my several weeks-ago show, but I do have one from the most recent show, so that is just going to be what this post is about. Order isn't important, right?
On Friday, I had a jumping lesson on Sherlock. It was possibly our best lesson yet - I felt like we connected really, really well. He was forward (for him) and took everything in stride (hehe). Then it was bath time, although honestly the bathing of the flea bitten grey horse is kind of pointless as he is inevitably filthy by morning.
gridwork from our lesson
magical purple shampoo that kind of works?
Saturday, I got off work at 5 am and headed straight to the barn. Because show. There was feeding and car-packing, and Sherlock loaded no problem and we arrived at the show around 7 am. His little girl was also showing him, so I didn't do a morning schooling session - I signed up for a warm-up class and settled in to watch 839475843957 hours of ground poles. During crossrails I glanced at my courses and remembered the sole reason that I heart hunters - the courses are logical and soooo easy to learn, at least at the local schooling level!
Of course, they had to stop after crossrails to drag the arena - after we all rushed about getting ready to go in for the 2' schooling classes. This provided some quality time for Sherlock to attempt to eat tree bark, and for us to take a selfie.
I don't think that I actually stabbed him in the eye with my helmet...
Five years later, it was time to ride! Below are the super exciting and thrilling videos that are 2' hunters. I know that you will all be watching them from the edges of your seats.
I felt like the second course was a million times better than the first. I need to work on remembering to breathe, and remembering to trust my horse - Sherlock is such a packer, and I am so not used to that. I ride ponies and draft horses at shows and OTTBs and Saddlebreds at home - I don't know how to ride the horse that will go around the course happily enough that I can just chill out and focus on myself. I thought that we did extremely well for our second show together, although our lead changes could have been about nine million times better.
Satin.
We didn't win any of our classes, and there are a plethora of reasons for that. I know that we did really well, but I was still really, really hard on myself for not doing better. I am looking forward to not showing hunters any more, despite the easy courses. The judgement of hunter classes is something that I find exceptionally frustrating.
Hydration is key.
Going into the mini-event this Sunday, I know that Sherlock and I will not be super competitive. There are a LOT of people showing in our division, quite a few of whom are from my barn - and of those from my barn, I am the only one who has never competed at an event before. Sherlock is not a fancy dressage horse - he can do all of the movements, but he's not accepting of contact and is not on the bit. Neither of us has ever done a stadium course before, and he's not exactly a speed demon. And neither of us has ever seen the QP cross country course, nor have we ever gone cross country alone. The entire point of going is to prepare myself for next year, to learn, and to have fun. I have to focus on that - I'm not going to be competitive. I'm going for the experience, for me and for my horse. I cannot get upset when we aren't in the ribbons.
For me, the hardest part of showing is how hard I am on myself afterwards. Like, after every show, I seriously consider not competing ever again. I get so upset with myself for not winning, even when I finish in the ribbons every time, often in pretty competitive classes. My first show over fences was this past March, and I haven't even been back at riding for a full year after taking 3ish years off. And yet I never do well enough to live up to the ridiculous expectations that I have somehow set for myself. I'm worried that going to this mini-event and not doing well will put me off of competing forever. Which is probably stupid. Does anyone else ever feel like this?
You're definitely not alone in your feelings after shows! Last year Ruby was the MHSA intro level champion and I STILL wanted to quit after basically every show! I think you and Sherlock are going to rock it! So sorry we won't be seeing you at Rosy's show, we'll just have to plan a no-show meet up sometime soon! 😀
It's completely ridiculous how upset I get with myself at shows. Like, I'm never like that in any other aspect of my life. And yes, most definitely! Maybe a tack store meet-up or something!
I thin both rounds look lovely! I am just generally really hard on myself, I am trying to be kinder to myself...but it's hard. Try to have fun and don't beat yourself up too much :)
Thanks! (: Looking at the video, I'm just like ...wtf is my problem, those look awesome, I did good. But in the moment, definitely just attack myself for "failing."
Aw you guys look great - Sherlock looks like a blast. I hear ya on being hard on yourself, but hey it isn't even your horse. It's just an opportunity to go out there and kick some butt and love every moment of it! My favorite thing about eventing is that you can make goals about scores and personal performance that are completely independent of how competitive you are against others (like, a goal of dressage <40 or a goal of clear stadium or something like that). So you can still feel good about hitting goals even if there isn't a ribbon!! Good luck!
That's almost exactly what I keep repeating to myself! And I am so excited to NOT be showing hunters again. So over that life. Main goal - finishing the event. :D
You're definitely not alone in your feelings after shows! Last year Ruby was the MHSA intro level champion and I STILL wanted to quit after basically every show! I think you and Sherlock are going to rock it! So sorry we won't be seeing you at Rosy's show, we'll just have to plan a no-show meet up sometime soon! 😀
ReplyDeleteIt's completely ridiculous how upset I get with myself at shows. Like, I'm never like that in any other aspect of my life. And yes, most definitely! Maybe a tack store meet-up or something!
DeleteThe tack shop in Fulton is pretty close to me 😉 just sayin' haha. Or we could trail ride sometime, I have a spare horse!
DeleteUmmm, both?!?!?!?!
DeleteI really can't say much about showing since I haven't shown in over 10 years... Good luck! And hopefully it's fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I saw some pictures of the xc jumps so ... I feel better. They're starter jumps. I can do starter.
DeleteI thin both rounds look lovely! I am just generally really hard on myself, I am trying to be kinder to myself...but it's hard. Try to have fun and don't beat yourself up too much :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! (: Looking at the video, I'm just like ...wtf is my problem, those look awesome, I did good. But in the moment, definitely just attack myself for "failing."
DeleteAw you guys look great - Sherlock looks like a blast. I hear ya on being hard on yourself, but hey it isn't even your horse. It's just an opportunity to go out there and kick some butt and love every moment of it! My favorite thing about eventing is that you can make goals about scores and personal performance that are completely independent of how competitive you are against others (like, a goal of dressage <40 or a goal of clear stadium or something like that). So you can still feel good about hitting goals even if there isn't a ribbon!! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThat's almost exactly what I keep repeating to myself! And I am so excited to NOT be showing hunters again. So over that life. Main goal - finishing the event. :D
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