3/9/2014
Novice Horse Trial on Miaren
It finally came together. We finished on our dressage score of 29.13
to come in 1st place. He brushed the first rail in stadium, but everything stayed
up and we had a steady speed with no trouble out cross country.
I was even more proud because we'd fox hunted the day before and we both had
enough left in the tank to make a good day of it showing.


He was a little sticky to the first fence and I jumped ahead. After that we were good.
 
A nice easy line. But, I was concentrating so hard on getting the correct lead for the roll back that I never checked to see if he was already on the correct lead. There was just a bit of ribbing for doing a simple change back to the same lead. But hey, we had the correct lead.

I'm always working on my position. Pretty good with the hips here, but my back is rarely flat enough.
 
Giving him rein to reach, but I'd like to get the habit of doing that while keeping my hips back and my back flat.
 
For a while this fence (in a different spot on course) is what kept me from schooling or showing novice. It seemed so big that I didn't think I'd ever have the confidence to let him have the engagement needed to get over it.
 
He only started pulling as we got up to this one. I think with the first fence he's never sure if it's going to be a course or just jump and stop like schooling.
 
Grinning because we were in agreement on speed.
 
That cobby stretch.
 
Around the back side I let him pick up speed, but he always balanced for his fences. Not the speed we've hit out fox hunting that makes me feel panicked, but it still had me wondering if he'd listen when I asked him to slow up.
 
We turned to the up bank and he asked to trot a couple of strides before. I was surprised, but let him. The day before I'd not given enough up the bank and he might have remembered that.
 
This combination worred me a bit since it was after the bank and a downhill slope, but he climbed over it easily.
 
He hesitated a little here, but last year we were eliminated at this ditch, so quite an improvement.
 
I thought we'd get 3 strides here, but no, he decided on 2.

Not my ideal position, but we got the job done.
 
Heading for home. Both a bit tired, but still excited.
 
I'm not sure why my position was so bad here, but he took care of me.
 
Big bench deserves a big jump.