A Huntering We Will Go, Show Report, El Gezira, June 2019

The Gray Wonder

 

El Gezira Jumper Show
Alabama Hunter Jumper Association
El Gezira Riding Academy
Harpersville, AL, USA
Saturday, June 22, 2019

1 Academy Caveletti I, Adult – 3rd of 4
2 Academy Cavaletti II, Adult – 4th of 5
3 Academy Beginning Hunter I – 4th of 20
4 Academy Beginning Hunter II – no ribbon of 16

Our first two classes do not appear in the results. They split out the adults. In the second two, I have no idea how one judges a round that consists of four trot crossrails. Therefore I could not tell you why we placed in one nor why we didn’t place in the other.

The Classes
In case you don’t have these in your area:

Academy Caveletti I. Four sets of trot poles. Layout similar to poles class at dressage show [Sorta, photo]. Around once.

Academy Cavaletti II. As above with last obstacle a crossrail. Opposite direction from first class.

Academy Beginning Hunter. Four low crossrails. Around once. Reverse direction for second class.

The Minuses
– I had grand plans to canter the two crossrail classes. Probably unlikely anyway. Definitely unlikely with warm-up off in the middle of a huge pasture. Canter transitions are a work in progress. Riding in the open is a work in progress. Canter transitions in the open were a bridge too far. Since I never asked for it in warm-up, I couldn’t expect it in the ring.

– He was sooooooo slow. Looks like my choice is narcoleptic, slug pony or hysterical, hopping, wind-up toy.

The Pluses
+ His feet stayed where they belonged. Given the choice between narcoleptic and hysterical, I’d have to go for Mr. Sleepyhead. Milton’s version of hysterical is not game or animated, it is a horse completely out to lunch. There’s no upside to that.

+ We cantered one fence.

The Maybes
? Milton did seem to perk his ears when aimed between standards – I can’t really claim that I aimed him at any jumps. Most of our classes have been on the flat. Perhaps there is a third option between the two extremes? Maybe Milton will like jumping and turn into a reasonable horse? Cross fingers. Cross fingers.

🙂 Milton saw no point in closing hunter circles. ‘The jump is back there. Why am I still moving?’

Update
The Non-Material Cost of Showing
Showing In The 21st Century, Online Entry, El Gezira, June 2019
A Huntering We Will Go, Show Report, El Gezira, June 2019
To Show Or To School, That Is My Question

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott