Someday This Will Be Amusing To Look Back On, Show Report, Falcon Hill Farm, July 2019

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Falcon Hill Jumper Show
Alabama Hunter Jumper Association
Falcon Hill Farm
Wilsonville, AL, USA
Saturday July 13, 2019

1 Academy Caveletti I – R
2 Academy Cavaletti II – 2nd of 4.
3 Academy Beginning Hunter I – 2nd of 5.
4 Academy Beginning Hunter II – 5th of 5.
Class descriptions from previous show [A Huntering We Will Go]

Results
Objectively. When he didn’t screw up, he was 2nd. Yes, I said when HE screwed up. Although it is never the horse’s fault, this one is on him. Or at least on the way he sees the world. My error was to not adapt sufficiently.

Subjectively. It should not be this hard to do such tiny classes. This is not my call to make.

Entries
I had been hoping to do the .65 meter (2’1″) jumpers at this show [Aspirational Events]. Not even close. The highest we jumped before the show was 1’9″. In theory, I felt bad. It would have been nice. Practically, Milton has been doing good work lately. It takes the time it takes. As it turned out, it was a good thing we hadn’t tried for anything higher than cross rails.

Schooling
Got on. Stood about. Practiced in the warm-up ring. FHF had put new footing in their lower ring for the show. Milton did not like the bright, white sand. Still, we walked, trotted, and cantered. In the second canter, I felt him starting to build and was able to keep him settled. Was pleased with that.

He is going to need the opportunity to adjust to each new facility. Fortunately, modern showing is all about return to the same venues over and over. Not exciting, but will work in our favor.

Break
Milton dislikes being in the dragon den (parking lot) with the dragons (trailers).

Classes
Trot Poles I
As the jumpers ended and the Academy classes began, the sky darkened. The rain broke just as we went in the ring. No problem. We were back in the main ring which he knows well. We were trotting over (poles!). Milton doesn’t mind rain if the footing is good [Where In The World]. Piece of cake, right? HA!

I went charging in. Event horse in the rain!

He tried to run out at the first set of trot poles. POLES! I was so taken by surprise that he almost got away with it. I sent him over. He gave the next rainy set of poles an equally hard look. Around the top of the ring, I tried to settle him. Too late. The mental pressure had begun to build.

When I felt the gears grind, I wrestled him to a halt, which took several strides. I got off. Yup, right in the middle of the ring, I know a losing fight when I feel it. Better to exit stage left, regroup, & try again. Just like MidSouth [Wannabe Saddlebred], I came in too hot. He felt my attitude was too cavalier for a such a scary situation.

Trot Poles II
Also like Mid-South [Back Into The Fray], I dialed it way back for the next class. I reassured him. I told him how tough it was, how brave he was being. Milton has no confidence in himself. Nil. Zip. Nada.

Crossrails I
Trotted all four. A bit of cantering in the first line. Trantored the last crossrail.

Crossrails II
Half great, half awful. Asked for a canter on our opening circle. Go me! Cantered the first two. Go us! He was on the wrong lead around the top, but the ring is so big, I figured he had plenty of space. He dropped back into a trot. Took the first of the second line. Spooked at the judge. Objected to the same fence he hadn’t liked in the first class. Swung to the side. Humped his shoulder at me. I yelled at him. I was tempted to stuff him over crossrail from where we were. Instead, circled around. Asked for a canter. Didn’t get it. (Didn’t ask too hard.) Trotted the last. Done.

Around the top of the ring, I had let him chose his gait. In hindsight, I should have come back to an organized trot, then either asked for the canter again or simply trot the second line. I need to help him feel prepared. OTOH, let him pick his own gait in the preceding class & that worked fine. So, I dunno.

Side note. Interesting that the bad classes take more telling than the good classes.

Whither Barry
After dire weather predictions for us all week [Monday], Barry swung west. Mostly, we got occasional rain. The only tropical weather all weekend was the five-minute squall during our first class.