July 16, 2024
Well I don't think I could have asked for a better way to complete our year living in Virginia.
Sophie and I took on the 1*-S at the Maryland International Horse Trials at the beautiful Loch Moy Farm last weekend. She was just spectacular in every single phase, and I could visibly feel the positive results from how hard I've been working with Jacqui at home.
In the weeks leading up to this, I had been spending several days riding with Jacqui in the mornings. She has such a cool string of horses to learn from, and I am certain that getting that experience has already made a huge difference in my ride on Sophie. I mentioned this in my previous post, but most of Jacqui's horses don't let me get away with my poor habits, such as hanging on the inside rein, and I could feel myself take a breath and let go of that tension multiple times with Sophie during both my dressage warm up and actual test. I am so, so thankful that Jacqui not only trusts me to ride her horses, but also is so willing to work with me and help me to continue learning and getting better as a rider.
My show weekend started on Friday, and my dressage ride time was scheduled at nearly the hottest portion of the day - it was going to be about 93 degrees as I was to head down centerline. In preparation for how hot it would be, I gave Sophie a bath right before loading her on the trailer in order to help cool her down some during the 25 minute drive. Drew met me at the trailer up by the in barns, and after a quick temperature check and informal jog, Sophie and I were permitted to go to the day trailer parking.
Jacqui met us after we parked and we made our way over to the start box to get one cross country walk in before I got ready for dressage. I figured I'd have more energy to walk cross country before I rode.
The course was a slightly similar track to what I had done at the schooling show here in March, but with much more impressive fences and more use of the terrain. Compared to the 1*-L at VHC, this one looked a lot more technical. There were a few steeper hills, a tricky sunken road exercise and they also made use of the main arenas with some derby-style fences. It was a course that looked both challenging and super fun! Loch Moy also had done their due diligence with aerating and watering the ground so that it was safe for horses to run on. The atmosphere was also quite impressive in general, as they were hosting Youth Rider Champs and also running up through the 4*-S level.
Jacqui and I made a plan for cross country, and then we made our way back to the trailer. One pit stop for a snow cone and then Jacqui got her tools out to get Sophie braided and looking her best. Sophie looked so stunning for our dressage at VHC that I wanted Jacqui to work her magic again for this one. She did Sophie's mane, tail, and even added some fun quarter marks again. I also dressed to impress, because there was no way I was not wearing my gorgeous green shad even though the weather was atrocious. They had waived jackets but I figure I am not sure how often I will get to wear the shadbelly, so I will take every chance I can get!
We made our way over to the dressage warm up, and I started getting Sophie moving off of my legs. I took a bunch of deep breaths before really asking for a lot, and tried to recreate the feeling I got with so many of Jacqui's horses over the last few weeks. They all really moved well off of full use of my leg from ankle to groin. I sunk into the saddle and thought about really lifting Sophie's shoulders with my knees and thighs and to allow with my hand and push her forward from my calf. Right on cue Sophie came up and under me and was moving beautifully. Jacqui continued to guide me through our warm up, and it was the most relaxed and steady amount of communication Sophie and I have ever had getting ready for the sandbox. I was feeling really good about heading to the ring.
We only spent about 10-12 minutes in the warm up due to both the insane temperatures and how amazing Sophie was feeling. We made our way up to the upper rings and I started getting warmed up outside of my designated dressage ring. Sophie had a spooky moment as we passed the side of the ring closest to the VIP tent that they had set up for the show weekend, but we got organized by the time we entered at A.
The first half of the test felt so fluid and focused. I continued the mindset of using my knees and thighs to lift Sophie's shoulders up to me and allow her to stretch her neck forward into a supportive contact. I was feeling great about everything until we had our trot to canter transition to the right that was supposed to happen going towards the VIP tent that we had spooked at earlier. For a few brief movements we reverted back to arguing with each other, but then I took a breath and softened once we finished the right lead canter movements. I was able to bring her back to me just enough to complete the test without fighting. It was not our most consistent test, but the highlights were HIGH. I couldn't stop smiling after saluting to the judges - I felt like I finally unlocked something in Sophie I had been trying to find for ages!
Jacqui was just as delighted as I was. It is so amazing to feel the difference in what I am able to get out of riding Sophie just after this short time drilling the flatwork with Jacqui. Regardless of the score, I was thrilled.
Unsurprisingly, I finished the day of dressage sitting in last place. It was a super competitive division, and I can honestly say I gave it my best efforts. And for my record with Sophie, a 38 is nothing to sneeze at.
I was confident going into the next day of jumping.
The organizers were so on it with the weather all weekend, and they ended up moving all jump phase times to a bit earlier on Saturday in order for everyone to be finished with all jumping before the heat got as bad as it was supposed to be. I had show jumping scheduled for around 12:45, followed by cross country with about 30 minutes in between.
Drew and I got there about an hour ahead of time in order for me to get my tack organized and check out the show jump course. Jacqui met me there and we walked it as it was being dragged and made a plan of attack. Jacqui's ultimate goal for me is to be able to take the work we've been doing on the flat and apply it around my show jump course effectively. I had a tough but important jump school with her a few days prior where we practiced using my corners more efficiently and to stop interfering with Sophie directly in front of fences.
Jacqui helped get Sophie ready and looking her best, including adding some fun quarter marks again, and we made our way to warm up.
I normally love formal show jumping, but it was so hot that I opted to not don my show coat this time. Unlike the shadbelly for dressage, I do believe I will wear my regular show coat again at some point (lol). Sophie and I popped over a few fences in warm up just like we had practiced at home. Jacqui guided me and it only took about four fences for us to feel prepared to head down to the main arena.
They shuttled me in when it was go time. I trotted in and then paused to salute to the judge, then I picked up my canter and set Sophie across the arena to have a good look at everything while waiting for the buzzer. I did one circle and then noticed that they were still fixing a fence that had been knocked down by the previous rider and it was taking some time. I brought Sophie back to a trot in order to not keep her running excessively in the heat, and it took another few seconds, but then the buzzer finally went off and we began our course. I came in a bit tight to fence one and then took a gradual, slow turn to fence two. After that we found a good rhythm. Sophie was jumping wonderfully. I worked on getting the canter I wanted in each corner, and then tried to lay off of her as we approached each fence. The only place during the course where I did not do my best planning in the corner was to fences 8 and 9, which was a skinny plank followed by 6 strides to a wide oxer. I pulled too much to the skinny on the in, and then asked for just a little too much to the out and Sophie's canter got flat and clipped the front rail of the oxer as a result. I got it together for fence 10 though, and she popped over the last one well.
Overall I was quite pleased with our go, as it was massive improvement from VHC. On the way out of the ring, one of the volunteers complimented my ride in one of the corners which felt really nice. It is very rewarding when your efforts get noticed by someone who does not usually see you ride!
We went back to the trailer and I hopped off to give Sophie a break for the 20 or so minutes we had before venturing over to cross country. I sucked down some more Gatorade, and we got a bit of water on Sophie to cool her down some.
One last check of the studs, a minute to breathe, and then I was back on and heading towards cross country warm up.
The warm up was pretty crowded with the Young Riders getting there well ahead of their times, which was really great to see. Myself and the other 'oldies' got in brief warm ups before heading out on course. I popped Sophie over one fence, had a little gallop, and called it a day for warming up. She knew the task at hand.
I had a plan in mind to pull up on course if at any point Sophie felt even a hair less than her usual self out on cross country. The heat was tough and the ground, while clearly well maintained, was still fairly solid. With that thought in mind, I didn't really plan to focus too much on time.
5...4...3...2...1...Have a great ride!
We blasted out of the start box and popped over fences 1 and 2 with ease. Fence 3 was an open oxer up in the wooded side field and I had a tough time remembering my line to it with so many trees in the way. I found the line about 5 strides out and luckily Sophie also saw it and locked on. The first combination at 4A and B rode in either a forward 3 or a tighter 4, which we ended up having. We rolled back to fences 5 and 6, and then galloped back into the main field towards the first water question at 7, which was a solid boat fence into water. It's the first time Sophie's had a really solid fence into water, and it caused the water to not be visible until we were right on top of it. I kept my leg on and with one encouraging tap she pushed off those limber hind legs and into the water.
8ABC was a tricky sunken road ask, and I slowed Sophie down a few strides away to allow her to calculate it smartly and she did great footwork through that exercise. I was so pleased!
We rolled downhill to 9, up a big hill and around to 10, down the hill again to 11, and up a gradual incline to a corner at 12. Sophie doesn't think terrain is hard 💪
13A and B was the second water question, which she navigated with ease through the water, up a bank and two strides to a big roll top. We turned and galloped over a table at 14, then up a mound over a skinny at 15, and then again down a hill to a table at 16.
We then had a few fences placed in the sand rings, which was a really cool experience. We galloped into the arena and over a roll top at 17, and then down a hill into another arena over a bank exercise at 18A and B. Sophie is quite naturally nimble and careful, but also has developed good faith in me, so with my leg providing confidence, she navigated the questions so well.
As we headed to the last two jumps, I asked for a little more to see if she was still feeling good, and to my surprise she was! She swished her tail and blasted over 19 and galloped on over 20 and through the flags with plenty of gas still left in the tank. I was blown away!
My amazing team of Jacqui and Drew grabbed her as soon as I passed through the flags and I hopped off. I checked my watch and realized we were maybe just a few seconds at most over time - which was again shocking to me. I was only keeping a half eye on the time and was focused more on how she felt, and man, did she feel incredible.
We made our way up to the vet box and were greeted by tons of amazing vets and volunteers who were helping to check on horses and sponge them off. We ripped off Sophie's tack and got as much water on her as quickly as possible. I held her while Jacqui and Drew did the grunt work, and my horse that just finished a challenging cross country course in blistering conditions was still finding energy to spook at anything and everything under the tent. It was at that moment I really didn't question her fitness 😂
After some time cooling down in the vet box, we grabbed all of my things and walked back to the trailer. Sophie danced sideways the whole way back, finding everything to spook at and call to. I am still laughing at how full of beans she was given the circumstances.
We took our time to continue to water and ice her back at the trailer. Jacqui and Drew helped me get her comfortable and I started to pack my things as we waited for final results. At this point I had thought that I had started to move up in the standings, and I was keeping my fingers crossed that there was a chance I could secure a ribbon.
After a short time waiting, we found that the culmination of our efforts resulted in Sophie and I taking home a beautiful 4th place ribbon. Cross country did not pan out well for several competitors, and many were also taking it quite slow due to the heat. I had a feeling we might move up a place or two based on our jump phases, but not all the way from bottom of the barrel at 16 up to 4!
Not only did we receive a lovely white ribbon, but we also got a commemorative wine glass, a sponge bucket, some treats, Maryland Horse Trials magnets, a hoof pick, and some prize money! It felt like I won the Olympics coming home with that many goodies. Shout out to Maryland Horse Trials for such amazing prizes for competitors - even the 4th placed ones!
I can honestly say that I could not have done nearly as well as I did without Jacqui's guidance. I had an absolutely breakthrough feeling in dressage, and our jump phases were some of the best riding I've had and felt. I truly feel so prepared for the future with this horse now. I cannot wait for what's next! For now, Sophie is enjoying a holiday for the rest of July as we settle into our new home after a very busy spring.
I will at some point recount the entire year in Virginia in a post, but for those that do not know, we just moved back to Massachusetts. Life is a bit chaotic right now, so bare with the sparse updates at the moment!
Thanks for reading ~
K
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