Sunday, February 21, 2010

Rocking Horse III 2010

Well no body said this job would be easy! This weekend was not what we had hoped for as far as results go, but this is a sport and definitely a chosen lifestyle that you can either handle or you can't. I had an unfortunate fall in show jumping on Friday but instead of walking away with a negative attitude I look at it as a learning experience and a chance to improve at the next show.

I am lucky to say that I really do feel it was a fluke and that it is very fixable, where it could have easily been something worse. I am thankful for what it was but just disappointed as the cross country looked as if it would have been a great experience for both Hannah and me.

Hannah was jumping really well around the first half of the show jumping course and as we came off of a one stride 6A/B we landed and I took a half halt to set her up for 7, which was on a slight bending left turn set on an off stride, a holding 7 or a moving 6 and no body seemed to have a good ride to it throughout the entire event. As I half halted between 6B and 7 Hannah threw her weight slightly to the right and I straightened her to the fence and she didn't even seem to see it as we were upon it too quickly and when she set her front legs down, in which I thought was in an effort to jump, it was really in her realization that she was at a fence and she stopped and I popped off. I thanked the judge and met the EMTs at the in-gate so they could be sure that I was alright. As soon as I was checked out I jumped a few warm up fences, patted Hannah and walked back to the trailer with a quick ending to a weekend that should have been quite successful.

We will head off to HITS before Rocking Horse Spring and jump around a Level 4 just to make sure it was a fluke. We have plenty of time between now and our next event to make sure that we are well prepared!

This is definitely a sport of ups and downs. I heard a quote that fits it well;

"The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire, the size of your dreams, and how you handle disappointments along the way."

I feel this quote holds true because we are in a sport that unfortunately comes with a lot of disappointment. On a positive not it also comes with a lot of success, and the disappointments make the success that much more enjoyable.

I will keep updates on HITS and how the training is coming along!!

Enjoy what you have because at any given time it could be taken away.

Until next time! I hope to be able to share many of my upcoming experiences with everyone along the way! Keep on ridin'!

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