Seabrook Schooling Show

Hey!
Had a really great day at the Seabrook schooling show (local hunter/jumper/eq thing). I met up with a really great local trainer who is letting me ride/show her aMaZiNg horse, Togey. He's a 16 Dutch Warmblood with potential through the roof. He's been trained through second level dressage but is a bit brainfried about it so he's being retrained for jumpers. He is quite possibly one of the coolest horses ever.

We had a bit of an interesting warm-up considering this was the second time I’ve ridden him (first time was a month ago). I made the mistake of getting on and thinking ‘second level dressage horse must totally understand being ridden off the outside rein and inside leg’. He might know what it is, but he didn’t like it. So after some figuring (and one tempi’s and random jumps into the air) we got everything going fairly right. At the jump. And clearing it. And even looking like a hunter. We tried a 2’ hunter class (unpinned but would have gotten 3rd) and everything came together really really well. Had to do simple changes and had 1 majorly funky spot but besides that, we had the pace/jumps/turns/ down nicely. After that we had some break time and then back on for the 2’6”/2’9” jumpers. We weren’t trying to be competitive. Just put something safe together as a good learning experience. The warm-up was supper great and we jumped up to 3’. He was really good over everything with nice pace and pretty jumps (good spots/nice square knees/happy horse). Once we got in the ring, he got a little disoriented with the course and moved jumps and newly soaked footing (it had been raining) so we ended up with some slightly funky spots and a few trotted fences. We ended up trotting most of the second course because he made it clear that that was where he was most comfortable and after a point, if he’s more confident trotting that’s ok. I was really happy with his performance through the day especially after our rough spot and it being his first jumper show.

So all in all, good day, good learning experience for both of us. Besides that, I also got to hang out with Togey’s owner who is absolutely amazing as a trainer/rider/owner/person/whatever. And with some pony club people. And it was pretty awesome.

Best Quote Ever: “Did those kids really just tell a trainer and formally attired rider to get out of the way while we’re course walking?”
“Yeah, I think they did.”

Oh and an older rider letting a young kid get chewed out by a judge for something they did like, I don’t know, screaming a curse word in the ring, is wrong. And is something people don’t forget easily. Or at least I won’t forget easily. Adding insult to injury by wanting to threaten show management and complaining about the fact that someone figured out the horse/rider mix up and let the judge know so you could receive the chewing out as well, is also really really not cool either. No worries, won’t forget that part either.

Besides that little issue, it was a great day with good rides and lots of funnn! Hoping for pictures sooon!!