DERBY #2: Wherein Asses Are Kicked and Names Are Taken (mostly our own)

Courage is on the property

So that happened.

Ooph. As predicted on Friday, I am deader than a very dead smelling thing that your dog rolled in and prompted multiple baths with anti-odor shampoo. (No one else has beagles? Well, it's a thing. Trust me.)

Good news: it's (mostly) the good kind of dead.

So for reference, this was the first show where Courage basically had to step off the trailer into the dressage warm up and go. Like a show horse. That's how his dressage show next weekend is going to be also, so I figured another ground poles derby would be excellent prep.

dressaging

Anywhoodle. Here's how it went: Great.

Courage hopped off, plunked around warm up, did some nice work, and in we went.

8 BITCHES

It's actually getting kind of fun--instead of being like "dear god please don't die", I ride the horse in the test. We had some good moments (ROUND circles) and some less good moments (free walk does NOT equal rooting the reins out of my hands, horse).

But hey. He's learning. I'm learning. I don't think we got anything lower than a 6 and we nailed an 8 on our final halt, so yay dressage.

THEN.

BEST NEWS.

grown ups

Guess who stands tied to a trailer like a grown up horse?

COURAGE.

Super proud of that.

Anyways. I walked my "XC" course. (I'm trying not to be self deprecating, but it's hardly xc when it's poles on flat ground in a circle.) I actually didn't feel like puking too much, so that was fantastic.

yeah no

Getting to the xc course was a whole other story. We had to go through a dip of death with a ditch at the bottom WAY FAR AWAY from all the other horses. And also we were first, so there were no buddies.

We got within about ten yards of the dip and Courage started running backwards. I spun him around and stuck my spurs in him, he said yes ma'am, and wouldn't you know, the dip of death wasn't an issue at all.

trotting!

And off we went! The pictures don't really capture it, because our photog is used to taking pictures of people who, well, jump. So he shot the obstacles... which aren't that impressive.

cantering!

Still. At our first derby, we walked 60-80%. At this one, I brought him back to walk for his poles until he settled, and then we trotted them. Oh, AND at one point we cantered a few strides and didn't die.

All good things. In fact, by the very end, I (GET THIS PEEPS) ACTUALLY TOOK A HIGH OPTION.

HIGH OPTION

Admittedly, it was a log barely bigger than a pole, but it was outside our comfort zone and we nailed it. That's big for us. Taking risks. Living dangerously. All that.

class of one. #noshame

We finished on our dressage score to win our intensely competitive division (of one). I'm pumped for the ribbon because I'm a satin ho. I'm also pumped to jump double clear and conquer some of those nasty xc demons together.

We're building positive experiences together and becoming a stronger team. It's so much fun. :-)