Show Day 2: Cross country

So after a fantastic stadium round, which left me grinning from ear to ear, we headed back to the barn to get ready for cross country.  A few times, my brain tried to say "I'm nervous" but I just ignored it.

There was nothing on this course we had not done.

There was nothing on this course we hadn't done harder.

It was just one big loop, out the gate to the wishing well/intro trekhaner/mulch box kind of fence, left turn to a bench and out to the main field, right turn up the big hill, left through all the fences around the sunken road, left turn to the edge of the field, back down the hill to the water, left turn and back up to the front field and end where you start.

I lost my map.  I swear I will get the hang of getting all this media stuff for posts in the future.

Roll top heading to the water

My job was to get Violet in front of my leg before the first fence and keep her there.  Know that when we get up to the top of the field around the sunken roads she will be distracted because there are so many fences, make sure I ride each of the fences coming to the water and that the fence after it (about 7 strides) will require me to get her in front of my leg again.  Trot the mound (which was numbered) before hitting the little fence on the other side, which had been moved out further than when we had done the same combination.  Keep my eye up over the ditch and don't forget to ride all the way through the finish flags.

So we did that.

Through the water

I was puffing like a freight train the whole time.  I took a break when I got over the feeder before the mound and trotted waaaaay too long.  And when Violet said "look it's getting dark and I don't want to canter the ditch in the woods since I can't see it" I let her trot again.  So we were over time.

Over the feeder before the mound

I gave not one single fuck.  When I got done, I had a grin on my face.  My girl and I had done something I never thought I would ever do...EVER.  And...we had fun!

In the end, I was way over time.  I finished with 10 time faults, and that dropped me to 7th place. The fact that I kind of let the pony down and didn't get her the placing she deserved hit me on the way home, and there was some personal beating about the head and shoulders (not physically), but all in all, I'm happy.

We finished.  With a score.  And a ribbon.  That was the goal.  Even better, Violet is as confident as ever and I have a desire to try that again sometime.  Due to work, not until March or April, but it will happen.

Success