Royal Winter Fair and then some
Hi there everybody.
I have just arrived back in Virginia after spending the weekend in Toronto attending Opening Weekend at the Royal Winter Fair. I was lucky enough to be invited to the Indoor Eventing competition by the event organizers, and I was very excited to attend.I have never spent any time in Toronto, being that I’m from Western Canada, and the only traveling I have ever really done has been in relation to horse showing. Thankfully, my horse showing took me there, and I am looking forward to the chance to go back! Toronto is very beautiful, with lots of old buildings set into what is obviously a thriving and developing city.
The fair itself was tons of fun. I spent time at the EcoGold, Omega Alpha, and Equine Canada booths doing autograph signings ( which was super cool ) and also enjoyed going through the rest of the trade fair. (There should be some exciting news related to my adventures in the trade fair coming soon. Keep an eye out!!!! )
Another highlight was watching some of the other competitions, especially the Grand Prix Showjumping. Obviously, though, my favorite part of the weekend was participating in the Indoor Eventing. The little mare I had on loan for the weekend was a little greener than what the competition required, but she tried really hard, and all things considered I was happy with how it went. I learned a lot about catch riding, riding in interesting atmospheres, and just sort of going with what you have and making it work. Hopefully the mare and her owner will have gained from it as well.
So, now that I’m back to Virginia, I’m just getting Smarts, Kojo and Spike ready for the Horse Trials at Kelly’s Ford this weekend in Remington, VA. ( Near Culpeper, I’m told) They have been very good lately, with Smarts and Kojo taking turns winning competitions. Kojo won the dressage at Sandstone Farms Combined Test with a score in the mid 20s, but then picked up a stop at a TERRIFYING yellow quarter round in the showjumping, which just helped his friend Smartie Pants move into the lead on a dressage in the 30-31 range. Smartie of course jumped around like a real pro to keep the lead. Spike was adorable in the beginner novice, scoring 30 and picking up only one rail in the showjumping. He has learned where his feet are, but had a momentary mishap after cantering past the in gate and losing a bit of momentum. Will Coulter did 2 training level dressage tests, which were his first 2 trips in the ring in almost 2 years. He was great, kept his focus, and got a 28 on one test and a 30 on the other. I can’t wait to see the scores once he is more relaxed in a show atmosphere.
Smarts and Kojo went off the the Short Course Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farms on Halloween, and they were superstars. Kojo won the dressage on a 27, and tackled the short course (2 showjumps and then 11 xc obstacles, including ditch, bank and water) with more bravery than I expected of him. He can be very spooky, but he was totally committed the last couple steps before each obstacle. Good boy
Smartie was very good, on a 30, and a wonderful jumping round. I can’t wait until that boy matures enough to score well in the Training level dressage. His jumping ability is far and above the novice level, but he’s picking up some great experience and hopefully will be very confident by the time he gets to upgrade.
So, for now, just getting back in the groove at work, and getting super excited about the weekend!! Thanks for reading, look for the results on Monday.
S
The fair itself was tons of fun. I spent time at the EcoGold, Omega Alpha, and Equine Canada booths doing autograph signings ( which was super cool ) and also enjoyed going through the rest of the trade fair. (There should be some exciting news related to my adventures in the trade fair coming soon. Keep an eye out!!!! )
Another highlight was watching some of the other competitions, especially the Grand Prix Showjumping. Obviously, though, my favorite part of the weekend was participating in the Indoor Eventing. The little mare I had on loan for the weekend was a little greener than what the competition required, but she tried really hard, and all things considered I was happy with how it went. I learned a lot about catch riding, riding in interesting atmospheres, and just sort of going with what you have and making it work. Hopefully the mare and her owner will have gained from it as well.
So, now that I’m back to Virginia, I’m just getting Smarts, Kojo and Spike ready for the Horse Trials at Kelly’s Ford this weekend in Remington, VA. ( Near Culpeper, I’m told) They have been very good lately, with Smarts and Kojo taking turns winning competitions. Kojo won the dressage at Sandstone Farms Combined Test with a score in the mid 20s, but then picked up a stop at a TERRIFYING yellow quarter round in the showjumping, which just helped his friend Smartie Pants move into the lead on a dressage in the 30-31 range. Smartie of course jumped around like a real pro to keep the lead. Spike was adorable in the beginner novice, scoring 30 and picking up only one rail in the showjumping. He has learned where his feet are, but had a momentary mishap after cantering past the in gate and losing a bit of momentum. Will Coulter did 2 training level dressage tests, which were his first 2 trips in the ring in almost 2 years. He was great, kept his focus, and got a 28 on one test and a 30 on the other. I can’t wait to see the scores once he is more relaxed in a show atmosphere.
Smarts and Kojo went off the the Short Course Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farms on Halloween, and they were superstars. Kojo won the dressage on a 27, and tackled the short course (2 showjumps and then 11 xc obstacles, including ditch, bank and water) with more bravery than I expected of him. He can be very spooky, but he was totally committed the last couple steps before each obstacle. Good boy
Smartie was very good, on a 30, and a wonderful jumping round. I can’t wait until that boy matures enough to score well in the Training level dressage. His jumping ability is far and above the novice level, but he’s picking up some great experience and hopefully will be very confident by the time he gets to upgrade.So, for now, just getting back in the groove at work, and getting super excited about the weekend!! Thanks for reading, look for the results on Monday.
S
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