“He was such a good boy”
Last weekend we traveled to Vermont (again) for the GMHA August Horse Trials. The weather was nothing short of PERFECT. It’s the first time in the last 2 seasons of going to GMHA that it wasn’t either POURING or WICKED HOT (that’s Maine talk for very hot).
If you’ve read these posts before, you know that dressage has always been the sticky point for my daughter – the eventer. Two weeks ago, at Fitch’s Corner, Emily and Bully for Billy had their first real dressage success with a score of 32.6. Excited and yet not ready to call it “success”, Emily attributed it to the test – Prelim Test C. GMHA required Prelim Test B, the test she’s had trouble with … until now. With a score of 33.9, she was sitting in first place after dressage. Perhaps this is a trend?
Stadium went well, but two rails dropped her into second. Still excited to be doing so well, she prepared for cross country day (held last on Sunday at this show). This mother mucker, of course, went to volunteer as a jump judge. I was judging #3 and #20 for prelim and watched her as she went by, galloping toward and successfully over the coffin, and into the woods. With a 5:50 optimum time, I knew it would be a while before I saw her come out of the back field and within view.
The advantage of being a jump judge while my daughter is riding is that I can hear everything as she proceeds through the course. All clear through jump 15 – the last jump in the back field. Next was through the stream, up the hill, and over a pair of offset jumps (a bounce).
“Rider down at jump 16. Rider is up and walking home.”
It happened fast enough that I didn’t have to wonder and worry (while at the same time trying to keep my composure to watch others coming over jump #3 and #20). First walking toward me was her dad, shrugging and wondering what happened. Next was friend Lauren Leavitt, also wondering what happened. “She looked great going through the field.”. “He hit #6 with his front legs, perhaps he was lame.” SPECULATION. We waited and wondered.
Finally, my eventer came through. She was in tears – not hurt, but in tears.
“He was such a good boy” were the first words out of her mouth. “It was my fault – I was sitting too far froward as I came up the hill. He was such a good boy.” as she reached down and gave her 16h2 bay thoroughbred a big hug around the neck. I wanted to cry right along with her.
And so goes another horse trials. There’s always something to work on, but the journey is fun to watch.