Sadie and I hauled the two youngest mares (FF Evita and Gracia Cantura) and Sadie’s pony, Max, to the March 30 “make-up” Jumpernite show at Donida. I joke that it’s the “Olympics” of schooling shows because the fences are hands down the most decorative and exciting that we jump all year. That makes it an all around terrific experience for young brains. We had a blast and it was a great affirmation of the fact that I would rather spend my time and money supporting shows like that than the giant USEF juggernauts that the regular show circuit has transformed into. I will delve into that rant in a future post, but for now…videos!
This was a really big deal for Sadie and Max. Max has always been a little spooky, and because Sadie has always had her horse, Socks, to show, he’s also received minimal mileage off the farm. So this show, where we were able to haul in on schooling day and really SCHOOL the course (take the back rails of the oxers off, trot everything, then canter everything, then rails back up and canter a full course) was a major lightbulb moment for Max. And watching him jump around the 0.85m (2’9″) classes proved to us all that the pony has more than enough jump!
All in all we had a blast and it was a great reminder of what showing is supposed to be about…..having fun and getting a good gauge of where your horses are at.
Thank you, Jumpernite!!