Way back in May I did the Woodside 3-day with our good friends Firefly and Michelle. I did a review of the equipment I thought was useful at the show here, but I haven’t actually written about my experience because I was waiting for the photos from Marcus Green Outdoor Photography, and they did not disappoint! Here I will share the Good, Meh, and Rainy Awesomeness of the Woodside 3-Day where we did Introductory for the second time (first time was Fresno).
It all starts on Thursday after a dressage lesson at home with my dressage coach. We were in the newly updated “sky” arena with amazing footing that is apparently surrounded by freaking monsters, because Bow just could not even. But we managed to do the whole test (Eventing Beginner Novice A) without me forgetting anything. Then we loaded Bow and Firefly and drove over to the Woodside Horse Park. Parking was a bit of an adventure (Thank you again! to the volunteer who helped me park), but we got the horses settled, tacked up, and headed over to warm up into dressage ring. Bow couldn’t stop fixating on the judge’s box, and someone was power-washing something on the other side of the fence behind the judge’s box. Lets just say that didn’t leave a good impression on Bow. Sigh.
Friday is Dressage and I didn’t go until 4 pm, so I wasn’t in any hurry to get to the show. Michelle and Firefly had a great ride (she posted pictures on their instagram). I longed Bow in the afternoon and he was like a freight train running around, even with the side reins on. I got cleaned up in my Ideal Goode Rider Show coat and Stock Bubble stock tie (which I tied all by myself) and headed over to the warmup. Connie Arthur of Lone Tree Farm (who owned Bow’s sire, who sadly passed away) was our coach. On the way to the ring Bow decided the RideOn video tent was going to attack him.
Bow was a prince in the warm up ring, far from the judge’s box and the RideOn video tent. I mean really awesome. Alas he couldn’t get over the judge’s box, the memory of the power washer monster behind the fence, nor the lurking tent. He also had a cough and coughed the reins out of my hands. Then near the end at about A I forgot how to get back to X to finish and went off course (it’s K-X-G, I couldn’t “see” the shape from K in my mind). But we’re at intro so we can work on this stuff, and in the end I was very proud of him.
Bow isn’t a fan of loud noises and specifically speakers. I mean, a disembodied voice *is* kinda spooky 👻. Fortunately for us our stall was right next to the stadium jumping arena and a speaker was right outside his stall, so he had plenty of exposure to get used to the voice. As usual I was running a little behind for the getting dressed part so I skipped my stock tie, but I gotta say, I love my Kerrits show coat. Longing went well, we made it to the warmup ring, and Bow decided it was terrifying. Like seriously could not focus on the warm up jump at all. We started out okay in the ring, but my friend took some video and with how much he’s looking at the crowd and the scary white wall; it’s kind of like a cartoon. I failed to consider that circling would cost us points and well, between that and the rail he knocked down, I was just glad we got to progress to cross country.
It rained the two times I was at the Fresno Horse Park, and it decided to rain on me again at Woodside. Sigh. At least Bow was a freaking angel. He warmed up like a gentleman, and was a professional in the warmup. Nothing like a relaxed horse to put a smile on your face! And aside from needing a good look at the first jump, we had a freaking blast out there!
Did I mention it was raining? It was hard to breath because my face was so wet, that’s my excuse for the open mouth. 🙂
I lost my stirrup coming into jump 5 and we did it anyway, no problemo. I have proof!
VICTORY!
I gotta go do this again.