Good Luck Everyone!

I know there are quite a few fellow bloggers out there planning on heading out to shows this weekend, some the first time this season, some the first ever.

Good Luck!

May your horse be focused, the weather be nice, and the ribbon be blue (or red for our Canadians).

I'm looking forward to reading about the adventures come next week!!

Dressage is Taking Over Eastern CO!

Ok, so not really.  But I did get a call from someone this week that lives in my area and is starting dressage.  I've been out here by my lonesome for so long, I never imagined I'd get to have a dressage buddy.  Now she's just starting dressage but has been doing hunter and all sorts of other riding so I imagine she is going to pick it up quickly.  She mentioned something about being 2nd level ready. 

I'm just happy to have someone to compare notes with and maybe even get to watch ride without driving an hour.  My brain is already turning on whether or not she would be able to ride Dexter for me every now and then.  I've kept him in pretty good shape with the lunging, but it still helps to have someone on him now and then.  And while I still hop on him every so often, its only for walking and trail work.  But we will have to get to know her first.  As I've mentioned a few times before, I"m pretty picky on who I let on my horse.

Oh!  And maybe I'll have someone to go to shows with next year!  But I'm not getting ahead of myself. :)

OT - My Cat the Hunter

This has nothing to do with horses, but it does involve one of my pets.... my cat- Pengin.  One afternoon a robin was taunting her through the window.  This is after about an hour of just sitting and watching when she decided she couldn't take it anymore and had to at least try to get at it, the robin is unphased.

To be fair, she is actually a decent hunter, better than I would like.  She has recently figured out the doggie door and likes to bring us mice (sometimes still very alive) at 2 am.

Not a Bad Season

This is me and Dexter's haul for the season. 

Granted some of these ribbons are technically "last" place, but some aren't so that's ok.  Some of the blue ribbons are even legitimate, as in more than one person was in the class.

Over all, be it a short one, it was a good first show season for Dexter and I (first for Dexter, first in a really really long time for me).   There were some disappointing moments (the last show we took a few large steps back).  But some pretty awesome ones too, like our 2nd schooling show where he was already over the hype, even enough to win Training Level 3, a test we hadn't done out yet, and with 4 other people in the class.  I think that's the ribbon I'm most proud of. 

My family was able to come and see me get back in the game.  And by the end of the season (again ours, I know for others its just beginning) we were such pros at the whole thing, we didn't even have to drag the husband along.  Sometimes the scores were ok, sometimes they were better and sometimes they were bad.  But we got there, we didn't fall off and in the end, shows were routine for both me and Dexter and I think that was the first step. 

Next year's goal.... a year end award.