Well I feel a little sick today, but I have decided that the murph man is going to run at Poplar Place Nov. 12-15. I have already spent so much time, effort, and money I need to get something out of it. So more lessons, jumper show this weekend, and hopefully we can work on that dressage test!

Well mother nature just didn't have it in store for us this year. Unfortunately we had inches of rain and being the 2nd to last horse to go in the two star, I decided not to run. I am hoping I can convince some of my teachers to let me miss class so I can go to the CCI** at Poplar. I watched some horses go in the morning and it looked like the horses were sticking to the ground. I didn't want to scare Murphy, so I thought I would pull him. He is young and still somewhat inexperienced at this level and hopefully he will be my advanced horse, so why ruin him. I came her for the real test and with many fences pulled out of the combinations it was about how could jump out of the mud. So I think I made the right decision many horses looked very tired going home and sore later Saturday. 
Oh well, welcome to the horse world, I think I may now be on plan F

Dressage Day was very exciting. I was pleased with out test for the most part because he really started to come through, especially in the warmup. I had some 8's and 9's in my tests, and then some 4's where he broke and was tense in the walk work. I learned a ton though on how to get the best out of him, before his dressage tests. So I am really excitied for next year to start putting everything together. Still wet and rainy :(

I think the jog is the most stressful part of the whole threeday because there isn't much you can do besides hold on the hope the horse jogs straight and foward. :) Well Murphy did just that and was accepted. Fair Hill is like my Rolex. ITS AWESOME! There are over 160 horses here all competing at the top levels of this sport. I feel like a rockstar.


Today I went for a little Hack this morning with Coren, and then the jog, and then had a dressage lesson with Bonnie Mosser. Murphy felt good, still somewhat tired from his trip. AND MAN IS IT COLD! OMG... I have become coldblooded living in the South. Coren and I then walked around a very LONG course and I can't wait to jump around. It absolutley beautiful. I am excitied... oh to bed but here are some pics from today!

So these last couple weeks have been CRAZYYY. I have been so busy getting Murphy ready for Fair Hill, teaching and school, I feel like I haven't had time for anything. But everything has been going great and a wonderful learning experience. We have been galloping twice a week up the hill at the Gibbes farm and Murphy is getting super fit. A couple weeks ago I went to Poplar Place horse Trials in Hamilton, GA and finished tenth in the CIC**. Overall I was pretty pleased, but defiantly came home with some things to work on. I was not satisfied with out dressage score, especially how well he has been schooling at home. I still can't seem to find the line of when to start and finish our warmup. We had some nice moments thought. I was very pleased with out canter serpentines and lengthenings. I was really trying to show him off in the lengthening, and he was a good boy. Cross country was a blast. It was a  tough course, constantly asking questions. Our 4th fence was a skinny house two strides to a log one stride to a house into water with a pretty large leap (this is all downhill). We had a tight sunken road, three corners, a 2nd water with a bank complex in the water, and this drop where I thought we were jumping into space. Murph was quite strong at the beginning so I really had to take a feel of him earlier in front of the fences then I wanted to, to make sure he was paying attention. We finished with a couple time penalties, but I was very pleased.