Goodbye 2009

A very bittersweet ending to 2009. Looking back on everything I am very disappointed in my perfomance at Poplar Place CCI**.  I felt that Murphy and I were more than prepared to complete a CCI** but Murphy decided it would have to be another day. It actually was kinda a humorous weekend thinking about everything that happened. Driving down to GA, I got stuck on a bridge that was over-flowing with water, so we had to back up and find an alternate route.  Fridays dressage test was very steady and consistent and I thought the best two star test I have done all year. Judges didn't think so. I ended up with a 65, a horrible score, and was not pleased. I guess I just dont' understand how one judge can give you a 5 on a movement and another an 8?? Confusing, yes but I do know what we need to improve on. I am hoping that after a little break we can really hound the dressage and get Murphy more through and up in his frame.

Course looked great. The Stegmans did a great job pulling off a CCI on their piece of Property and was much more gallopy than expected. Murphy was wild. Simply put. He tried to buck me off in the morning when I went out for a hack and then would not focus in the warmup. I figured once we got out on course he would settle. Well that never really happened. Our first real question was a mound that you had to jump on take a stride and jump off, then three strides to a skinny house.  The strangest thing I have ever done. Well I was a little nervous about the mound as you literally jumped on a hill, but Murphy was super brave and almost attacked it. He is the kind of horse who is very good jumping off banks and always focuses on the element behind it, and then just never happened. He took one stride and lept off the bank sending us flying and running down the hill, WAY past the skinny. Soo I turned around after I got control, and jumped the C element. We had a pretty big table after that and then turned to two offsets to a bounce into water. We came down to the bounce and I went to hit him as he jumped the A element since he has never jumped a bounce before and my crop was stuck in my reins. Frustrating. I think I threw my shoulders at him causing him to stop at the B element. I quietly turned around and then  jumped very nicely back in. We had a bank out to a cabin and then a table then a short gallop to a one stride drop downhill to a corner. He jumped that great and I really thought I had my horse back and we were on the right track.  We jumped a tent house and then had to turn to a corned with a pretty big drop bending to a house. Well we jumped the corner and Murphy decieded that heck if we were going to turn, we were going to run. Soo down the hill running we went causing me to pick up another 20. In FEI rules three stops and it is considered a Elimination. For some reason I thought the rule was four, but my horse did get to jump around most of the CCI course, so for that I am thankful.

What is very hard about this, was that I really didn't have the control I needed. Its time to start playing with Bits. :) I think mentally Murphy peaked at Fairhill and then it was hard to keep him focused as well as myself. I will have to think about that next year.  So looking back on the event It was an "experience" to say the least. Between to calls to triple A because I locked my keys in my car and my car wouldn't start, I am glad the weekend is over. Now I am just itching to go run around again because I am very embarrased of our performace. Guess there is lots of room for impovement.

Looking back on 2009 thought it was a great year full on new opportunites and learning experiecnes. I learned a lot about my horse and got the opportunity to compete against the top riders in the country. I also moved up to the intermediate and two star levels and am planning to continue this next year. To top in off I was reserve Champion in the JYOP at AEC's and took home some great prizes. Not to shabby for my xracehorse.  I am already looking forward to next year, hopefully less rain, and a consistent record around some intermeidates and two stars.
 2010 here we come!!