Let the Final Countdown begin...

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.

Showjumping on Sunday morning was okay. We warmed up and he felt pretty tired in his body. But the thing with Murph is he then tries harder, and it is hard for me to stay with him. In his pictures he is jumping over the standards. We had the first rail in the showjumping, but as I say better to fix as you go on. Im glad he started jumping better and better throughout the course. 

So after my trek home ( only 5 hrs :)  I have been busy working on our dressage and showjumping. I have a couple lessons planned this week, and then I think I will be leaving Tuesday for Maryland. I have posted pictures throughout the site from AEC's. Thank you to Brant Gamma Photography for the beautiful photographs.