Cross Country Schooling

Yesterday was the first day I have been schooling cross country all year. Thankfully we started in the stadium ring on Monday to get my jumping confidence a boost so going into the field wasn't going to be a complete shocker for me. We ran through most of the Beginner Novice rated course but skipped some things so we'd have obstacles to work on next week and to keep me from getting overwhelmed.

We started with Jump 2 that I was a jump judge with my Mom for at the show last weekend - the Red Waredaca barn. First attempt - right over it. Second - refusal. We had a couple more refusals before I finally got my position and head in the game. Then we headed to the roll top at Jump 3 and it was an easy fence for us both. We skipped Jump 4 - a downhill jump and moved to Jump 5 at the bottom of the hill. It was right along the tree line and I wasn't straight and refused. We circled around and I got better organized and popped over. Then we schooled a ditch I'd never seen before on the farm and a Blue barn with trees on the right. Both were super easy for us and I was starting to get into a groove. Next was a line. 2 small logs set sort of on a valley. We jumped it both ways a few times because I was not riding Smash straight to the logs both directions.

We crossed the road and I did the filled in ditch a couple times followed by the split log at the bottom of a very steep and small hill that I had to ride down. We ran through the water and over a log a couple times before we added a coop before water and then over the log back into water and out. All were going great! We ended on 3 last fences - a natural looking slanted jump then up and around to a rail on top of a big hill and down a big hill back up the hill to a rail to finish.

Here is where some issues started. I cleared the first slanted fence with ease but I couldn't get Smash straight to the first rails and I started to stare at the fence and let it intimidate me. We had a stop. I circled - another stop. Then another and I came off. Smash walked just fast enough...then trotted...away to her boyfriend before we caught her and tried again. This time I got over it! Down the hill, gallop up the hill - I gave a tap of my crop to let her know I wasn't chickening out a few strides back - and cleared! We repeated the 3 jump sequence one more time before calling it a day (clear, too). SO awesome!

I'm so happy that our first week out cross country for the year was more successful than I've had in the past year or 2! We are continuing to work on my position and approach to the fences and as I keep practicing, the better I get and less refusals I get! :) I'm signing up for Beginner Novice now for sure for the show - I'm confident I can do it! I can't wait to continue our practice over the next 2 weeks! I am so glad I moved to Waredaca! It was one of the best decisions I have made in a while!