Poplar Place CIC

26 September 2011

We are back from Poplar Place! Or as the Ag Station cop told me… 11 horse trailers have been through goin’ to Popular Place!

We left on Thursday in the ginormous Joe Meyer Eventing rig. Joe and Ruthie were kind enough to let me take their wheels for the weekend since they are in England. Yep, just me, two dogs and two red ponies. First time doing a weekend horse show by myself AND first time using the living quarters. Foresight is nonexistent and hindsight is 20/20...

Poor Hewie had a bit of drama before we left for the show. On Sunday he got stuck with a hot nail on his LF. He was pretty lame the next morning so I pulled the shoe off right away and started the soak-ice-pack routine. I was able to give him a little bute but had to stay within the FEI guidelines since he was entered in the 2*. We jumped with Jon Holling on Wednesday and he seemed to be all right, so cautiously off we went. Hewie trotted up like a pro at his in-barn and seemed to be ready to go.

Thursday night was a bit of a cluster. Between checking in, riding Donald and getting organized for the next day I barely had time to set up the LQ. Right, so, turns out campers have different plugs that won’t fit in normal outlets. Who knew? Obviously not me. Good thing Kyle Carter knew and he generously lent me a converter so I could plug into the generator. Got the plug, got the generator going, just in time for a gigantic thunderstorm. Of course, the generator dies (out of gas), and there is no way I am going out in the monsoon to fill it up. Meanwhile the spooky dog is freaking out at the thunder and spinning in circles, making it difficult to unpack and get settled. A 10’ area suddenly becomes very, very small when there is a terrified animal sharing your space.

Also, despite desperate attempts, I never could convince the refrigerator to get going. I purposely packed the thing full because I wasn’t going to try and unhook at the show - hydraulic jack a little dicey.
I think it goes without saying that I am not cut out for camper living.

Friday morning comes and I am certain I look like death. Donald goes at 8:30 in the CIC3* and in order to maintain our new dressage day routine it meant I was in the barn at 5am. He was a bit of a twit when I did our “pre-ride” in the morning and I was worried he would be up to his old tricks again. Proof is in the pudding, what I am doing with him is working and he put in a really good test (for him). Very steady, relaxed, calm. That is what we are going for right now. I had a very short time between Hewie and Donald so I hustled to get on him and see how he felt. Basically OK but came up a little short in the 10m circles. Decided to play it safe, pull him out of the 2* and gave him a gram of bute. Of course… suddenly completely sound! Donna at Poplar was so sweet and let me enter him in the HT to practice a test in which he was a spooky hot mess. To stay on the safe side I did not do any more with him that weekend.

The 3* course definitely rode harder than it walked. Rarely do I have to scrap a bit on Donald but we did this weekend. Between the angled cannons, double corners and the gnarly rail/bank/coffin at the end, our work was cut out for us! We jumped clean and had the 2^nd fastest time of the day. I underestimated the terrain at Poplar and it was a pretty good test of fitness. It is clear Donald needs to be more fit for Galway but he is just about where he should be now, lots more trotting and a few more good gallops and he will be all set for our Cali trip.

I got held in the jog on Sunday morning, mostly I think because I trotted him up like an idiot the first time. I sprinted down the lane with his head cocked sideways like I had never seen a jog strip in my life. Maybe it was the combined lack of sleep and lack of nourishment from my failed attempt at camper living. Other than a small stifle rub Donald had not a hair out of place, so of course I chose to represent him, which he passed easily.

The show jumping course was long and tricky. Since I have been having some lessons with Jon he has been a distance Hitler, I get reemed if I’m not loving the base. It is good for me and he is right. I am having a hard time making myself see that extra 6 inches and my eye is off. It will take me a few more jump schools to start seeing a more correct distance. In the meantime, at Poplar in the show jumping I rode like an idiot. I think I missed at every jump. Better lucky than good… I think Donald thought I was trying to kill us both and he suddenly became extra careful. All the rails stayed up but I had a few time faults. I am trying to see a deeper distance by holding when I need to be riding forward to the same distance. I will need to get this all sorted before Galway and practice, practice, practice.

The Red Moose ended up in 3^rd again and although I am getting tired of seeing yellow ribbons I am thrilled with him. This was his best 3* finish yet and I am so happy to see him being consistent. I have always known that I have a wonderful cross country partner in Donald, but I feel that we are really finding our groove as a team in general. He is a funny horse and it takes a while to “get” him. He will now just go to some dressage and show jumping shows, maybe an Intermediate horse trial on the way to California. Trying to put the finishing touches on what I hope will be a winning performance.

Hewie is fine now and I will have to find another Intermediate run for him. He is spooky and sensitive and is the type of horse that needs to keep running to be at his best. I also have a whole month now to figure out the living quarters.

Til next time
Katie, Donald and Hewie