MDTE Spring Show 2: April 2024

 So the week before Cinder colicked, we did our second show of the season. I was waiting for the pro pics to come in before posting about it, and then they came the same day she colicked and I never got around to posting about the show. 

All photos bought from Lark Photographs

We hauled up on Friday to school and settle in. This show was about double the size of the March show, and the biggest one yet for MDTE. I was lucky enough to get on Cinder during a lull in the ring, but she was a little wound up and kept spooking at the sun spots coming through the windows in the indoor arena. She was backed off when we jumped, and we ended up adding in the lines, but Trainer M was ok with it as I was giving her a good positive ride and not letting her antics work me up. 

Saturday Trainer M asked if she could do the first round of the 2' hunters and I happily handed over the reins. It had been warm and sunny all day, but a storm blew in with a lot of wind and sideways rain right as I started to get ready. Thankfully, as cranky about the rain as she was, Cinder seemed in a much better headspace than on Friday. She and Trainer M won their round together. I hopped on and did a quick w/t/c in the outdoor before going in for the second round. I don't remember how we placed, but we did get all our leads and made the strides in the line. I was really happy with the rounds. My last class on Saturday was the 2' derby and oops, I did it again and went off course. Stupid bending lines. The rest of the round was great, but apparently I can't remember where to go. 

Sunday we had the Fun Class and the 2'3" hunter division. The Fun Class for this show was Simon Says, and they broke it up into juniors vs adults again. The sun was back and we were in the indoor, which unfortunately had a bunch of bugs and bees flying around in it. We had just started the class by putting one hand on our heads and were trotting around when a few bees started buzzing us and Cinder took offense. I chose life and dropped my hand to grab my rein and was the first adult to get eliminated. 

They had a Mexican food truck come to this show and the pork nachos were the best horse show food I've ever had 

Cinder pulled her classic move of just barley tapping the rail of the first fence in our first 2'3" round and pulled it, but the rest of the round was great. Again, we were able to get all of our leads and made the strides. In the second round she spooked at the sun spot coming through the window again as I was picking up the canter, causing us to get the wrong lead, but the rest of the round was pretty darn perfect. I was really, really proud of us. The under saddle was also pretty darn perfect. I didn't let her break in the canter or pick up the wrong lead and we won! That with thirds in both the over fences rounds gave us the reserve champion for the division. It was a fantastic show and I was really so happy with both Cinder and myself.