This past weekend Calvin and I went to our first show in over a year.  After the last show I went to in March of 06 when we crashed and burned, I was pretty apprehensive of what might happen.  Especially because this time we were doing jumper classes instead of hunter classes (i will save you the boring details, but just say that the jumps in “jumper” classes tend to be more brightly colored/ decorated then the tamer rails and flower boxes in “hunter” classes). 

 If our morning warm up was any indication, i was prepared to die.  Calvin had his own agenda with what was going to happen, and since i was foolish enough to try and stand in his way, he made up his mind he was going to rid himself of me and tried his damndest to send me flying through the air.  20 minutes of longing (galloping in circles, neighing wildly) readjusted his attitude a bit and we had some good schooling in the warm up ring.

Cantering to our first fence, i was prepared for the usual slam on the breaks, then launch over the jump like a deer.  But we actually jumped it!!  no looking, no questioning, we just went!!  The 2nd jump, Calvin thought he might play a bit, and spent some time bucking afterward.  The 3rd Jump, I trusted him to go a bit too much and he took advantage of it, and just sort of stopped.  I got back on the ball, and every jump in every class after that was smooth sailing!!  I couldn’t have been happier with the way the day went.

 I was still in the “hunter” frame of mind and cantering at a leisurely pace around the course doing my best to make it look effortless.  The “jumper” classes are timed classes and you win by getting over the jumps the fastest without taking any of them down- it doesn’t matter how you look.  My trainer had to yell at me to “GO COURTNEY!!” so we had a riot the rest of the course galloping around.  I could really get into this jumpers thing!!  Super fun! 

After a very unsuccessful and frustrating show season last year with Calvin things look to be on track for this year.  We thought it was going to take quite a bit of time to build his confidence enough to get him going over fences without acting like there was horse eating monsters under every one of them, but in reality it took a couple lessons, some time on the cross country course and the calm demeanor of his buddy dooley who takes everything without batting an eye.  Check out the pics of Dooley and Kristy and Calvin and me in the gallery!!