May 2009, Manny at Aspen Farms Horse Trials

Well, this is my second try at the blog today.  My original is lost in cyberspace or is trapped somewhere in my laptop!

We just returned home from Aspen Farms Horse Trials.  This was our first time at this event and the venue is just 3 years old.  The courses are very well done with lots of the jumps being portables.  Aspen Farm is located just south of Olympia Washingtopn and we were expecting to have rainy weather.  We had wonderful sunny weather for dressage day and overcast for cross country day.  It doesn't get much better than that!

I don't think that Manny had ever seen so many trees and of course he was sure that a mountain lion would jump out at any time.  His dessage ring was just through the trees form where show jumping was being set up.  The tensness of his test sort of set the tone for the weekend.  He just could not seem to relax.  He started out on xc a bit tentative but then he really got "on course" and was jumping better than ever.  I was so happy with how he was handling the trees and all the people watching and then, near the end of the course,  we came to the brightly died water.  He just couldn't get over the look of it and our day ended there.  I was a bit surprsed as he had jumped the rest of the course like a pro.  Oh well. He was a bit hard to steer around the trees in the show jumping, but all in all, it went quite well.

I think that manny learned a lot at Aspen Farm.  I schooled him today and was just sooo good.  I think we are ready for the next event!

Manny was fitted for a new County dressage saddle a couple of weeks ago.  I am really looking forward to it arriving!