We took Lucy to her first live judged working equitation show on August 1, 2020.
It was foggy as we walked out to the field to bring Lucy in at about 6:30 am.
She and Spidey loaded into the trailer without incident. Then as we followed the trailer along the first turn, we watched in awe as the two right rear wheels caught a big landscaping rock at the edge of the road.
Instead of clearing the rock, the first tire lifted the trailer up and brought it back down onto the rock, where it lodged in the gap between the back wheels.
Jeannie pulled over as we noticed the smell of burning rubber.
Luckily Roberto was just arriving to work work and came over to help us. He brought a big floor jack, lifted the trailer a bit, and cracked the rock with a crowbar. Unbelievably, we were on our way with minimal loss of time and without damage to the tires.
We got to Oak Spring stables with about 30 minutes to go before Jessica’s ride time.
Just enough time to meet coach Melissa Smith and warm up.
Lucy spooked at a thump from a horse in a nearby trailer. But she and Jessica worked out their jitters and in she went to her first ever live judged intro dressage course.
This ride ended up winning second place! Way to start your dressage life, Jessica and Lucy!
During our lunch break, we were surprised to find we had parked near a goat field. The goats came up to check out Lucy and Spidey, which unnerved them and prompted much snorting. But they got over themselves and settled down to graze.
The obstacle course came next. I think Lucy’s idea was to keep grazing.
During the warmup walk, Lucy shied at the bull obstacle, but Jessica helped her get comfortable with it quickly.
This was Lucy’s first ever complete obstacle course. It was a learning experience. But she and Jessica did all 10 obstacles successfully!
Lesson learned about the gate: Keep hold of the rope.
Lesson learned about the bridge: Let her check it out before asking her to try something new.
Lesson learned about the jug: Get a solid halt first. Somehow teach her to stand still. And don’t drop the jug.
My turn came 3 riders later. This trip earned a 5th place ribbon. My first ribbon with Lucy.
Though it was a hot day for working equitation, we caught a break with the weather. The sun stayed behind the clouds for most of the day. And the heat probably stayed below 90, unlike the previous days.
Lucy put up with the heat in good form.
The next day, Sunday, we stopped by the barn to celebrate with a ribbon photo shoot.
Good girl, Lucy!
