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Stacy Upshaw
Member
Username: 36541
Post Number: 399
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 22, 2008 - 9:07 pm: |   |
I need some help from the hunter riders among us, and in return will give you a giggle with details and pics after my show. It turns out that having 2 kids under 6, a full-time job and building a house is not leaving much time for event training. Go figure! Because I love to compete, and enjoy riding with goals, I have signed up for a hunter show in a month. Today I tried jumping without my cross-country brain, tried to just be still and perfectly in position with my horse on very light contact and in a natural frame. Harder than I thought for sure! I have a hard time being what feels like "less involved" in the process. I am going to be videoed tomorrow if the weather holds, but would appreciate any thoughts on the temporary switch in disciplines. The horse I will be showing is the horse in my profile, an 11 yo Trakehner with whom I have ridden Second level dressage. I never jumped him much because he showed no inclination to be as catty and brave as I like for eventing. People have always said he is hunter type - who knew it would come to this!! |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 1006
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 - 5:02 am: | |
Ofcourse no help from me Stacy but what did you do with that nice Connemara?
Jos |
Fran C
Member
Username: canter
Post Number: 1648
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 - 10:15 am: | |
Ahh, Stacy, I can't help either, other than to offer empathy with the juggling the kid/job /house /riding/(oh yeah, and poor neglected husband) thing. Sometimes I think we must be absolutely nuts to try to manage all that. I've gotten used to people telling me how tired I look!
Anyway, good luck in the switch of disciplines. I'm not an expert by any means, but if you can handle flying over cross country fences, you'll soon pick up the feel of the hunter ring with few problems and a little practice. Good luck! |
Susanne Ryder
Member
Username: sryder11
Post Number: 47
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 - 11:09 am: | |
there is a 3-day event trainer at my barn and she takes all her lower-level students to hunter-jumper shows. I think if you need more contact just go ahead and use it, the main thing is for the horse to get the strides and get around the course and you will be fine. After he gets used to being at the shows you can practice little jumping exercises like grids with him to get him used to a lighter contact. |
Stacy Upshaw
Member
Username: 36541
Post Number: 400
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Aug 24, 2008 - 8:54 am: | |
Thanks for the vote of confidence guys. Yesterday a friend of mine jumped Han for me - the first time I have seen him jump in years. He seems to have had a breakthrough after the years of dressage and can get his knees up in front, albeit in a slow round way which is apparently desirable. She watched me ride him, gave me some position tips and reassured me that the pictures of hunters I have seen are mainly in the equitation classes, not my cup of tea. She also filled me in on the hunter culture for the over 21 set. Apparently a flask is an accepted part of grown-up behavior!! LOL! You know, you can't drink and event without a medical helicopter present, but reportedly you can relax at your own pace at these shows! All told, I'm really looking forward to a kid-free 24 hours, no matter the discipline.
Jos you have a great memory. Riley Rose is growing AGAIN, and I will take her to this same show in October to do jumpers with the hope of doing a recognized event in the spring. |
leslie christian
Member
Username: leslie1
Post Number: 328
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, Aug 24, 2008 - 2:07 pm: | |
You go girl!! have a wonderful, relaxing time.
PS. I love that horse in your profile!!
 leslie |
Cynthia G
Member
Username: cgby1
Post Number: 284
Registered: 5-2006
| | Posted on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 - 6:44 pm: | |
Hi Stacy,
I know that it has been awhile but I wondered how the show went? Do you have any pics?
Cynthia |
Stacy Upshaw
Member
Username: 36541
Post Number: 406
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 7:04 am: | |
Hi Cynthia. We returned last night from the hunter show 2 hours away, having had a blast! My horse is a seasoned gentleman, so travel and settling in is a given, but since I came with 2 raw 5yos(and their 16yo riders) I was reminded of how nice it is to be owned by such a horse. I was outfitted appropriately by my friend and H/J mentor, hereafter referred to as "Yoda." She moved down to Alabama from PA and has had years of teaching at the upper levels, including taking large groups of students to Devon. Bless her, she is in some withdrawal for that kind of equestrian culture down here! We were allowed to school the courses in the show ring Friday evening - quite a stunner for an eventer. Yoda advised me to move up to baby green, 2ft 3in in our area, so I didn't even have to get on at the crack of dawn without my coffee! Han and I did well given that he has been jumping about 6 weeks total. We didn't concentrate on distances, so did some chipping and stretching here and there, but he was very happy and willing. We pinned in one of the jumping classes, then got second in a large baby green flat class after I figured out he should be in the frame I use to cool him out after dressage work! Overall a super time only 24 hours -pictures to follow. I have scheduled return trips for November and January, but grown-ups only this time. I had really missed the competitive jumping and am energized by the experience. I usually only sew people, but I was looking around at those fussy tack stall curtains......... oh how fru-fru.... but hmmmm... |
Stacy Upshaw
Member
Username: 36541
Post Number: 407
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 9:50 am: | |
pics from yesterday - what fun to be back in the show ring!  |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: mrose
Post Number: 4070
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 11:48 pm: | |
Hey Stacey, you look great! I'm glad you had a good time at the show! That's one of your babies? Looks like he could have easily gone higher! I'd enjoy more pictures. Watch out, sounds like you've been bitten by the "show bug" again!
You'll have to meet my doctor some day; she raises warm bloods and competes in Open jumping. You guys would have a ball together. |
LL
Member
Username: frances
Post Number: 688
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2008 - 4:08 am: | |
Very nice Stacey! I agree with Sara - more pics! |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 1179
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2008 - 5:00 am: | |
You look great Stacey!
Jos |
Stacy Upshaw
Member
Username: 36541
Post Number: 408
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2008 - 9:22 pm: | |
Thanks you guys, unfortunately no more still pics as we were all in the saddle at the same time. My Mom got there as I was in the ring and took the blurry one on the run. Yes, I'm 40 years old and I am privileged to have my "horse show mom" come to the show grounds! Some video was shot and I am supposed to have the DVD(?) soon - not that I would have the faintest clue how to post it...
Yes Sara, Han is my homebred Trakehner by Jean Brinkman's Hailo out of the mare my mother gave me for my 21st birthday. The whole horse thing is quite a touchstone for us. I have been infested with the show bug from age 10, just hadn't been able to scratch the itch in a while! |
Jo Ann Widner
Member
Username: jowidner
Post Number: 230
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2008 - 10:11 pm: | |
Stacy that's so great that your mom still comes to shows with you. CafePress has a "Horse Show Mom" T-shirt with a jumping horse on it. Sounds like your mom should have one. Congratulations on your return to competition! Beautiful horse BTW and you look great on him! |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: mrose
Post Number: 4073
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008 - 12:17 pm: | |
Enjoy your new show career, Stacey! It's great your mom comes. Horses were the one big common bond my mom and I shared up until she died. Up into her late 80's she would go to shows with me when she could and dressed in her fancy hats and gold jewelry, she would pick out the stalls for me, then wrapped in a wool cooler would sit and watch classes until the end of the day.
Han is a nice looking guy and looks talented and happy to be jumping. Bet you're going to have a lot of fun with him! Good luck and enjoy! (Hey, did you catch the ages of some of the Olympians? It's never too late for a good show career!) |
