Capital City Classic

We took a field trip yesterday. My barn manager (Alyson), my two lesson kids and I all went to see the Capital City Classic a local “A” rated hunter/jumper show. It was a big deal; a qualifier for Spruce Meadows and a couple of huge Grand Prix jackpots in the jumper classes. What an eye opening experience! My horses don’t look anything like those horses. Not one bit. I thought Tax was pretty fit before his injury but we have a long way to go and even at his best he’s going to be small next to any of them. I thought he was tall at 16.3 but those horses make him look like a pony.


We walked down the rows of stalls looking at each trainer’s set up. I can’t imagine any of them being very impressed with me or my horse. Have I mentioned I also can’t imagine coming up with $ 50 - $150k for a horse? I’m not sure if I want to show at this level, the money is a little bit ridiculous, but it is so very cool to watch. We got to see the Jr. Amateur jumper class with a $25k prize. The fences looked about 5 feet. Only one horse jumped clean. Alyson joked that the kid who won could pay for a year or two of college with the money. I pointed out she couldn’t even pay for her horse with the winnings but made she could get a scholarship for riding so well.

Meanwhile, back at our barn one of the pipes broke and we’ve had no irrigation water for a week. Looks like my muddy, stained beasties still aren’t getting a bath even though the weather was perfect for it.

I gave the two girls lessons on December. She’s been so good with them; trotting with a nice forward relaxed trot and stretching down in her neck. Looks so pretty. I think I’m getting the hang of this teaching thing too. My niece doesn’t really like riding English as much as Western so she’s been lazy and not trying very hard. I casually mentioned I thought Maddy, the other girl, was starting to post better than her. Well, that got her going. She posted very nicely yesterday, learned how to sit in two-point and cantered in my English saddle without hanging on to the horse’s mane. Maddy got to ride off the lunge line for the first time and we worked on steering. She even got brave enough to try some trotting. That kid is going to be good if she sticks with it.

I had an appointment for Tax with the vet but couldn’t get him in the trailer. He had a total TB, brain dead fit. You could see it in his eyes, he didn’t care what I did to him…he was not getting in the trailer. We argued about it for three hours and finally my sister got free and came out to help. It took 5 minutes with her help but by then of course I’d missed my entire appointment. Now I’ve got to reschedule and they’re bringing that stupid x-ray machine to me, like it or not. I really hope he’s okay but its been weeks and I can still see it. He doesn’t limp at a walk or trot but sometimes its almost like his hip gives out. I’ve seen him stumble a couple of times walking around the turn out pasture. I seriously hope this doesn’t end his career.

Some pics from the show....

Hunter division

Jumpers