As far as a move up course, this one couldn’t have been better. In many ways it was simply a larger version of the BN course, but with a couple interesting lines/combos thrown in for good measure. It included a drop at 7, then an interesting terrain combination at 9AB, and a 2 stride combination at 15AB.
Despite my cross country nerves (which I think will never go away), I felt fairly confident that as long as I rode every fence that this would be a good course for Jack. We did get deep spots in a couple places, and he definitely bobbled going into the 9AB combo (lots to look at, including the training ditch right next to our question). BUT overall this was the most locked-on and confident he has felt on XC. How do I know?? The Golden Boy actually started hunting down a skinny Prelim brush coming out of the first water. As you’ll hear me say on camera, “Are you crazy?”
I also got good practice looking at my watch (something I definitely didn’t do last time), since I was tied going into XC and wanted to be close-ish to the optimum time. I still came in 20 seconds under, but was able to make decisions about trotting in a couple places and collecting him to the last fences to try and let the clock run up a bit. Who knew it was possible to think and ride at the same time?!
Maybe you wouldn’t have to jump like that Jack if you opened your eyes?
Seriously though, it was awesome to come off the course feeling like Jack had grown in confidence and experience over the last 5 minutes. And that’s how he officially became a Novice horse!
Red on the Right 
It’s SO fun when things start to click for them on XC. Opens up a whole new world!
Seriously- it was such a great feeling! Maybe one day Jack will be the XC machine that Henry is!
I love your on video cheerleaders! And I love CHP…such a beautiful venue!
Congrats on having a Novice horse! Cannot wait to see where y’all go from here.
Haha, I’m told some were recruited out there on the XC course- but strangers or not, we’ll take it!
Yay Jack! What fun to be successful and excited and have such a blast together!
It’s what makes eventing worthwhile!
Awesome! You much have had the BIGGEST smile on your face when you went through the finish flags!
OMG- SO HAPPPPY
The golden boy certainly earned THAT nickname at this outing 😀 😀 😀
For real- he had that #midastouch ❤
i saw your video on instagram and howled with laughter when he locked onto that fence. SO FUNNY! Great job and he looks great. You can think and ride. You are better than me 😉 HA HA HA Congrats on going Novice:)
Thinking is the hardest part of riding for real! And thank you!
I love watching him pull towards those fences! He was like “OMG YASSSS” lol So cute!
He was definitely starting to hunt for those flags ❤
Whoohooooo! Y’all look fantastic! Congrats!
P.s. Funny story time. My first ever full HT (I’d only done a combined test before this), I was so fast on the opium time that I decided to do a large circle in the this huge field before the last fence. I had no idea that it would be counted as a refusal! My coach wanted to strangle me I’m pretty sure because we would have ribboned really high otherwise!
Oh noooo! Haha that’s a mistake you only make once! Oops 🙂
Well done! You can tell he’s loving it.
Thank you! He’s starting to figure out this whole eventing thing 🙂
Yay congrats!
Thanks!!! ❤ ❤ ❤
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