Sunday, August 29, 2010

Well Smokey has been busy!

Since the last post (gosh that was a while ago, where has the time gone?!) Smokes has done another Show Hunter day and his first competitive trail ride.
Show Hunter first :o) I thought the heights were 55cm, 65cm etc, but got there and found out it's 50, 60, 70cm etc so since Smokey hadn't seen ANY jumps since the ODE over a month prior I thought we'd just do the 50 and 60cm rounds (he'd done 65cm at the ODE) so entered him for those and decided to let him choose if he wanted to pick up a canter into the jumps etc (last lesson before the ODE was all just trot approaches) and he did a very nice 50cm round. The 60cm round unfortunately I was distracted by asking hubby to keep photographing the rider following me, turned away from him and lined up and jumped the last jump as jump #1 so was eliminated. He was jumping VERY nicely and I asked two of the organisers on the side line if they thought he looked like he'd do the 70cm OK (he was clearing everything with plenty of room!) and they were very much in agreeance that he'd do it no problems so we entered the 70cm round too. A little off in some of the striding for them, but cleared them all no hesitation at all, very very happy with the boy! And he won the 50cm round! Go Smokester!

Here is the only still photo I have of him jumping 70cm and it had to be taken off a vid clip as hubby had the camera on video mode by accident LOL. All the rest of the photos were completely mistimed and he didn't actually have the video camera running :o(

It's the first jump. The Flying Smokey LOL, a little out on the striding!
Last weekend was his first trail ride, just a 15km ride, he had a starting heart rate of 32, we had to push the end of the ride a little more than we wanted to make the time so his finish rate was 51, and final heart rate was 37. We came in 30 seconds under time and Smokey won!!! Was a GREAT ride, we had a gallop through the vineyard, and just had a ball. Very proud of his attitude throughout the entire ride :o)

oh yeah, the finish line!!!!
something about seeing Tracey the photographer there was obviously hilarious!
tidy your hair up there Smokey, the camera is out!aaaaaaaaw, I'm as proud as you are my wee dude, I luff you!
and here is the video of Smokey's winning round at Show Hunter :o) Jumps look so weeny!

2 comments:

sally said...

What a cute horse. Have just found your blog.good for you getting out there and doing a bit of everything.gotta love a red ribbon too!

KA said...

Thanks Sally, I'm really enjoying a relaxed horse! My special needs dun is hard work in most things we do, so I'm loving a bombproof pony again, I feel like a pony club kid all over again! :o)