After a three hour drive, we arrived at the event only to find out we weren’t stabled on the grounds. I was asked “Didn’t you receive the email?”; no actually I didn’t. Then after being told “It’s just six minutes down the road”, we headed out in search of our stabling.

[cut to 30 minutes later]

It was dark and we finally found the barn.

Great.

We had to get up early so Frankie could chow breakfast, have some time to digest, load up, drive to the event, unload, tack up, and warm up.

Not exactly what I wanted. I got a stall so Frankie would be more comfortable, less stress, more down time. The idea was to give him peace before the competition; no driving the day of.

Dressage:

I had plenty of time to warm up for dressage. He was really good. I was the first one to go, and no one knew exactly how I entered the ring. I had to go to the judge and ask her. She wasn’t happy about it.

I entered and started Training Level Dressage Test B. As I went for my first circle the whistle blew. I pulled up.

The judge said “You are supposed to be tracking left”, I say “Test B tracks right” she says “You are supposed to be doing test A”.

Great.

To make a long story short, she asked if I knew test A, I responded yes. But I actually only vaguely remembered test A. I forgot it because I didn’t need to remember it, or so I thought. So, I exited and re-entered riding Test A. I remembered it, but it was only as I was going, and I was just waiting for the whistle to blow. Frankie was tense because he didn’t know what I wanted from him. Lots of question during a circle or a transition, not really sure if that’s what I was supposed to be doing.

It was a horrible test. Not Frankie’s fault. I think he would have gotten a great score if I would have gone in riding the correct test.

Score: 38.something

We loaded Frankie back into the trailer, took him back to the stable so he could chillax’ for an hour before it was back to ride stadium and cross country. While Frankie hung out, we again drove back to walk the cross country course and learn the stadium course.

The cross country course was really nice; I was looking forward to riding it. There was a jump into water I was sure Frankie would refuse, but Josh was being Mr. positive thinker and he would not settle for my negative attitude.

I didn’t walk the stadium course, but learned it. Seemed straight forward, even ground, a two stride, and a in and out.

No time to spare, back to get the Frank.

Stadium:

I didn’t want to over-warm him up, so I just trotted and cantered two times around the schooling area and then popped him over the warm up oxer.

Then we stood at the in-gate for 10 minutes waiting for the judge to get there.

Finally, we headed in.

I probably should have walked the course. Only because the one fence we knocked down wouldn’t have been knocked down had I walked the course. I just didn’t have a good line to it. Oh well.

As I left the ring, I was told I needed to hurry down to start my cross country since the stadium had started late.

Super.

score: 4 faults

Cross Country:

I got down to the start gate and warm up area just in time to hear “one minute.”

Fantastic.

I put Frankie into a canter and then into a gallop around the warm up area and entered the start gate at 15 seconds.

Off we went. Frankie was pulling me to fence one. This time, not confused. Fence two was the same. I steadied him around the turn to fence three, and after I softened he stopped and bucked. I resigned.

I was really upset. He didn’t stop at a fence he just stopped. Weird. Depressing. Discouraging. Devastating.

I had put so much time and all my money into this. I could have handled a stop at the water, even a ditch or bank. But to stop while galloping? I just couldn’t understand it.

He was sound. I know he didn’t like the stabling, but how weird.

I loaded him up, and we headed back. I felt like I wanted to give up riding. I didn’t understand. Frankie likes to go, he likes to jump. What was this all about?

Josh tried to give me a pep talk and I was not having it. I wanted to be upset. I needed to feel bad, be angry, and try to process my feelings and better understand what was going on with Frankie.