[Buffymommy]

OK, had a show yesterday. Got third in all of my classes. BUT the two people ahead of me were trainers on young horses (who are probably worth $30,000 a piece).

I did improve in the first dressage test (scored a 64% up from a 61% last month). With an awesome second circle and a nice moving free walk. So our impulsion in the free walk has improved.

We did worse by about .5% on the second dressage test because Buck decided to be a stinker in our circle and decided to throw a tiny "buck" in when I asked him to bend into his turn. We did get a "NICE PAIR" in the judge's comments section. The scribe for the judge was Freddy's owner, she said she really liked Buck and I. She said "You ride him girl" and laughed when Buck did the little buck because I gave him a little swat with the crop and called him a "Stinker". (I don't think the judge heard me because we were on the opposite side of the ring and I said it loud enough for only Buck to hear.) But we only got scored a whooping "5" for that circle and it was a double coeffient so I actually lost two points. Also "STINKER" as I was referring to him until our jump class also decided to not stop to a walk before the ending halt at "X" so we did a "working trot to X and then stopped and saluted" instead of a halt through medium walk. We got a "6 for that instead of the "8" we got last month.

Jumping was very much improved. I hit about three rails but they all stayed up and we were the fastest ones around the course. I had lower dressage scores and the two ahead of me went clean too so again Third place in the combined. Buck was awesome in the jumping so he ended up getting all of the carrots my husband brought with him. I even brought some home made treaties from some of the girls at the barn (they were selling them for charity for the ASPCA for help with some rescued horses). So Buck got those too.

Well, thanks for listening and for the good wishes.