It was an incredible weekend.

I was competing 3 horses over the biggest courses in the area.

I hadn’t competed 2 of them since last fall, and one in almost 4 months. I was advised strongly that I needed an easier run on all of them before this competition, because the courses were just that tough.

Best laid plans.

12 inches of rain changed that program and I arrived at the biggest courses around without a prep run before hand.

No worries.

Bad Eventer was ready.

Dressage came and went, and as I was leaving the arena someone asked how it went. My reply,” A number is always better than a letter!”

I was THRILLED with the generous 42 I received after my pony’s complete and total meltdown.

Have I mentioned how much I love that dressage test? (The Horror of Prelim B)

My goal for the weekend was a qualifying score, and a 42 kept that possibility well within reach. Forget that he normally gets 29s or 30s!

Cross country came and went. I felt amazing in warm up. All 3 horses warmed up beautifully. Forward, listening, reaching every jump perfectly…..

It was some kind of magic actually. I used to choke completely in XC warm up and Bad Eventer REGULARLY smashed jumps to the ground before leaving the Start Box.

All 3 horses warmed up beautifully, jumped around clear, and I came off cross country feeling like Super Woman.

I’ve never found stadium frightening.

My absolute gut wrenching terror was always reserved for things with DITCHES under them….

or those DAMN CORNERS.

But when I walked out onto stadium set for Intermediate, it looked FREAKING HUGE.

That was the moment I began to doubt my Move Up decision.

I told a friend that I had talked to about moving up that I was completely READY to jump Intermediate cross country, I was actually lusting after the Red numbered jumps and joked about throwing some in as I was booking around Prelim.

But, these stadium jumps looked HUGE!!!

Tight turns,

bigger jumps,

and no speed like on XC……

I was starting to lose my nerve.

She said, “They look a lot smaller from horse back.”

I wasn’t convinced.

I started my warm up………….and all was going well…………..

and then…………..it happened.

Warm up choke struck.

I missed badly enough that we took an entire warm up oxer to the ground, standards and all.

Once again, an Olympian was picking up the jump Bad Eventer had just destroyed.

I really thought I’d left that behind me.

I shook it off, jumped it again about 3 times and went in the ring.

We jumped around with just 2 minor mistakes that resulted in 2 rails.

I did it.

We had our qualification to move up.

And then I decided not to.

Bad Eventer is going to hang out at Prelim for awhile to sort out this newly acquired stadium phobia!!

The red numbered jumps will just have to wait.