Last Two Months of the Season

It's weird to be able to see the end of this year's show season.  I went into this one with no plan and no expectations (unlike last year, when I was very much points chasing).

And that worked out pretty well.

This year, I am so much more obsessed with how much Connor and I have learned/changed than I could ever be over points or year end awards, I didn't think about or check points once this whole show season.

Like, uh, this was two years ago this month.

So I still kinda can't believe this is a picture of me.

But, turns out I did qualify for my GMO's championships somehow, so I'll be riding 1-3 again on September 30 for that.  And then it logically follows that I'd use the last rated show of the year to practice 1-3, so I'm doing 1-3 both days for that show in mid-August.

I really hate 1-3.

I think we both do...

But.

I hate it because it's hard for us, and I hate it because it always seems to kick our butts, and those are not valid reasons to avoid it; really, they are reasons to attack it.  We're going to spend all of this month and next month schooling like we're chasing 2nd level, but practicing the first level movements.

I won't say it's the last time we'll show First Level (because there's no way we'll be championship show-caliber ready at 2-3 by National Dressage Pony Cup 2018), but I'm going to ride those tests as if it is and school 2nd over the winter like we're done with First.

Done with First, and more importantly, done with rides that look like this