Cob Jockey

I don't normally do this because I prefer Connor sleep undisturbed at night, but given how much he was drinking at this show, I decided to spring for night check which included AM grain feeding, so we arrived at the show at a leisurely 8:15am on Saturday. 

Check out where all the competitors came from this year! It's truly a national show.

My entourage was starting to assemble at this point, with Mary, Erika, Leah, and a fellow Welsh Cob owner named Sue joining my mom and Lisa. My grandma and great aunt would be joining us the next day too.

Mary threw herself into show groom duties and I never had to ask for anything from her all weekend. Every time I looked over she was doing his stall or grooming him or clipping him or feeding him All The Mints.

At 20 minutes until my ride time, I walked over, and at 15 minutes til, Erika handed me an earbud and fired up Skype so CGP could warm me up virtually.

Erika also takes virtual lessons with CGP on her Castleberry Cob, so she was a natural fit to video for me, which I can't thank her enough for! She also wore the other earbud, so she was the only other person who could hear what CGP was telling me. PC: Leah

It was my first time doing a virtual warm-up. You'd think I'd be used to this virtual thing by now, but it was SO WEIRD to know my coach was two states and 406 miles away from me, because it felt like she was standing right there in the ring to my brain. Just like my weekly virtual lessons, it was just as effective as if she was there with me.

I still think stock ties are dumb, but I have one I like now so that helps. PC: Leah

Connor was kind of flipping me the bird in the warm-up, and she basically said, he's educated enough to know that he needs to yield to the bit when you ask for that, and he's choosing instead to stick his underneck out. You need to have consistent contact instead of this constant wishy washy give and take you're doing. It may take a lot of pressure at first, but stick to your guns.

Bird.

Being flipped.

She was not at all wrong, but I had to go in the ring shortly after she said that, and my squirrel brain that tends to take over during tests interpreted that as "pull on his mouth". And so this test went about as well as you'd expect, especially for a test I still genuinely think doesn't suit Connor. It had some nice moments:

PC: Leah

PC: Leah

But generally it was just a ton of tension and underneck, which as CGP has told me many times, that's when I will never get a simple change out of him. And I didn't get a single clean one

Tension. PC: Leah

And underneck. PC: Leah

At least one of us walked out of the ring proud of himself, lol:

Cheesing for his entourage. PC: Leah

But I was disappointed in myself. I know I can ride better than that. Why do I always ride so much worse in the show ring? I don't feel nervous. 

My disappointment grew when the scores were posted and I got a 61.341% and was one spot out of the ribbons by 0.1%. Which is the same position I found myself in at the last Pony Cup four years ago, just one level higher. I know it sounds stupid, but when I picked up my score sheet and they offered me one of the goofy NDPC participation ribbons, it felt like Groundhog Day and like nothing had changed.

On the positive side, it was my last time ever riding this 2-2 test, and I didn't go off course! PC: Leah

I spent a lot of that day thinking about how we could improve Saturday's test. She was very right that I was being inconsistent in the contact. I hadn't noticed it before, but I couldn't un-notice it after she pointed it out. I was also pulling, which meant I wasn't strong enough in my core. And Mary said it looked like I didn't take a breath the entire test, and she asked me if I had points in the ring that I set for myself to remember to breathe. I do not.

PC: Leah

I never do this since his stamina is such a challenge for me over long show weekends, but after consulting with CGP, I got back on him later that afternoon. I hacked him around the complex and then schooled in our warmup ring, asking for suppleness and submission to the bit. He also got some bodywork from Sue, which was an awesome and unexpected skillset among my friends that day.

When I was hacking the ring steward tried to get my attention and yelled "HEY YOU ON THE HAFLINGER!" I am annoyed to report that I answered to that, lol.

I went to bed that night knowing I would have to ride the pants off of 2-3 to be in contention for neck ribbons, which went from 1st-6th, and I was sitting in 7th (out of 9). I was not out of it, but I was very much on the bubble.

Boing. PC: Leah