Betsy and Megill (and her family) have been working very hard to reach the top spot. It means a very long, hard couple months of competing all over Area 3. As of last week, Megill was only 4 points behind the leader. Unfortunately, it was a rough weekend at River Glen Horse Trials in New Market, TN.
Neither of the horses were very relaxed in the dressage, and then Megill grabbed a rail on Ollie in the show jumping while Kipling pulled a shoe in the mud. That wasn't even the worst of it. On Sunday, Ollie left the box with a mission, which was great news since he can sometimes be a tricky ride across the country. However, on the back side of the course he peeked at something and hopped sideways, a move Megill wasn't expecting. As a result, she popped off, and though no harm done, got the Big E. Kipling, who is usually the XC machine, was very wound and had an uncharacteristic stop in the middle of the course. Whether it was the crisp air or just being tired from the hard competition schedule is unclear, but the result was the same: no points this weekend. Just a few more weeks boys then you can have a very well deserved and long awaited vacation!
Everyone was a little disappointed on the long ride home, but that is the way of the game. As Betsy said, 'Some weekends are for winning, and some weekends are for learning. This weekend we all got our PhDs in eventing'. And she's right. Now we got home and in the next week we practice balance. Lunge lessons without stirrups or reins. For all of us!
We are very lucky that Megill is such a good sport. We know she will learn from this and come away a better rider and horse person.
