Next Show This Weekend:)

Had a pretty good school today with Nico, he is definitely feeling looser and more even in the contact yesterday and today which is very positive as those are always the key issues.  I've been really enjoying not only having my own lessons but also watching all of the other horses and riders in the barn work, it's great really because I feel like I'm not only getting education while in the saddle but also am able to further develop my eye and add more tools to the toolbox by watching the others go as well.  It's really interesting because all of the horses in the barn are definitely quality animals (obviously some more so than others but all very nice in their own regard) and to watch them go and see their strengths and weaknesses is very interesting, it just goes to show that regardless of natural athleticism (and there is plenty of it in the barn!) there is always much homework to be done and it's very interesting to be able to watch a wide variety of advanced horses and riders go and to see them all work through their own little problem areas, anyways that's obviously not something that we all don't know already but it's always educational to observe.  We haul out on Thurs morning for our next show, another CDI at the Jim Brandon in Wellington, jog is on Thurs with the PSG on Friday and I1 on Saturday.  We ride both the PSG and the I1 in the same ring where Nico had his big melt down at the first show, I'm actually looking at this as being a very positive thing (despite the fact that I'm well aware I will have to be on my very best game to keep him focused on me out there) as it gives us not only one chance but two to go back in that ring and hopefully conquer the demons from the last show (the last time we were there we only had one chance to ride in that ring so in the bigger picture of things I think it's really good that we will get to go in there a few more times, though I'm certainly not naive enough to think it's going to be an easy ride!:).  Once again the field of competitors here is large with approx 45-50 riders in the PSG and I1 classes, with 18 Canadians competing and riders from USA, Canada, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Columbia, Denmark, The Netherlands and Venezuela on the start list, should be an excellent class!