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After a little under a month from Stuart H.T. Ryker ROCKED Millbrook!  Again the test was the atmosphere -- In dressage he was amazing, still tense, but much more forward than at Stuart.  He scored a rocking 32.9, it would have been at 30.9, but I made an error! I was so focused on getting the best work out of him that I forgot a trot circle (just ignore that part of the video!!).  The Cross Country was again a big, bold, but fair course.  Lots of space to get a rhythm and many good questions, he did his first in-and-out, which we hadn't practiced yet, but he did it like a pro! He went double clear like he'd been doing it for years! The stadium again was all about the atmosphere, there was lots of noise, people, and banners.  Even with all that, he was very, very good.  For the most part he was very rideable, and was jumping out of his skin. Thanks to tons of gymnastic work he has become much more confident with where he needs to place his feet, this made a huge difference!  He did however knock two rails, the first being similar to the one at Stuart, he just wasn't quick enough with his feet and not quite balanced enough for the closer distance.  The second was due to a spook at a banner just to the left of the fence, he simply wasn't paying attention, BUT jumped it once he realized it was there, only taking down just the top rail. He finished 8th and ended up finishing 3rd in the Carrer2 Class! Go Ryker! Go OTTBs! 


 
Ryker has a new show name! Yes, it's official this time.  Not to mention we've entered out first sanctioned event!  We'll be going to the GMHA starter trials, and maybe a schooling event at Hitching Post Farm, but then we're off to Stuart H.T. in Victor, NY.   

In other news, Ryker is a rockstar, as usual. He's loving his night turn out, and everything about Triple Combination except for the bugs!  Today we had our first real lesson with Andrea (at Triple Combination Farm), we worked on foot placement gymnastics.   He was fantastic, we built it up one pole at a time and he finished  straight, balanced, bold and confident.

Here is what we worked up to:
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We came in the grid from the left side, trotting in, and finishing with a right hand turn over the oxer.