We are on our way to Whidbey Island Pony club Horse Trials, a USEA recognized show. Megan has come from Canada to be our "groom" and help out. And she is very handy with the camera, in fact, the only person I know who can film with one hand and take pictures with the other hand all at the same time!

Megan, a big thank you for all your help!

Dressage went well, Jenny want in first and had a nice test, she scored a 40.

Pan Tau and I had a good test, still some unsteady moments which really hurt our scores, but they are getting less and shorter.

Happy to be done! Cross country was great, Jenny walked the course many times, there are so many trails it is easy to get lost here, especially for the first time.

Monica and her husband Bill came and Bill helped me warm up, Monica took pictures too.

Jenny jumping into the infield

Jenny and Dagjeir over the water melon jump

At the farm house

The coop

Picture frame

The fort

Last jump the hedge Jenny added 20 jump faults to her score and was now at 60 faults.

Pan Tau over the blue farm house

The stone wall

Melons

Log pile

Farm house

Coop

Picture frame

Water crossing

Fort, Picture by Monica Bretherton

And the last jump the hedge. We had no time or jump faults. That night we had a thunder and lightning storm, and it rained. Next morning it was still drizzling, and it made for a very wet grass jumping arena. We watched some of the horses go, and most slipped, some horses even fell.

Jenny and Dagjeir on course

Jenny went clear to end with a score of 60 and placed 17th

Pan Tau on course

We also had a clear round and finished on our score of 50 in 11th place. Coming home Megan stayed 2 more days and we doodled with the horses. We set up a little jump in the round pen and free jumped the girls. Megan took pictures and video.

Pika did awesome! They all liked it.

Gullie showed the same knee snapping action, but we did not catch a picture at the right time.

Kitchi in action You can see Megan's movie here of the jumping.

The next day we dressed up. Turn up the volume when you watch this one (at least for the beginning) because I slowed down the video and you can hear the silver tinkling and the girls footsteps, it's pretty cool. Thank you Megan for making the videos!

Megan and Gullie and Pika, they are full sisters.

Kitchi

And we managed to ride as well, Megan on Keaton, and Jenny on Ak Pashildi.

HERON PARK MONTANA Two days later we were on the road again to Montana. Jenny and I signed up for the clinic at Heron park, and 2 days after that the event at Rebecca farm. We left and spend the night at Cathy Leddy of Cascade Gold Akhal-Tekes so we could make it in time and not be overly tired from driving. Thank you Cathy for always being a great host!

It was hot in MT, and we rode 2 lessons a day.

Jenny's lesson with Gary Mittleider, before

And after

I had a great lesson with him too, and his daughter Sara Mittleider.

For my last dressage lesson I asked Gary to ride Pan Tau for me so I can see for myself.

And it was very informative.

We did fun grids

Jenny got some much needed water experience

She jumped the trakhener, log with ditch underneath.

Pan Tau jumping well.

We got a great spot for camping at Rebecca. It was hot, and there were over 500 competitors..the place is huge, the atmosphere as if we were at Rolex!

On our course walk this was our first water crossing, to the right you see our flagged entry, and to the left the brush jump out of the water. The water is died an unnatural green with food color to stop algae from growing. We encountered this at the Aspen Farm horse trials, and our horses , and every one else's , really spooked at the un natural color. Would they remember..or spook again?

Jump 9A and 9B on our course were a challenge, the trees are purposely planted in the jump line. And the houses are off set. 5 strides to the next house 9B.

Jenny had a great dressage test, and got a score of 41.6 This was a huge improvement as she had the same judge as she did at NW horse trials where she got a 49.

Pan Tau and I got a better test too, but I was disappointed not to have done better, we got a 49

Jenny at the start box. This course is the most challenging by far, there are crowds our horses aren't used to, lots of lags and jumps to ride by, not to mention the huge ducks and dragons! Jenny was first to go, I was in the next Novice class and could watch some of her ride.

They are off!

First jump no problem!

Second water passing the trout didn't face Dagjeir, neither did the dyed water! What a good boy!

Third water entry

Sure makes for pretty pictures, the color in the water

Dagjeir didn't look at the eagles on the jump

Over the coop

Down the bank

And the last jump! They did it!!!! Double clear!!!!

Now the pressure was on...we had decided to give us some incentive to keep our act together, if we both jumped clear, we would go eat out... A huge treat for us...

Pan Tau jumped really well, and he did not look at a thing! The water didn't bother him and we cantered the whole course, never speeding up or down, kept our pace and were very close to optimum time.

We were so hot and tired, our neighbors let us use their hotel room for showers twice! Too tired to graze or stand up. Stadium..we've been late for our stadium round in the past, and we did not want to do that again, and we got there early. Well, this time we underestimated and got way too early. So we went for a walk around the property, and they let us jumps early since Novice was going on, and it was so hot. I went first, and Pan Tau and I got a rail down, my fault, I did not collect him enough in the turn. Put us in 13th place. Jenny and Dagjeir jumped clear, to finish on their dressage and in 10th place! Jenny's first ribbon ever! And that at the toughest show!