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Description

Date Completed: Aug 23rd, 2020

— — —

Michael slid off of the horse and gestured for Chloe to take the reins.

“He was good. A bit hard to adjust to the jumps but he was quick with his feet. Sometimes he looked to the outside.”

Chloe nodded, getting a leg up from Michael and situating herself in the tack. Michael was looking to buy the gelding as an investment horse, hopefully for Chloe to take through the ranks.

She walked him around the arena, asking him to collect up at the walk.

“Ask him some questions, figure him out.”

Chloe let him trot, asking him for some transitions between going forward and then getting collected again. Every once and awhile he would pull his head back up, looking at something outside of the arena. She’d just calmly add leg, asking him for it to go back down.

She pushed him into the canter, again playing around with extending him then collecting again.

Michael set up a small vertical, and she let him canter over it. He went over it quickly, very light on his feet.

She jumped it a few more times as Michael steadily raised it.

“Make sure you support him before the jump.” Michael told her, intently watching them go around.

She took him down to an oxer standing at about 1.20, his stride a bit strung out through the corner. She tensed with her hands, and he pop-chipped it, taking out both top rails.

“Stop.” Michael snapped at her as she slowed him to a walk, turning to look at him.

“I said support with the leg! You can’t leave him strung out around the corner, see a huge distance from two strides away, do nothing, and leave him out to dry like that. Do it again.”

Yikes.

“Okay,” she said to him, cantering back towards it. She punched him up around the corner, saw the distance further out, and moved up appropriately.

“There, that’s what I want.” He told her as he raised it again.

“Smith on deck, Holt out one, Kalberg out two, Clark out three.”

Michael gestured at the oxer. “One more time.”

She went back to it, finding it well and Azhi using his body appropriately.

Michael nodded at her and then walked to the in-gate. She followed him, running over her course in her head again and again.

“You’re in,” the man running the ring said, and Chloe walked up.

“Have fun.” Michael told her. She nodded to him, taking a deep breath.

The pair trotted into the arena as the rider before them finished their last jump. Azhi had his ears perked forward, eyeing the people in the viewing stands. She slowed him to a walk, rubbing his neck and making their way towards the far side of the arena.

The horse before them finished, and the buzzer sounded. She asked for the canter, Azhi jumping straight into the transition and heading towards the first jump. He was a bit too focused on the outside, not picking up on the jump until it was too late. Chloe tightened up on the reins, which was the wrong move.

First jump down. Shit.

In response, Chloe turned tighter to the triple combination, squaring Azhi up and squeezing with her fingers to get him collected up for the shorter distance. He listened, using his athleticism well, flying out of the combination well.

Chloe sat up quickly, pulling the fiery chestnut’s head up on the way to jump 3. He pulled hard against her hands, but she didn't give in. They found a distance out of stride to the oxer, the gelding obviously having the time of his life as he kicked up with his hind end.

He landed on the wrong lead, then tried to swap, but ended up cross cantering. Chloe tried her best to ignore it, pushing him forward to the base of jump 4. Azhi got his feet out of the way nicely, but landed a little weak. Chloe pushed him into her hands as they went down to jump 5. Her and Michael had walked it in a 5 ½, and the original plan was to do a 5, but now that was out of the question as she collected for the 6.

She turned him quick after, making her way around to the outside line. Around the corner Azhi put his eyes on the grandstand, and this time Chloe squeezed with the inside rein and inside leg, turning his head inwards slightly and putting his focus back on the job. They were a bit long to jump 6, but that line was set as a long 6 stride, so it ended up working out well as they came out decently.

The turn to 8 was hard, but Azhi was quick to the tall vertical, only having a slight rub. He landed and pulled hard, but Chloe was not about to eat the triple bar. She sat up and kicked him up, riding him collected to 9, preparing for the tight turn to 10.

It came up very tight, but Azhi was quick at the base and got out okay. She pushed him forward through the timers, smiling as she heard her friends cheer.

Her and Azhi were breathing hard. She reached down to rub his neck, letting him break to the trot as she trotted towards the gate. She then slowed him to a walk, smiling and petting him as she walked out of the arena.

— — —

Show | The Evergreen Annual Show
Results | 3rd Place

Word Count | 991
Horse | Ashkenazi, just a trial horse for Chloe to get experience on.
Rider | Chloe Holt
Ref | leanjo.com

Description

Date Completed: Aug 23rd, 2020

— — —

Michael slid off of the horse and gestured for Chloe to take the reins.

“He was good. A bit hard to adjust to the jumps but he was quick with his feet. Sometimes he looked to the outside.”

Chloe nodded, getting a leg up from Michael and situating herself in the tack. Michael was looking to buy the gelding as an investment horse, hopefully for Chloe to take through the ranks.

She walked him around the arena, asking him to collect up at the walk.

“Ask him some questions, figure him out.”

Chloe let him trot, asking him for some transitions between going forward and then getting collected again. Every once and awhile he would pull his head back up, looking at something outside of the arena. She’d just calmly add leg, asking him for it to go back down.

She pushed him into the canter, again playing around with extending him then collecting again.

Michael set up a small vertical, and she let him canter over it. He went over it quickly, very light on his feet.

She jumped it a few more times as Michael steadily raised it.

“Make sure you support him before the jump.” Michael told her, intently watching them go around.

She took him down to an oxer standing at about 1.20, his stride a bit strung out through the corner. She tensed with her hands, and he pop-chipped it, taking out both top rails.

“Stop.” Michael snapped at her as she slowed him to a walk, turning to look at him.

“I said support with the leg! You can’t leave him strung out around the corner, see a huge distance from two strides away, do nothing, and leave him out to dry like that. Do it again.”

Yikes.

“Okay,” she said to him, cantering back towards it. She punched him up around the corner, saw the distance further out, and moved up appropriately.

“There, that’s what I want.” He told her as he raised it again.

“Smith on deck, Holt out one, Kalberg out two, Clark out three.”

Michael gestured at the oxer. “One more time.”

She went back to it, finding it well and Azhi using his body appropriately.

Michael nodded at her and then walked to the in-gate. She followed him, running over her course in her head again and again.

“You’re in,” the man running the ring said, and Chloe walked up.

“Have fun.” Michael told her. She nodded to him, taking a deep breath.

The pair trotted into the arena as the rider before them finished their last jump. Azhi had his ears perked forward, eyeing the people in the viewing stands. She slowed him to a walk, rubbing his neck and making their way towards the far side of the arena.

The horse before them finished, and the buzzer sounded. She asked for the canter, Azhi jumping straight into the transition and heading towards the first jump. He was a bit too focused on the outside, not picking up on the jump until it was too late. Chloe tightened up on the reins, which was the wrong move.

First jump down. Shit.

In response, Chloe turned tighter to the triple combination, squaring Azhi up and squeezing with her fingers to get him collected up for the shorter distance. He listened, using his athleticism well, flying out of the combination well.

Chloe sat up quickly, pulling the fiery chestnut’s head up on the way to jump 3. He pulled hard against her hands, but she didn't give in. They found a distance out of stride to the oxer, the gelding obviously having the time of his life as he kicked up with his hind end.

He landed on the wrong lead, then tried to swap, but ended up cross cantering. Chloe tried her best to ignore it, pushing him forward to the base of jump 4. Azhi got his feet out of the way nicely, but landed a little weak. Chloe pushed him into her hands as they went down to jump 5. Her and Michael had walked it in a 5 ½, and the original plan was to do a 5, but now that was out of the question as she collected for the 6.

She turned him quick after, making her way around to the outside line. Around the corner Azhi put his eyes on the grandstand, and this time Chloe squeezed with the inside rein and inside leg, turning his head inwards slightly and putting his focus back on the job. They were a bit long to jump 6, but that line was set as a long 6 stride, so it ended up working out well as they came out decently.

The turn to 8 was hard, but Azhi was quick to the tall vertical, only having a slight rub. He landed and pulled hard, but Chloe was not about to eat the triple bar. She sat up and kicked him up, riding him collected to 9, preparing for the tight turn to 10.

It came up very tight, but Azhi was quick at the base and got out okay. She pushed him forward through the timers, smiling as she heard her friends cheer.

Her and Azhi were breathing hard. She reached down to rub his neck, letting him break to the trot as she trotted towards the gate. She then slowed him to a walk, smiling and petting him as she walked out of the arena.

— — —

Show | The Evergreen Annual Show
Results | 3rd Place

Word Count | 991
Horse | Ashkenazi, just a trial horse for Chloe to get experience on.
Rider | Chloe Holt
Ref | leanjo.com