They finally posted at around 10:30 pm yesterday. My phone is thanking me. I’ve never hit refresh so many times in one day before.
There are 7 of us in the amoeba division. Most of us are seniors. Yay!! I’m curious as to how many are really experienced and on a new or green horse versus me: both horse and rider green.
I ride dressage at 1:18pm. This means I can easily go Sunday morning and hang out at the show. No sleeping in my truck!!! Double yay!!
I paid for a stall already but it was only $25 and this way I’ll have one for show day. I can stash Gem in the stall and not have to worry about her being at the trailer. Oh wait… do they typically provide shavings at these things or do I have to bring my own?
The only thing I’m slightly bummed about is that I’m the first to go in my division. I was really hoping to have a couple people to watch in front of me to learn a bit from. Oh well. As the hubby said “now you can’t watch someone else mess up and start second guessing yourself”.
I am really confused though about the jumping. I’ve followed enough bloggers to see that they get specific times for dressage, stadium and xc. That’s what I was expecting. So my dressage time is 1:18pm.
My stadium time? It’s says 1:45-2:30pm. What on earth does that mean? Can I go whenever I want in that window? I’m confused.
I’m super excited though. Looks like I’ll be setting the bar for everyone behind me! Ha 🙂
The Roaming Rider 
Usually for schooling shows they have that block of time so riders that are riding in a CT and doing a straight dressage test can fit it all in (or if they have multiple horses going) 🙂 Basically it means that you can jump around the course anytime you want during the time slot! There’s no order of go, just tell the ring steward (who will be by the gate with a clipboard) your number and they will tell you If they’re ready for you to go or if there are any horses that have already checked in before you and you’ll go after them. It really makes sense and is very easy once you do it!
Remember to wait for the whistle/bell/start sound from the Show jump judge before you go through the start flags!!!! And HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I’m sooo nervous! I can’t wait but there are just so many things I’ve never done before. I know once I’m there and watch a few people go it will make more sense.
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eeeeeee i’m so excited for you!! i actually kinda like how they structured those times too – that’s how one of our venues does their really casual event series and it tends to work really nicely. it’s maybe useful that you go first in dressage so you have even more time to prepare for jumping.
if you get there early enough in the day tho you can watch other divisions do dressage to get a sense for how folks circle outside of the ring, greet the judge (say hi and tell them your number!), and prepare to enter at A once they’re rung in by the judge.
then it looks like you can head over to the jumping basically whenever you’re ready in that time frame, with no order of go. so you can probably watch some folks warm up and go through the course to get a feel for it. definitely seems like a friendly schedule! and there will likely be stewards/ppl with clipboards at each of the rings who can answer questions and direct you on where to go.
my only little bit of unsolicited advice would be to take *more* time (like, 20min more) than you think you need to get dressed and tack up. for whatever reason, on show day, buttons won’t button, zippers won’t zip, that second glove *will* go missing, and everything just ends up fussier with fingers that somehow don’t work anymore. but if you plan enough time, everything ends up ok. good luck!!!! 😀
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Unsolicited advice is more than welcome!!! I’m planning on getting there around 10:30 and getting on her around 1230. That’s what trainer recommended. I think it sounds too early to mount up but we will see!
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I agree with Emma. Whatever time you think it will take you to get changed and tacked up, add 20 minutes. It will take longer and you’re better off getting on ready early and then just sit for the 20 minutes. But it probably won’t happen. I swear you’ll end up glad you started early.
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Thanks for the advice!!! I’m a little nervous about how Gem will handle it all. She is really used to the endurance way of things: go work, have an hour break to nap and eat, then go work some more. I have dressage at 1:18 then stadium starts at 1:45 so that doesn’t give us a lot of time to change tack and get warmed up for stadium. I’m worried she will get pissy about the lack of her nap time.
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She’s not working that hard though. So it’s not like you did 15 miles and she didn’t get a nap. You’re doing a 5 minutes dressage ride (1 hour total with warm up). She may not have any of the associations to endurance because it’s so different.
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I hope! She hated the lack of a hold at the ride and tie we did. It took her 5 miles to get over herself.
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For $25 I would assume there are no shavings.
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Hmmm…I may give them a call to ask.
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Have a wonderful show!
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Thanks!
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Good luck! I can’t wait to hear about it! Oh and I would bring shavings. My siblings evented locally and shavings were rarely if ever provided 🙂
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Thanks!! I’ll have to grab a bag locally before I go. I doubt I’ll even use the stall. I paid in advance in case I’d need to go Saturday
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