The event yesterday was at least a learning experience. I felt good, and it was a very nice day. Barb came with me and was invaluable as a coach. Eva and Priscilla came to watch, which was very nice.
It just didn't work out as I had hoped, and I am a little disappointed. There is much I need to work on, and doing all three phases in one day is challenging. There were some good parts. I was surprised by which parts were good and which weren't. Pixie did a flowing, forward dressage test even though the judge stopped us during the test; and Pixie jumped out of the arena at the first canter depart. That was really the best part of the day. I even got to wear the jacket that I spent so much time sewing.
I thought xc would be the best part, as Pixie and I both like that best. She refused at the first obstacle! Which was a tiny flower box! I finally made her walk over it. She refused again at the second fence, but I circled, went over, and she finally got into the game and took off. The hanging log that I thought might give us trouble was easy, even though I lost both my stirrups at the jump before it and spent the time in between getting them back. I felt like we were going really fast and that Pixie was just barely in control during the last half of the course. But we got over all the jumps, including the barrels that were the final obstacle. Turns out I was going very slowly and I got time faults. But that was the most fun part of the day.
The warm up for jumping went well. Barb told me to think of it as a hunter course, and that helped me with my confidence because Pixie and I know how to do hunters. But neither Pixie or I were game for it. The fall was too fresh in my mind; and I have a feeling that Pixie has been refusing and chipping in due to pain in her feet. It's just not like her to refuse a jump, even if I do something wrong. The first jump on the course was a small oxer, and we had three refusals right there. Both of us were just done. I jumped the xrail in the warmup area, and quit for the day. Like I said, I learned a lot and there were some good parts. I will be better prepared for next year.