Jumper Show Review

I had a lesson on Thursday, but was...gulp..."too busy to blog". But I'd like to quickly recount today's jumper show.
I didn't school, as I had to supervise the tacking, prep, and schooling of four thirteen-year-olds and their stoic mounts. Wasn't really that nervous, as Blue has been in the "point me at it and I'll jump it" mode and the jumps weren't that big.
My goals for this show were:
1. Plan ahead. Memorize your courses AND their jump-offs. Plan every stride of your ride, but be willing to change that plan if necessary. Make sure both you and the horse know which jump is next.
2. Be bold. Jumpers is about forward, and nothing sucks the fun out of it like a horse who sucks back. Jump-offs are won by daring rides, tight turns and plans that may or may not go accordingly.
3. Have fun! You have to do the big hunter show in two weeks - consider this your vacation!
Happy to report that I achieved all three goals! I did learn a couple of things, though:
1. You shouldn't expect yourself to be able to top the girls who do this EVERY weekend.
2. Straightaways where you need to go fast are great for two-point. For turns, however, you want as much weight as possible on the horse's hindquarters.
3. You can't let one mistake ruin the whole course. Accept it, and let it go and FOCUS ON THE NEXT JUMP!
4. If your trainer gives you a plan for your course but it becomes evident that the plan needs to change, be willing to be flexible. If your horse is settling in and getting the bigger distances, don't hold him unnecessarily.
5. Ride the horse you have at the moment. Just because your horse is lazy at home doesn't mean he needs a ton of encouragement at a show. This means you have to be able to read your horse, and experiment to see what he needs.
Out of 16 riders, we got a 5th and a 6th. Due to a rail in the first course (on the first jump!) I didn't pin. I'm still very proud of myself, for really stepping up to the plate, and Blue for being such a trooper!