Couldn't have been any better ...

LR and proud mama!

As I went to sleep last night, the patter of rain hit my roof ... WHAT???  RAIN???  Where's The Fruitbat???  We put off until today to give the footing plenty of time to dry out.  Woke up to soggy grass and wet roads, but there was never a question as to whether we were going!  Upon arriving at Calimar, it was pretty overcast, but the footing seemed pretty solid.  The great thing about that farm is the terrain is very rolling with an awesome clay base, so the rain really rolls right off.  There was water in all the ditches, but everything seemed jumpable.

Tiki warmed up well, and we did the same warm-up out of the ring we pretty much always do.  Lincoln logs to single hanging log to funky log.  He did his usual lock on and powered out of the ring first.  Marty built a new N table jump made out of split logs; Tiki jumped it like a frigging rock star:

Made our way to the ditch and he actually slammed on the breaks upon seeing the water flowing through.  After a re-present, he jumped it in his typical stuttering way which was oddly reassuring to me considering that's EXACTLY how he jumps them with me!  At least I know his 'ditchiness' isn't 100% me;)

Made our way to "mid field", and gave LR her first downhill task, again over a NEW jump!

She rode it beautifully and he jumped it like a heat seeking missle.  Had her hop up and down the banks for the first time, plus tackle the train jump.  He doesn't even think about those now.

Also threw the corner jump in there, and this time there was no awkward putter to a stop.

This is the bigger side; last time he did the smaller side:)

Headed over to the water complex area, and in the interest of wanting him to do some of the bigger stuff, I didn't have her do any of the coop jumps; I KNOW he will jump those.  I wanted to challenge him and see how far her comfort zone extended.  Didn't even touch the BN cabin, went straight to the N one.

See why this young lady's nick name is "Lovely Rider?";)

Then decided why not go ahead and tackle the Prelim cabin ... might as well!

After that, it was the double barrel jump that I wanted to try this go round; I'd already decided to tackle this one next time we were out:

Um, scope to spare?

Had her JUST do a quick canter pass through the water; no sense in using him up schooling stuff she won't have to worry about at the HT.  On the way back to the front side of the field, we planned to jump back into the stadium arena so we could walk it out and untack.  There is this table thing ... I've been eyeballing it since the first time I ever went, wanting to jump it but never being brave enough.  I'd already decided LR was going to jump it.  However, on the way over there, we encountered the trakehner.  The trakehner is large ... it's over a ditch ... I've wanted to do THAT for a while too, but never quite been brave enough.  LR said she was game.  Picked up a nice rolling canter (after standing around for awhile), he got to the perfect spot ... and stopped pretty violently.  He was right on top of it before realizing it had that ditch underneath.  She came at it twice more and he was looking like *maybe* he'd do it each time, but losing heart at the last minute.  I told her to stick him on takeoff ... so she did.

I then made her do it again while it was still fresh in his mind:)

We then finished it up with the huge table thing I've been eyeballing ...

I cannot even express how proud I am.  They will soar through the course at Poplar, I KNOW it.  Tiki has really grown up ... he showed his amazing heart and talent today and it nearly brought me to tears:)  I KNOW he can rock it out at Training, can't wait to do it!  What a horse; I am the luckiest girl in the world:):D