The Sick Should Be Void of Getting Sick

The cool kids have arrived!

Yep. I've been struck down by some weird ass cold. Painful ears and throat and head and back. But whatever, I'll just tell you that my saddle arrived. And it is awesome. Pretty much the awesomest.

And so is my horse!

Wednesday night we went to a "Halloween Jump Night" put on by a cool trainer in Eagle, Id. I was curious to see how Bacon would react the the decorated arena and horse/rider combos. She didn't give a poo about any of it. Originally I was feeling pretty sick that day and originally told myself that we were just going to toodle around. And then, I saw it....

Um. I think YES.

A halloween keyhole jump.

Done deal, had to do the keyhole. And the little liverpool. Hell, I'll just do it all. We were broke up into teams and the first competition was to scoop a tomato out of a bucket with a spoon, go at whatever speed over a jump or around it, around a block at the far end of the arena, and back to the next team member to hand it off. After everyone went, we were to take a goblet full of tomato juice through the same course and not spill any. If you did, you had to drink the rest.

Ring leader and a spider pug. Can't go wrong.

I went first, and did horribly. Bacon was very confused and I dropped the tomato twice. I had to hand it off to my next team member on a very excitable OTTB, then it was handed off to a thoroughbred/andalusian cross and then off to another happy OTTB. We were in 3rd place out of four teams. Next was a timed course: open and go through wooden gate, over six skinnies in a row (or serpentine through them) sharp turn over the liverpool (or bob for an apple if horse refused) through the keyhole (or around it) gallop down the side to another bucket of tomatoes, and through them into another bucket.

Yeah, that's a spider on her butt. It has nine legs.

Chaos in the arena!

We did awesome! Gate was no problem, went over all the skinnies nice and straight, didn't even question the liverpool, through the keyhole and weeeeeee down to the other side of the arena. It was so fun! I think we moved into second after that. And last was a six jump course that could be jumped at cross rail height, 2'6" or 3ft. We did 2'6", and it felt so great and went back out to do the 3ft course. I may have jumped through the keyhole again for funsies.....and galloped down the long side of the arena again too.

The headless horseman was pretty awesome.

And so was lady godiva.

Mmmm, tomato juice! Tomatoes EVERYWHERE.

That's not Lindsey. That is cupid and her Prisoner of Love!

And then we ate food. It was awesome!