October 23, 2018

The season wrapped up with the last team competition of the year.  MA6 was held for the last time at the PG Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.  We have out grown the facility, which is a good thing to have ample growth, but its also a piece of nostalgia for those of us that have been playing for a long time.

Team Gone Rogue was two riders short for this competition so we were joined again by Tommy.  He is always a pleasure to ride with and his personality meshes so well with our team.  We were also joined by long time friend Lindsay who has been out of the sport for about ten years.  I believe the last time she really played was when we rode together on an Open team.  You would never know she was away for a decade.  She was still smooth and accurate, and as easy going and simple to ride with as she ever was.  Nothing has changed.

Our first session was ok.  We were all playing decently, nothing spectacular but nothing too poor either.  Simon was a little wound up, but he was moving out so that worked.  Our second session was horrendous.  We uncharacteristically dropped and missed things all over the place.  The only one on the team who didn’t look like a boob out there was Lindsay.  Again, she just rolled along, nice and smooth.  Simon was a total jerk for the second session.  He switched from not wanting to go near equipment to trying to run it over.  I was so frustrated with him at the end of the session that I was ready for pony burgers for dinner.  If there had been any doubt, which there was not, that I need a new pony, this certainly cleared it up.

We wound up in the B final, which was no surprise after our afternoon session.  Luckily we did end the season strong and came into the B final with our heads on.  We rocked the session pulling out 11 firsts, 3 seconds and only 1 third.

We also finished fourth in the series, thanks to our strong start to the season before we lost Matt to injury.

As for the Novice division, I was lucky enough to coach this team pictured below, Main Attraction, and they really rocked it.  This team started the season as a scramble team, stuck together, and improved with each competition.  They absorbed knowledge like sponges and used it out on the field with excellent play.  Each of their three sessions looked good and they took the blue for MA6.

They are also the series champions with blue ribbons all over the place.  They really earned it and the work they have all put in has really paid off.

I also managed to snag a snap shot of their placings for the final session and they really did amazing.  They consistently got first and second with just one third and one fourth place finish during the 15 race final.

After the final session the referee asked to speak with three of them.  uh oh! But it was a compliment and feather in their caps.  He said that they had improved so much this season that they need to move up to intermediate next season.  A fourth rider was also encouraged to move up but given the option to stay behind if she felt more comfortable since she has a bit of a challenging pony.

With smiles on their faces the four of them have decided to move up to intermediate together and continue on as a team.  I think this is an excellent move for them.  They all get along very well and work together smoothly.  Their skills compliment each other and I think the unity will aid them with the transition to a faster field.  They also made my day by asking me to continue on as their coach next year.  I cannot wait to be part of their growth and help them as they continue to improve!

We also had a fist time player in the Leadline division, Mr. Wesley.  He rode trusty Simon for all three sessions and did an amazing job.  I can say without a doubt that his favorite race was the balloon race, which he did awesome at.  Wesley is an excellent teammate and enjoyed cheering his teammates on and high fiving them after each race.  He rode with his new friend Bennett and his cousin against the mighty X’s, Dexter and Paxton.  Everyone rode very well in the Leadline division and were awarded trophies at the end.

Wesley was also helpful when it was time to untack Simon, and helped by taking off all the boots on his own.

So that wraps up another season of team competition.  We just have one pairs competition left in November and then its onto a winter of practices and prepping for the 2019 season.  Team Gone Rogue is planning to come back five strong with Val, Jon, and myself sticking around, and the return of teammate Matt.  He just had his final surgery and is recouping and healing up so he can be ready to start back on the field come spring.  We are also picking up new a new Rogue, Carly.  This was her and her pony’s first full season and they grew and improved with each competition.  Carly is a really fun person and her attitude and dedication will match the rest of us perfectly.

We are also anticipating a new pony for myself.  Hopefully I can get the shopping underway soon and I am keeping my fingers crossed for an easy and quick shopping experience.  Simon may be a decent back up pony for me but he is certainly not first string material and I am excited and eager to train something new.

Bring on the winter practice sessions!

October 5, 2018

The Mid-Atlantic series is almost over for 2018. We just finished up #5 and just have the final leg left later this month.

MA5 was held at our favorite grounds; the Grange in Centre Hall, PA.

It was a packed weekend. There was a special football game going on at Penn State so the majority of the fairgrounds was rented out to RVs and campers there for the game. They had food and merch vendors, music playing and they tail gaited Saturday like pros.

Mean while we played games!

I again coached Main Attraction in novice and really enjoyed working with this team. They are all so into it and receptive. They all rode amazingly. I was particularly excited about their incredible handoffs. I think they only had one hand off bobble all weekend!

This weekend was a particularly strange one for Gone Rogue. It was just Jon and I from the regular roster. We picked up Carly, Tommy and Katie. So things were a bit messy to work out.

We actually finished third in the first session but we went down to fourth and then 5th as the weekend progressed.

Simon was also particularly sluggish which was a little frustrating.

All in all not the best competition for Gone Rogue. But it was a good time with friends!

And, it didn’t rain! And it wasn’t super hot!

September 25, 2018

It’s still raining so we headed back to Frying Pan Park for another indoor practice session. This time Matt joined us on foot since he is still broken and unable to ride.

It was a good practice and my second one on Simon. I think we made some more headway, as he remains a whole new pony. He leaped some in the start but got over it much quicker this week. But about half way through practice he did run away with me bucking.

I wonder if he is having a midlife crisis or something. Like a 40-50 year old man that gets a sports car and a 20yo girlfriend and a bad combover. Is he trying to prove his youth and athletic ability are still going strong? But 12 seems too young for a pony to have a mid life crisis?

No matter, I love this pony. Leaps, bucks, unpredictability and all.

Enough about me, how about everyone else? Carly rode Quibble since she was scheduled for a second practice on her own Remi later in the afternoon. That Quibble looks like he has been playing all his life. And Carly rode like a champ. Paxton got a turn on him as well and sported a pink tutu that matched her helmet perfectly. That kid is always dressed to impress.

Jenny had her hands full with Bitey who was a particular jerk for practice. Jenny got after him of course, but it was surprising to see him be so uncooperative.

I mostly missed Zoe, Val, and Jon, being so focused on my own beast. But I will say Dice is looking like a real games pony, Zoe should be proud. And of course the Hokes were butt kicking.

I think we are as ready for Mid-Atlantic 5 this coming weekend as we are going to get.

September 19, 2018

With the hurricane predicted to make the weekend a nasty weather event we decided to hit up Frying Pan Park on Sunday for an indoor practice.  The hurricane changed tracks and it actually turned out to be a pretty nice day, so the indoor was a bit on the warm side with the lack of airflow in there coupled with the crippling humidity.

We had a nice group of seven and were able to run two lanes and kept things rolling for about two hours.  We managed to knock out quite a few races.

The usual crew of Val and Jon were there along with some of our newer practice recruits, Jenny and Britney.  We were also joined by Carly and Rachel, making for a really good time.

While riding I realized this is the first games practice I have really had on Simon in about five years.  I hopped on him in the spring when Poe was sore after having his feet done, but I wasn’t taking that seriously.

I have taken him to two real competitions (and a light trial test run at a pairs competition before hand) without putting in any training work on him.  No wonder if feels like I am riding someone else’s pony.

He really is like riding a whole new pony.  Nothing like he is for anything else, and not like he used to be for games pre-Poe either.  Not that I would remember too much from five years ago exactly how to ride him.

This was an excellent opportunity to work out some skills, figure out some timing for  checks, stuff like that.  I still need to put some work into my end turns, both poles and barrels.  He tends to drop his hip or shoulder into the turn, so figuring out how wide and deep to set my turn up is key.  I guarantee I keep my inside leg working hard too.

I started off practice in his hackamore, which is what I always played games with him in and I tend to do most of his riding in.  But I switched that to his bit after the second race.

He was downright fired up and leaping around, and actually ran away with me at one point.

I missed a few handoffs in the start because I was holding and keeping him straight when he was leaping around.  But in retrospect, he was leaping forward, and not so much to the side, which is what I was expecting.  So I would like to practice again and push him into those first few hand offs more and see how that plays out.  After a couple races (about half a competition session) he settled in, but working through those first few races in a competition is going to be key to sort out.

I was also doing a terrible job of coming in close when giving hand offs and really straining my teammates to reach out for them.  That was just me being sloppy.  Something to work on along with end turns.

After practice Jenny and I went for a little walk about around the farm.  It turned into quite a nice day!

Until next practice!

August 23, 2018

MA2 was originally scheduled for May but due to extreme weather conditions it was rescheduled for August. This is the first time we have rescheduled a major team competition ever. It took some time to settle the new date and of course it dented the turn out but it was still worth the effort.

The Over25 division was stacked with 8 teams, although several of the teams were riding four man or riding with subs. Open was cut about in half and only had four teams playing for the weekend. The intermediate division sat at just three teams and Novice only had two teams. The Lead Line division came out in force and was at its largest with six enthusiastic players!

Sussex in New Jersey is a longer drive for myself down in Virginia. But it’s not a bad drive. The first four and a half hours are pretty much straight up the major highway I live off off. Pretty simple. Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. The last hour and twenty is a bit daunting, twisting back highways through small towns and rural areas and then a sudden arrival at the show grounds. In reverse on the way home it is much more pleasant and seems to pass much more quickly.

The grounds are pretty nice. The camping is on grass. The barns, bathrooms, and riding rings are all central. The stalls are nice, the rings have excellent footing and the arenas, although not the widest, are nice and long.  All and all, well worth the effort, although its worth leaving earlier on Friday to head up.

This weekend Gone Rogue was again four man, with the foundation of Val, Jon and myself, and joined by the new Rogue recruit, Britney.  We started off with a pretty decent first session, clean and really rather smooth.  Our second session followed suit and we were pretty confident with our place in the A final before the second heat ran.

Our last competition, MA4, our first competition as a four man team with Britney/Nicky and Simon was a little messy, but this one we seemed to have gotten our act together.  We rode like we knew each other and how to play.  I am tentative to say, incase of some voodoo jinxing, we got all of our hand offs!  Not a one hit the floor.  Which is usual for Gone Rogue, but with our team switch ups, both Nationals and MA4 were a mess of fallen handoffs.  It was nice to be back on point with such a vital skill.

I still feel like I am riding a borrowed pony on Simon.  I am not sure what he will do on some instances.  Not that I feel like he will duck out or buck on me, but more that I am unsure how much WHOA or check I need for a skill, or if he is going to drop a shoulder into a turn, or lean into my lean to take something out.  And he is not as sensitive as some ponies, so a little leg does not go a long way on him.  Holding him off a barrel turn for example, is not just “be prepared to throw on a little inside leg”.  So I am overly setting up some of my skills. Playing too cautiously. My turns are deeper and wider that I probably need them, and my checks for skills, like an association put down, tend to be early and conservative.  I know some of them are too conservative, and checks is one of the places I can and should push out on more now.  This is my first big spot to work on. Turns might take a bit more time, but checks, I do need to trust myself on more.  The pony does have fab brakes.

Simon did have one complete “WTH” moment.  I could feel him going for a poo as Jon was bringing me a hand off and thought, “oh no”.  Simon did not want to move on from a stand still.  Now, we DO move when we poo at home.  We don’t get to stop and take a bathroom break, so this was extra frustrating.  I mean, come on, poo fast at least! I felt like he was about to break out the Sunday paper.

Sunday we were warmed up and about to go in the ring when Simon yanked a back hoof up in pain and pulled up lame.  No idea what happened, I assumed a boulder lodged itself in his hoof, since when it happened we were simply trotting in a straight line across the perfectly worked amazing all weather footing.  But no boulder, or pebble was found and some swelling in his ankle began.  Bomb Squad rider, Cindy took a peek and agreed with my move to pull him.  And she helped steal him up for the long drive home while I coached the next heat after ours.  I am so grateful for this and everyone else’s quick hop to and concern.  Simon has never been off before and having my pony pull up so suddenly was a real shocker.  My team went in HC, while I went to untack and cold hose.

Since we were in the A final we finished in 5th, last in the A, being HC.  But it was a real bummer since we were really riding well in this competition and were all (of course) looking forward to a real ride em out with our fellow teams.  How frustrating.  But we choose not to have a 5th pony along knowing this is always a possibility.  Its a gamble and we rolled those dice.

The team looked good off in the end lane riding 3 man with one rider going twice.  I think we would have really given the other teams a real bit of added competition had we been actual contenders.

I am sure excited Gone Rogue brought it together for this competition and had our stuff worked out.  I am really enjoying riding with Britney.  Her bubbly personality fits in so well, and that Nicky, I have always loved that pony. The pair of them pulled it together for MA2 and rode well. Britney is easy going and can pop into any order pretty much where ever and she did seamlessly. She also pulled off some pretty nice vaults!

I think every time I write a competition post I rave about Jon and Val, both amazing accomplished games players that I couldn’t be happier to ride with.  So lets just rave once more here, WOOO they are freaking amazing.  Jon is so level and clock work dependable.  He is making Jeeter really work and be a real upper level games pony. He got the hand off issues that came up at Nationals sorted out and is getting tighter turns too. His only handicap is reach. Being on such a big horse he has to really lean and sometimes he still needs to lean just a tiny bit more. I am still surprised when he pulls off some moves from way up there.

Val is a monster out there just whipping out craziness.  But like last competition, she reined it in and has been putting Babyface into controlled schooling mode and it is paying off. BF still has a lot of legs to get sorted out and his butt is still all over the place. But it’s all coming into line slowly. Somehow she keeps him from hitting stuff. I am honestly not sure how.

So now we have a few weeks off until MA5 back at Grange.  Which is good so Simon can rest up.  I did have my vet out and he checked Simon out and declared him to most likely have rolled his ankle and that he strained his suspensory (using some Latin-esk words) ankle part, no tears or anything major.  So a solid week off, cold hosing and bute, and then back into light easy work.  I decided to pull him from pairs the following weekend (after two weeks off) and give him more time off to play it safe.  No sense in pushing him and causing damage we don’t have at this point.

Simon is loving his pampered life in the yard paddock, with lots of extra attention, and twice a day feedings (to administer bute).  He loves greeting us when we pull into the house, when we walk out of the house, when we go into the bathroom (he can see in the bathroom window) and pretty much whenever he can see or hear us in or near the house.

I am hoping to get in a real practice with Simon before MA5 where I can really work on my turns and checks and hand offs. I can drill some skills at home but hand offs needs assistance. My team is usually all for practicing, we just have limited opportunity in the summer season so we will see.

Thanks K Mahoney and J Hicks for photos.