What a fun show this was; it was my first time at the Thunderbird Show Park, and I was very impressed. Even though I was in the muddy pony ring, the experience that these showgrounds provide is like none other. I rode Milo in the medium rated ponies and the pony equitation, and I rode What's up Doc in the small rated ponies. The weather was not on our side this horse show; we had rain every day with only short breaks of clouds. Both Milo and What's up Doc schooled nicely in the mud, but I had to learn to adjust my ponies step so they would keep impulsion without getting heavy or breaking in the footing.
Equitation day rolled around, and Milo was as responsive as could be, and I went into the ring confident. Overall I was thrilled with how Milo was for me. We were second in our first equitation over fences, third in our second equitation over fences, and we were second in the flat. I couldn't be happier with how Milo was, and he got us a reserve champion in the pony equitation. Saturday, showing was good with the ponies, and both were very consistent and responsive, earning us some middle of the road placings that I was happy with. The next day, Milo was jumping out of his skin, and Doc got almost every lead change. In the first round of Milo's classic, he won the class with a 78 and some phenomenal jumps. What I was most happy with Milo is that he was soft and responsive without getting quick and rushy. With Doc, he had his best round yet in his second round of the classic. He jumped everything beautifully and got all but his last lead change, earning him a 79 in the second round.
To review, I was delighted with how both ponies performed, and I had a lot of fun at this show. These show grounds are a must-see for competitive equestrians as they are gorgeous and very well run. I look forward to my next visit to these grounds.