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Description

Blue skies, bouncy springs, we just named a few awesome things.
~ Everything is Awesome, Tegan and Sara

TEAM: Noble Nightingales
Rider: Cecily Jones
Horse: Sunday Katto
Representing the team/riding as an individual: Team
HCL BUYEO | Show Journal

Months back Cecily had been medically cleared to return to training, and about that time she'd entered herself and Leche into a major show jumping competition. The HARPG Champions League had intruiged her last year, but she had been wary to send her little stallion into such a massive show. Sure he'd done the Eventing Triple Crown, the FEI Championships, and competed in a few other majors but it wasn't the same. This was the best of the best, and while she believed in her heart that Leche was on the cusp of a lot of these guys she wasn't sure that he was ready to compete with the proverbial big dogs especially given that most of them had at least a hand on him if not more.

But here they were, standing in the box in Buyeo, waiting to go. They were the first to ride for their team, and Cecily could feel the weight on her shoulders. Thinking about it just had her rolling her shoulders, the last thing that she wanted to do was get in her head about this. It was the first time she'd been in the saddle since her fall for a competition, of course she'd been training, and practicing with her little dude but it wasn't the same. Listening to the crowd she could tell that Alina and Shylock were ending their course. It would be time soon, and she'd just have to suck it up.

Taking a breath she adjusted her weight in the saddle which caused Leche to shift his weight as well. "Easy mate." Her words were soft and she leaned forward to rub his neck, "One of us needs to be calm about it." There was a soft nicker and he flicked his ears back to her, Leche was the calmest of the stallions, and she knew it was his subtle way of telling her to be calm. Offering a smile she wrapped up on him and clucked softly, "It's that time boy."

Sure enough they were called into the arena and that's when she felt the world fall away, just her and the little horse beneath her mattered now. Not Harley's crazy self half painted in Monarch and Nightingale colors, not her fear of another dramatic breakdown, nothing but the two of them and the course ahead. Taking a deep breath, she pushed thoughts of anything other than how hard they'd worked to get here out of her mind. She'd been so afraid that her little dude would be too short to compete, and honestly, he just squeaked in as the absolute shortest horse in the field with just his son Oliver just above him in height the pressure was real. Then when Oliver went and did so well in the first leg...well...needless to say it was time for Leche to step up, even if only on his tippy hooves.

Lining up at the start she eased forward in the saddle, preparing for the snap that Leche would give her when he took off. He was a rocket, always had been, and while he was shorter than most he was half thoroughbred and had no fear to go fast. Even if his little legs seemed to move impossibly fast, and he was a bit of a blur. Once she gave him the signal he burst forward, grabbing the ground effortlessly with his sharp and keen stride. They moved for the first jump and she shifted ever so slightly to prepare him to fly, hitting the ground hard with his front he tucked his rear under a bit to launch himself up and forward literally sailing his little body over the jump ahead of him with a sort of wonderous effort. Little legs had to work hard to fly so high, but he had it down to a science.

Landing clean he was given the signal to begin to turn and turn he did, being so little he could quickly manuever the tightness of certain parts of the course and it helped him, even though from the stands watching him it looked like a longer legged giant shetland moving their legs like lightning fast chopsticks. It wasn't pretty, but it felt smooth and of course...there was the flying.

And fly they did until the very end, wrapping up on Leche and easing him out after the last jump Cecily panted hard. She leaned forward and rubbed Leche's sweat covered neck before kissing it softly, "That's it mate, we did it."

Refs:

1.1 Arena view
1.3 Entrance to palace
i.pinimg.com/564x/93/16/54/931…
i.pinimg.com/564x/b7/3b/2b/b73…
i.pinimg.com/564x/d3/49/38/d34…
i.pinimg.com/564x/b2/9d/40/b29…
i.pinimg.com/564x/7a/fa/96/7af…

For the Commentators:

This is Cecily's first competition since a breakdown causing major injuries to herself, and the death of the horse she was riding. - A Foolish Fox is Caught by One Leg
Because of his jumping style, Leche will start to tire towards the end which could help lead to a knocked bar.
Cecily is still at times tender, and likely will look uncomfortable on a few jumps towards the end as well.e

Jumping Style:

Leche is a high flyer, he propels himself by slamming into the ground before a jump and literally launching up like a dog would using their hocks. He also runs a little awkwardly, having a shorter stride than larger horses he has to use a little more effort to make up the distance. But it's better on tight turns as he doesn't have to shorten himself at all.

Comments:

So doing this HCL leg with a nearly broken hand has been a real joy. Thanks to Aliyska , oTapirus , and buckuroo for putting up with me constantly whining about the pain and my stubborn butt as I pushed through this. I committed and I wasn't going to let a stupid hand get in my way! WOO! Now for a big bucket of ice, and hopefully by the next leg I'm in we'll be ship shape.

Description

Blue skies, bouncy springs, we just named a few awesome things.
~ Everything is Awesome, Tegan and Sara

TEAM: Noble Nightingales
Rider: Cecily Jones
Horse: Sunday Katto
Representing the team/riding as an individual: Team
HCL BUYEO | Show Journal

Months back Cecily had been medically cleared to return to training, and about that time she'd entered herself and Leche into a major show jumping competition. The HARPG Champions League had intruiged her last year, but she had been wary to send her little stallion into such a massive show. Sure he'd done the Eventing Triple Crown, the FEI Championships, and competed in a few other majors but it wasn't the same. This was the best of the best, and while she believed in her heart that Leche was on the cusp of a lot of these guys she wasn't sure that he was ready to compete with the proverbial big dogs especially given that most of them had at least a hand on him if not more.

But here they were, standing in the box in Buyeo, waiting to go. They were the first to ride for their team, and Cecily could feel the weight on her shoulders. Thinking about it just had her rolling her shoulders, the last thing that she wanted to do was get in her head about this. It was the first time she'd been in the saddle since her fall for a competition, of course she'd been training, and practicing with her little dude but it wasn't the same. Listening to the crowd she could tell that Alina and Shylock were ending their course. It would be time soon, and she'd just have to suck it up.

Taking a breath she adjusted her weight in the saddle which caused Leche to shift his weight as well. "Easy mate." Her words were soft and she leaned forward to rub his neck, "One of us needs to be calm about it." There was a soft nicker and he flicked his ears back to her, Leche was the calmest of the stallions, and she knew it was his subtle way of telling her to be calm. Offering a smile she wrapped up on him and clucked softly, "It's that time boy."

Sure enough they were called into the arena and that's when she felt the world fall away, just her and the little horse beneath her mattered now. Not Harley's crazy self half painted in Monarch and Nightingale colors, not her fear of another dramatic breakdown, nothing but the two of them and the course ahead. Taking a deep breath, she pushed thoughts of anything other than how hard they'd worked to get here out of her mind. She'd been so afraid that her little dude would be too short to compete, and honestly, he just squeaked in as the absolute shortest horse in the field with just his son Oliver just above him in height the pressure was real. Then when Oliver went and did so well in the first leg...well...needless to say it was time for Leche to step up, even if only on his tippy hooves.

Lining up at the start she eased forward in the saddle, preparing for the snap that Leche would give her when he took off. He was a rocket, always had been, and while he was shorter than most he was half thoroughbred and had no fear to go fast. Even if his little legs seemed to move impossibly fast, and he was a bit of a blur. Once she gave him the signal he burst forward, grabbing the ground effortlessly with his sharp and keen stride. They moved for the first jump and she shifted ever so slightly to prepare him to fly, hitting the ground hard with his front he tucked his rear under a bit to launch himself up and forward literally sailing his little body over the jump ahead of him with a sort of wonderous effort. Little legs had to work hard to fly so high, but he had it down to a science.

Landing clean he was given the signal to begin to turn and turn he did, being so little he could quickly manuever the tightness of certain parts of the course and it helped him, even though from the stands watching him it looked like a longer legged giant shetland moving their legs like lightning fast chopsticks. It wasn't pretty, but it felt smooth and of course...there was the flying.

And fly they did until the very end, wrapping up on Leche and easing him out after the last jump Cecily panted hard. She leaned forward and rubbed Leche's sweat covered neck before kissing it softly, "That's it mate, we did it."

Refs:

1.1 Arena view
1.3 Entrance to palace
i.pinimg.com/564x/93/16/54/931…
i.pinimg.com/564x/b7/3b/2b/b73…
i.pinimg.com/564x/d3/49/38/d34…
i.pinimg.com/564x/b2/9d/40/b29…
i.pinimg.com/564x/7a/fa/96/7af…

For the Commentators:

This is Cecily's first competition since a breakdown causing major injuries to herself, and the death of the horse she was riding. - A Foolish Fox is Caught by One Leg
Because of his jumping style, Leche will start to tire towards the end which could help lead to a knocked bar.
Cecily is still at times tender, and likely will look uncomfortable on a few jumps towards the end as well.e

Jumping Style:

Leche is a high flyer, he propels himself by slamming into the ground before a jump and literally launching up like a dog would using their hocks. He also runs a little awkwardly, having a shorter stride than larger horses he has to use a little more effort to make up the distance. But it's better on tight turns as he doesn't have to shorten himself at all.

Comments:

So doing this HCL leg with a nearly broken hand has been a real joy. Thanks to Aliyska , oTapirus , and buckuroo for putting up with me constantly whining about the pain and my stubborn butt as I pushed through this. I committed and I wasn't going to let a stupid hand get in my way! WOO! Now for a big bucket of ice, and hopefully by the next leg I'm in we'll be ship shape.