Thermal Semi-Pro Pics

I was lucky enough to have a friend from another barn take some great shots of Prair and I over our super-tiny, baby jumps during our last week.

Truth be told, I think some of them are better than the pro shots I ordered, but if I hadn't ordered them, karma would dictate that these would not have turned out.

We hardly look glamorous over 2' and 2'3" (no 2'6" in the batch), but I'm learning to own our baby-ness and frankly I can't believe she got as many decent "jumping" shots as she did.  Whenever I try to photograph such small fences it looks like awkward cantering.

Mare needs to learn how to put her ears forward!

Sometimes we even found the Hunter Gap!

More square and straight than normal

One of our Juniors on Prair in an Under Saddle

My face is wincing because we barely fit the last stride in.. lol

How cute would this be with forward ears?

Not quite as square... but pretty straight!

 Also, not to sound like a total points whore, (ribbon whore, yes.  points... less exciting to me) but I think that it's possible Prair and I might end up Second Half Circuit champs in a division, and it's maybe even possible we could get a tri-color for overall circuit championships.  I can't totally tell because the circuit standings don't seem to get updated very often, but if the points are normal ribbon points (10 for 1st, 6 for 2nd, etc...) we should be sitting pretty in a couple of our divisions.  If they are something different and actually are up to date.. well then, we probably won't.

I will say that aside from the super small unimpressive jumps in the photos - overall I'm really glad we stepped down a (couple) division(s).  I think it was exactly what we needed to get Prairie relaxed and happy and also for me to be totally comfortable in the ring.  If I was planning on a "normal" season (assuming last year was normal), I'd be feeling dialed in, and primed to step back up to 2'9" no problem at home.  I know it seems odd to spend so much time and money "warming up" for show season, but I really think that's what the winter circuits do.  They knock off the rust, let you get round, after round, after round done and send you home ready to get to business.  As it stands, especially at 20-22 weeks pregnant, I think the small divisions were the right choice for us.