Horseshows and weddings, OH MY!

This weekend went by so fast, I think I might have even skipped over Monday! Phew! I had a lot on tap for the weekend, and I'm sorry to say I didn't take nearly enough photos to keep you entertained. So I apologize for that, but hopefully I'll be witty enough to keep you reading!
I took a half day off work Friday so I could get Jampy all ready for Connecticut Medal Finals on Saturday. He needed his whiskers trimmed and a good bath. Plus some exercise of course. Rio got a lunge and some grooming, and I got the trailer hooked up, packed, and ready to go! All before 7. I should take half days more often!

I made every effort to get bed to early, and was up with the sun at 5 am. I had to get Jamp's mane and tail braided before we left at 7:30. He looked great when I got him on the trailer, but I could tell he was a little nervous. (He usually is when we travel.) We arrived right on time at the show, got checked in, and went off to find a place for him to lunge and calm his nerves. He was actually great to lunge, and didn't seem terribly fresh. Good sign! I still had some time, so I put him back on the trailer to have some hay while I watched a few riders go in the class before mine. I also learned my course. It seemed easy enough, nothing very tricky. Finally, around noon, it was time to get on! My trainer worked Jamp first to give him a little tune up for me. He was definitely a little more energized than he had been for his lunge in the morning, but he was working well. I got on and jumped a few practice jumps and he was perfect as he's been all year so far. I was starting to relax and thinking this was going to go just fine!
I had been a little all kinds of anxious leading up to finals, because we do not get any practice time in the ring. Jamp is a good boy, but he really likes to check out his surroundings before he has to be judged. In years past, I've always brought Rio to this final for that reason. He doesn't require orientation! So all week, I talked to Jampy about the weekend. I told him, all I really could ask was that he be brave and not spook at the jumps. Well... I should have been a little more specific.
My turn in the arena was approaching, so I took a couple more practice jumps in the grassy area near the show ring. (We were showing on grass, so it's good to give them an idea of how that footing feels versus the sand we had previously warmed up over.) This is when the nerves came back for Jamp. He even landed off one jump bucking! Naughty! But after jumping a few more, he was back to his old self, and I was feeling pretty ok about going in the ring.
Lining the one long side of the arena was a tent full of tables and spectators. They were kind of a noisy bunch too! I made sure to walk Jamp that whole length of the ring so he could take his time and see what was going on in there. I've had trouble with him and tents before, so I knew that could be an issue if he didn't get a good look. He walked somewhat politely, but was VERY tense. Normally I wait for him to relax before asking him to pick up his pace. But I was running out of arena, and had to put him to work. I asked for the trot and he let out a buck! <<Sigh>> That's enough to lose the class. Not a good way to start. He got that out of his system though, and cantered along nicely to the first jump. He landed strong, but came back to me. Jump two I made a little mistake, but he was right there for me (good pony!) and the rest of the course was mostly smooth. He did land and get strong here and there, but he never once spooked at any of the jumps. He did exactly what I asked him to do. Clearly I need to be a little more specific with my requests next year!

Riding horses is a lesson in humility pretty much every time you get on. Last year Rio and I were second at this final. And this year, I didn't even make the call back. It's really disappointing, but I am also very proud of Jamp for mostly keeping himself together. I can't blame him for not being perfect. He's never been on that show grounds before. He didn't get to practice first like he has been able to do at every show he's been to with me. And he didn't try and get me killed. All in all, despite being disappointed, I am really proud of my boy. He gave his best effort despite his anxiety and technically did what I asked of him. There's always next year!

Traffic was miserable on the drive home. I-95 north on a summer weekend in CT is painful. PAINFUL! I think our max speed heading home was 45 mph. We arrived home around 4 pm and I had to clean out the trailer, unbraid Jamp, and spend some QT with Rio. Then some scavenging in my empty kitchen for food and some much needed pug snuggles! At 7:30 I had to head back out to braid some horses at a local stable. They came out great!

I was home at midnight, but needed to stay up with the Pugs for a little bit. And by stay up I mean fall asleep on the floor with them.

Next thing I knew, it was Sunday. My schedule for Sunday was supposed to start out with a 7 mile run. But I didn't do that. I was far too tired to even THINK about it. I'm thinking the September half is coming off my calendar. Hartford Half in October here I come? We'll have to see. Anyway, back to Sunday! I got to sleep in a little Sunday until 8 since I nixed the run. That was actually pretty great. I then had a couple errands to run (almost out of dogfood!) followed by a visit with Ducky to say hello and bring him some more feed. After a short visit there, I rushed home to grab a shower and get ready for my friend's wedding reception!
The party was held at different friend's home that sits lakeside in a nearby town. It was GORGEOUS! The Bride is a HUGE Pinterest fan, and you could see she really did her research for wedding ideas. Here are some highlights:

Best Photobooth I've ever seen. EVER:

I really should have edited that photo, so you could see better... Sorry. Anyway, how cute is that?! An actual wall, complete with molding, and framed photos of the happy couple. If I ever throw Rio a retirement party, I'm stealing this idea.

It was impossible to get a good photo of this chandelier from down low where I stand, so I'll explain. It's mason jars, frosted purple hanging at different lengths. I love the concept, and really hope they make use of it in their home!
I didn't get any photos of the views nor of the pizza truck (the same one I used once for a party, and hope to again!). But I did snap a quick pic of the lake as I was walking to my car. It was a random home though. Not wedding party related:

I was home by around 7:30 since I had to feed the kids. Did a little straightening up in the house and then was off to bed. And here we are, back to the work grind!

How was your weekend? Do anything fun and exciting? Run any races? Tell me about it below! (No seriously, tell me about your weekend!)