Last Hurrah in Tejas

On Sunday, I took Brego out to a fun park on Granger Lake for one last hurrah before the frenzied packing begins. Between interviewing and preparing to move, Brego has received little work in the last week. But he still was a complete blast as we trotted and cantered around the park.

A recent flood had swept tree trunks across the trails, providing perfect cross country obstacles to canter over. One tree in particular formed a really impressive fence, about 3' tall at its highest. It was laid across a gravel road. I sized it up from a distance and then circled Brego around it. I wanted to see how he would handle the unusual fence without schooling it first, knowing his looky loo tendencies. Brego and I picked up a canter down the gravel road and as we approached the log, I zeroed in on the highest spot. Brego went exactly where I placed him, ignoring the obviously easier paths, and cleared the jump with such enthusiasm, that I was completely floored. Luckily, the moment was captured.



This picture, dear Readers, exemplifies everything about Brego which makes him truly special. I am so proud of him. He is brave, honest, and surprisingly talented. He has the soundness, of both limb and brain, to face new challenges with confidence. I don't know what I have done in my life to deserve such a horse, but I recognize that I am truly lucky.

When we jump like this, I regret taking the spring season off to move. After we later attempted to jump a 6 log course, however, I am glad I made the decision. With everything going on, neither one of us are conditioned enough to jump a full course, not to mention the other two phases. Sadly, I am the one most lacking in fitness, but I still don't think I would have the time to get either one of us in shape in time for the March 8th season opener. Oh well, I can do what I can and hope to restart conditioning in the summer.

Brego is not just a great eventer, he is a great companion in adventure. In a previous post, I mentioned that even though Brego has done many things in his short life, he is lacking in one quintessential skill for a Texas horse: herding cows. His days of being a Texan are numbered, but I still seized the opportunity to move some cows in the park. It was a valiant effort and Brego was pretty brave, but not exactly the model of efficiency. Things got particularly dicey when a bull stared us down and refused to move. Undaunted, we circled around for an easier mark and successfully moved a few heifers before running back to our buddies. Bulls, in case you didn't know, are mean. And scary.




A great day on a great horse. This memory will keep me when I am missing Brego over the next couple of months.