At the gentle urging of some readers, I have come out of hibernation to give a quick update on the Big Brego. Brego continues to improve, and at a ripe old age of 9, is really hitting his prime.
Warm up fence before stadium - Snowfields HT, Maine
On the show scene, he has been in the ribbons at every show, schooling and recognized, and just finished his USEA Novice debut in Area 1 in second place, 1 point off the leader. He truly loves to ride across country, but his gallop stride is not quite effortless so Novice is where we shall stay for a long while. Area 1 is quite competitive and the questions are often max height and width, so plenty of excitement. He can make the time without truly stressing his body and the 2' 11" heights allow for rider errors. Of which there are plenty. Rider errors, that is. As has become apparent in the last year, Brego surpasses me in talent, so Novice is a nice place for me to take lessons and hone some much needed skills. :)
Fence 19, Novice Course. Who is more tired, rider or horse? :)
As an extracurricular activity, this year Brego will be a regular whipper-in horse for my hunt. He possesses a keen hound sense and, while not bottomless, certainly has the ability to stay with our drag pack. He is also steady to obstacles and with excitable horses, so he is dependable as a lead.
Brego's versatility and generally enthusiastic attitude is a huge portion of our success. He absolutely loves his job, he loves to jump and he loves to ride to hounds. He is literally bursting with excitement when we go out on course or in the first gone away. In this way, I am truly lucky, because no amount of training instills love into a horse's heart. I get asked often how I get him to do the things he does. I do not "get him" to do anything. He loves to do it. I just hold on for the ride.
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