Battle of the Breeds - Trail

1) canter right lead to poles - trot through poles - canter left lead to barrels

2) Pick up flag:

oh!  I get it!  Stand here while you do stuff!!

...trot figure-8 around barrels - replace flag

3) Trot to sled - drag sled across arena - tie to fence on the other side:

No way!  I am NOT dragging that monster!!

When all else fails, fake it!

This is us pretending we are dragging the sled...

Since we arrived with no sled, we pretended to tie it to the rail!  The audience made noises of confusion, then realized what we were doing and started chuckling.  After we "tied it up", they clapped as we walked to the next obstacle!

4) Trot to the 'gate' and work gate.
She said she wanted nothing to do with the wild blue rope that served as a gate.  We were excused from the obstacle after 30 seconds.

5) Trot to the tarp and pole.  Walk over it.
The tarp in warm-up was blue.  She was cool with it.  This one was silver.  It was an entirely different bird...

are you sure this is a good idea?

She was tentative, but let me convince her to put ONE FOOT on it.  Then it was over.  She couldn't take any more!  I nodded to the judge, and we moved on.  I was very proud of her for even putting that one foot on it!

6) canter to...


7) The cow pen!
Walk through the cows, get the 'ribbon' (caution tape) from the trailer, walk back through the cows...

...I can't go there.  There's a cow in the way...

Me: Well, FP, you are going to have to push the cow out of the way...

...you can do that???

Me: Try it!
FP: Who knew?  That was easy!

must take this with us...

8)  Trot to the Mailbox:

when you run out of places to put your 'ribbon'...

 9) Place the ribbon in the mailbox:

fuzzy version...

Oh!  Stand here while you do stuff again!

 10) Canter over the jump:

Alright!  Back to the fun stuff!

 11) Halt at the cone and back up:
 

diagonal pairs and all!

 Waiting in the line up for placings...

Someone waved at me, first!!

 Tucker the Mustang entertained us, too!

Despite everything, we took 6th place!!!

I was so surprised!

 Everybody's boundaries were pushed!  The judge gave some tips after the class.It was really fun to get her out there in ALL THAT STUFF!  I want to do it some more!!