The Backwards Episode

Were you a Seinfeld fan?  Do you remember the episode where the gang goes to India for Pinter's (Peter) wedding?  This post is going to go something like that!

I slept like the dead.  Arriving home at 9:00 p.m. after more than fours of driving will do that to a person.  

Hitting the valley floor just as the sun began to set.

The drive from Hansen Dam Equestrian Center to Bakersfield was a bit tricky as I was either in deep shade or heading due west with the sun directly in my eyes.  Interstate 5 is a BIG freeway with not enough lanes, there are four in each direction, and LOTS of trucks.  The "Ridge Route" crosses at 4,000 feet, a low pass (by California's standards).  The speed limit is 65 mph for cars, but 55 for trucks and autos with trailers.  It can get a bit dicey at the end of a weekend as people are returning home.  

Last night was particularly busy.  There was a lot of construction on the road which frequently funneled four lanes of busy traffic down to three. When you have a valuable passenger in the back, hitting the brakes hard because a little Mercedes wants to squeeze past is just not what you want to do.  I took a deep breath of relief when I finally hit the valley floor and the traffic was able to spread out.

A "borrowed" internet photo of I-5

Claudia puts on a really relaxed and welcoming show.  She spends most of the show driving around in her golf cart checking in with riders to see if they need anything.  She's encouraging and very approachable.  She gave Speedy and me a very welcomed compliment that meant a lot.  After my first test she told me that we were looking a lot better than when I was there in the late winter.  She felt that we had a better frame and that Speedy was moving much better behind.  Awww ... Thanks, Claudia!

I met two of the nicest Haflingers, Whiskey and Kaira; they're moms were awfully nice, too.

This is Wendy's gelding, Whiskey.

This is Wendy's mare, Kaira.

Wendy and Mea had come to the Ride-a-Test held the day before so they saw what the parking was like ahead of time.  They quickly realized where the one shaded spot was and made sure to grab it on arrival.  Speedy was not so lucky, but the ladies were nice enough to let me sit on the boulders nearby so that I could hang out in the shade.  Sorry, Speedy!

Kind of a goofy angle!

Let's just say that my debut at Training Level 3 was much better than I expected, except for one little bobble, but the low score didn't reflect what I felt.  And I think what I felt was right.  A small group of spectators thought it went quite well aside from the "issue" we had.  Training Level Test 2 was a hot mess, but I am okay with it as I took home a very valuable piece of info.

I am tired and haven't had time to even look at my score sheets so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear how Test 3 went.  Onward and backward!