Moingona Hunter Pace at Cedar Run, Tipton IA - May 6, 2006

What an incredible day was to be had at the Moingona Hunter Pace this year. For those that missed out, keep your calendars marked for the first weekend in May next year. After a cold and miserable Friday, Saturday turned out to be just perfect for the event. We arrived early in anticipation of an exciting day. We were right! DJ & Rosie were both enthralled to be away from home and excited to see new faces. The atmosphere was friendly and inviting, with hunt members introducing themselves and welcoming us to the hunter pace. Thank you for all those members who took the time to explain the rules and guide us around the course.

Shayleen and I tacked up the horses, warmed up a little and headed out to the start box at 9:20 - We were the first ones up on the Slow Pace. We had a wonderful ride. We jumped very little, just giving the horses something to look at, and the plastic car toys 'wings' at the first jump caused quite a stir. The beehive's at the next log also took a second look - the bright white boxes set against the entry to the woods were startling. It was all downhill from there - literally. It took some time for our flat land horses to accustom themselves to walking downhill, negotiating tree roots, rocks and trees. The scenery overlooking the Cedar River was stunning, the pastures we crossed, lush and green, the jumps innovative and encouraging for both horse and rider. We finished the course 25 minutes later winning 1st and 2nd place as we were closest to the optimum time.

We untacked the horses, brushed them down and watched the line of trucks and trailers grow. Riders were starting to warm up their horses and getting them ready for the medium pace. Susan & Jim arrived (at last) and I waited for them to ready their horses. We set off together with Elise on a brown & white appaloosa, Jim & Susan on their grey Percheron/TB's and myself on a bay Rosie(TB). This time around, I stared putting Rosie over more jumps and for the first time negotiated the bank and ditch. Rosie jumped waaaaaaaaaay to big down the bank and unseated me on the landing. Thankfully I managed to push myself back into the saddle. We tried it again and Jim instructed me to just sit back and give the horse the reins and not to think of it as a jump. We got it right the third time, landing well and secure in the saddle (phew). On we went and finished in about 20 minutes.

On our return to the start, the fast pace was under way. Jim and I turned around and entered the fast pace. 'Was I crazy?' - apparantly so. Knowing Jim as a foxhunter should have deterred me. We set off! The first hill I pulled back and balked at going flat out at a gallop downhill, apologized to Jim for holding him up and sent him ahead. Caught up to him when he took a left (instead of a right) at the marker and raced uphill. Rosie was putting all her effort into it and gallantly took me over the logs & coops. We missed some jumps on the way, losing the lead to Jim and then getting ahead again as he lost a stirrup over a HUGE coop. We finished, placing 3rd & 4th. What an adrenalin rush !!!

A big THANK YOU to all Moingona Hunt Members and other participants for making this a remarkable experience! We'll be back next year!

Photos coming soon.