Keeping busy

Cupid and I have some extra sessions with our trainer this week because we're going to our first show in a few weeks!!  Since this is Cupid's first show, and my first show in about 15 years, I want to take it a bit easy and see how he reacts being in that atmosphere.  Hopefully he will not be too anxious.  If he seems okay we will do some Intro dressage tests, and possible a crossrail jumping class.  I'm starting to get nervous just thinking about it, but hopefully I can stay relaxed enough to help Cupid relax too.
Our past few sessions have been excellent.  Cupid has been trotting quietly into jumps, and landing quietly and listening to me.  We jumped almost all the jumps set up in the arena, twisting around in a little course.  Mostly they were cross rails, but also a slightly narrow vertical, a little brush box, and a jump with barrels lying under it.  There was a triple combination: cross rail oxer, one length to another crossrail, and two lengths to the brush box, but instead of jumping it as a line we jumped each element individually on an angle, and also jumped the first and last one going around the middle one.  That exercise was hard, I missed the second jump the first two times because I didn't plan ahead and react fast enough on landing and didn't want to jerk Cupid around to make it.  Planning ahead is something I need to work on for my courses.
I have dressage Intro B pretty well memorized; it's a simple test just walk trot, with 20 meter circles at trot on each rein and one change of direction at a walk.  I need to work on my halting at X, I usually start asking too early.  Also our downward transitions can be a little abrupt.
This weekend my sister rode Cupid.  It was fun watching him go, since usually I only get the view from his back.  He was being a little lazy but was a good boy.

Handsome boy!

Starting to look all grown up

New sheet, will keep him clean before the show