The DOR can still bounce!

Game day was Saturday and fun was had by all! The weather was perfect, a nice sunny day with cool temperatures, but not cold. The DOR had me wear some antlers for the ground portion of game day. You can see from my face how thrilled I am with that-not. She also called me Rudolph, maybe she was hoping if I had a different name that a blue tarp would not scare me. If my old owner is reading this please help me, this crazy lady is making me look silly! It isn't fair that such a handsome guy is made to wear silly costumes.
So the first event of the day was an "in-hand" obstacle course, no touching your horse allowed.








The course started off with....the blue tarp from heck! It was a giant blue tarp and we were to stand still with all four feet on it for 5 seconds. I had decided that I was going to give it my best shot, after all the DOR had fed me early so I wouldn't starve during the games. I managed to get all four feet on the tarp and stood still for 5 seconds! The DOR got a big grin and gave me a kiss. Maybe calling me Rudolph did have the desired effect.

The next obstacle was walking across the bridge...no sweat at all. I got all four feet on and waltzed across like it was just another day at the ranch.

The next task was to either walk over a pole or jump two barrels. Extra points were given for doing the jump rather than the pole-bonus points for jumping both directions...I got all of the points.

The we had to walk over to a big ball (I don't like this ball by the way). We were supposed to touch it or let our DOR touch it on us. I was not touching that ball, so the DOR picked it up and set it on my back. Did I mention that I had to stand still in order to get the points? She then bounced it by me, again I had to stand still, and we got extra points.

We also did a circling game where we had to stop the closest to a cone. The DORs then got extra points if we touched it. My DOR looked pretty silly leaning over trying to get me to put my nose on the cone-I got even for the antlers.

We dazzled everyone with our figure 8 around barrels with the DOR standing on a mounting block. We then played a bit of soccer, the DORs kicking the ball. Did I mention that a few of the DORs, mine included, decided to roll the ball under their horse's belly? I can tell you I stood there, but I did not like it-no not one bit.

The DORs took a break and ate lunch. Then it was time to ride. Simon says was the first game. We came in second...I knew the event manager hadn't said Simon says so I wasn't listening to the DOR-but she wouldn't give up and was busted for giving me orders. We had the full cup of water race around the arena, I got second. We had the egg race, Dakota won that. There was the team zig-zag race, where you weave the opposite direction from you partner crossing paths between cones. The DOR and her partner went forward going up and then decided to earn style points by doing it backwards on the way back. I do not like backing very much, but I gave it my best shot. We had flag race...I was not playing with flags today, not after the backing stunt, so the DOR had me do the race with no flag.

Then we did the key hole race. I started out well, really I did, but then I had a fall apart. I started to canter, hunched my back and took a hop-I was thinking if I bucked all the way we would get extra style points...yep that was it! If the DOR would have cooperated things would have been fine, but no she remembered her one rein stop. She rode the first buck fine while turning my head around to her right knee. That was where she made her mistake, you see by bending me around I moved right out from underneath her when I pitched the second buck-that and I gave her a serious rope burn yanking the rein out of her hand. Hard to land in the saddle when the saddle isn't there anymore. The DOR landed in the nice soft sand on her left hip, bounced up a bit and then ended up on her right side. I continued bucking around the arena, working on those style points. The support crew chief caught me and then got on, he made me turn and back until I gathered myself together. The DOR got back on and had me trot through the keyhole race. That was the last event of the day and I ended in a flourish!

The DOR and I won the ground work competition and I won an award for the best imitation of a bucking horse...see it did pay off!

The DOR says I have to work on my cantering without bucking. I am glad she was not hurt, well her tailbone and hip are bruised up and she had sand in her hair. She kept her sense of humor about it and really had a great time. She did tell me that she would appreciate it if I didn't buck again, that she hates falling off.

Here is Dakota and his best friend Colin. Colin came in second for the riding events.

Thank you to the event manager and her great support team. We really had a great time. The DOR won't admit it, but she was glad to see she could still bounce a little bit and get back on, even if it does take her a bit longer to get up off the ground.

A poem to the DOR (borrowed from Winnie the Pooh):

The wonderful things about DORs,

Yes DORs are wonderful things,

Their heads are made of the rubber and their bottoms are made of the springs.

They're bouncey, bouncey, bouncey, bouncey fun, fun, fun, fun fun.

The wonderful thing about DORs is that mine is not the only one.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR