Cowfeathers Farm to Foxcroft Farm: Jimmy Wofford Clinic- Opportunity Accepted!

Big doin's for Cowfeathers. We have just returned from a week of intensive riding at camp...more in the next blog. For now, I must rewind.

The weekend before we left for camp, Middlest rode in a clinic taught by none other than the great Jimmy Wofford. (Think multiple trip Olympian, and US Eventing Coach longstanding, emeritus- in the world of Eventing, he's done it. )

Jimmy Wofford, going Cross Country, 1978

She couldn't afford the clinic, and neither could her main backers (me and Huz), but amazingly, two ladies who think highly of Middlest decided to sponsor her entry cost! I expect she will pay them back in labor and pay it forward as well, but without a doubt it was especially generous of Kara and Des. And Middlest took advantage of the opportunity.
Jimmy is not a "warm fuzzy" instructor. That isn't what he's paid to do. He gets results. I think some of the riders had a harder time than others with that, but Middlest accepted it with aplomb. Quote from day one Jimmy to Middlest "Your eyes were in 16 different places, NONE OF THEM CORRECT." Or, day two "WHERE are you going???? Look at me. Look at ME! LOOK HERE!LOOKHEREHERE HERE!!!!!"
But she figured it out, and had a ton of fun.

The first day of the clinic began with a Q and A and a short lecture, mostly clarification of the "three point, light three point and two point seat" In this shot, Middlest had asked about working of Nelle's current head set issue, and Jimmy is explaining a following hand. "A good hand follows when a horse goes forward, takes when the horse comes back. A trained hand resists when a horse resists, and softens when the horse softens."

The clinic was divided into three groups of 5-7 riders. Middlest and Kara were in the intermediate group.
Riders up!
The first day was in the arena, and was mostly two hours of what we call "gymnastics". This is jumping a lot of jumps in a row with different numbers of strides between fences. They are designed to work on balance, accuracy, evening the speed of stride and training the eye and the position of the rider. These exercises help in a lot of ways and are important to take out on the cross country course with you. Accuracy means you go over the jump with your horse.


The sequential photos of this gymnastic line show Jimmy riding it right through with Middlest. He's practically in the line. When I was a kid, my Dad would watch me take a bite, and he would unconciously move his mouth too, afraid the food was going to fall off my fork, he would go through the motions of the whole bite from plate to mouth. Jimmy did this with Middlest while she jumped.


Not worried a bit about Kara, he just watched.


Des rode in the last group. She is a new rider, having picked up the sport only a few years ago. She's gutsy and game. But she's also riding with 4 broken toes, courtesy of Patches, acquired only that week after another jumping lesson. A two hour jumping lesson with Jimmy was a lot to ask of those poor tootsies, and Des sat out of day two's cross country lesson.


The cross country day went really well. So, it is strange to start it out with this photo! Middlest had a bit of a direction and balance problem early in the schooling that landed her off the horse, but on her feet. Jimmy's thoughts? "Don't. Fall. Off."

The mare was doing her silly head tossing, nose in the air, like a turkey in the rain thing all through the warm up fences. Then, when they came down off a hill and over a large coop, you could see the mare realize "Hmm, maybe I should pay attention, and look where I'm going!" After that they got to business.

If this fence seems directionally challenged, this is because the moment before takeoff is when the mare realized she had to focus a bit.

Kara's mare, Indy, loves the open jump and started showing her stuff right away. But, new things make her stop and have a look. She did NOT like the look of these barrels, but Kara rode her just right, and on time two they were over without issue. Jimmy said to those of us watching " Notice I'm not yelling anything at Kara? This is because you can't ride it any better than that, and I've nothing to say."

Indy and Nelle coming down off the hill next to the beautiful house at Red Tail Ridge. They had just completed their first set of obstacles, with great success.


One of the challenges you face on Cross Country are ditches. Jimmy wanted to see if they would do a ditch. The answer from Indy was "I will jump it, but I'm gonna make darn sure I don't get too close!"

See the mare tucking up her hind feet? Just in case something is in the ditch pops out and tries to swallow her. Not a balanced jump to ride, but Kara sticks it. Your camera-lady is standing on a log. Indy's front feet are still about 2' above the ground.

Nelle is more reasonable about the ditch than Indy, but she's still not casual about it! Nice ride by Middlest though!!!


Jimmy coaches Middlest through the bank- another one of the complexes of Cross Country.

The biggest challenge on a Cross Country Course is often the water. Indy was pretty uncertain about jumping out of it. The water at Red Tail Ridge is deep, and black....horse-scary. But again, the second time Kara asked her, Indy took the leap!
Middlest and Nelle went right in and through and out. But, Middlest dropped a stirrup on the way into the water. After she finished the complex Jimmy said " You lost your stirrup...what happens when you drop a stirrup on cross country? You fall off. Why do riders lose a stirrup?" Middlest answered loudly back "Because they didn't keep their weight in their lower leg!" Jimmy Said "RIGHT!"
I think she's heard it before. :-)