This morning we went out to Woodside for the Woodside Vaulters Tiny Tots class! I was a vaulter growing up and although I get made fun of a LOT by my brothers/friends/husband for spending my pre-teen and teenage years in a spandex unitard doing gymnastics on horseback- I loved the sport, competitions and being part of a team. Oma's newest barn addition is a Vaulting horse so Francie has to learn the moves to teach her cousins in Red Bluff- we've already got an entire vaulting team and a few alternates in kids! I was really proud of Francie and so was her dad- she jumped right into the class and LOVED it.

Warming up with the other tiny tots

Sommersaults on the mat

Francie's turn at the walk!

approaching Izzy the Trot Horse

Grab on to the leg straps when you can't yet reach the handles

and on you go!

Feeling proud of herself

Bouncing around on Izzy at a trot!

Nothing to this sitting thing :)

And up on her knees

even one handed!

Brave girl

Big smiles when she passes Mom, Dad and Maisie watching from the sidelines

and making sure we're still watching half way around the ring

Big kids in the background practicing with their team (Francie asked when she could try their horse) The team events have 8 vaulters doing a choreographed routine on a horse with 1-3 people on the horse for a five minutes.

My team in 1996 was the first to perform a "stand on stand" in the US in competition- but here is a video clip from 2008 and they've gotten even more daring since then!

Sideseat practicing for the "windmill" compulsory

all done- great job France! You make your mom, Oma and Jannie (who loved the vaulting years :) very proud

Vaulting shoes on the list next

Fancy pony barrel for practicing!

Someday she'll stand on the horse! I started Vaulting in 8th grade and went for six months carpooling with a friend for two hour practices where we learned to tack up the horse, stretch, practice, then take care of the horses and barn chores after- so my mom would drop my off or pick up but was never really sure what we were doing. At the first competition Jannie told the other mom "I just saw some girl standing on a horse!" and the mom told her- "uh, yeah Janet that's what Mary and Dana do too." My parents didn't know what I had gotten them into :)

Poor Maisie kept asking "I ride?!" but she'll have to wait until she's 2. She got some barrel action though

and for Jannie and Oma- a short video of Francie doing the "riding seat" at the trot

Off to untack the horse and give her treats

Brushing her down and picking hooves

and what class is complete without a sticker for good behavior!? Francie made sure to ask if her sister could have one too when she saw they were "Jessie" (Toy Story) Maisie's favorite