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Several years ago in Calgary..went to the Spruce Meadows masters, a World invitation show jumping course competition.
My friend Catherine was dissapointed at first..as it had really rained..and the field was litteraly flooded.
yet some of the best show jumping I have ever seen occured.
We were at ground level..and could see the "Fire" in the horses eyes.
Horses are very aware that they are competing against other horses....and they show off when they do well ..you can see it in their body language.
Several horses were psyched out by the water..and simply refused to jump...others gave up after clipping 5 or 6 rails...the horse knows its having a bad day.

As each horse ran the course..the next horse and rider stand at a gate higher than the course on the periphery..and watch.
I watched as most of the horses seemed on edge by the weather..as they strode out they looked tenative as the rain fell.
A jet black horse from a historic "Spanish " stable in Mexico came next..the horse was magnificent with braided hair ..it strode out with its head held high..and no jitteryness about it.
We watched this horse...smaller than most..jump and move toward each obsticle with confidence
The crowd rose in its cheering as the horse neared the 3/4 mark..it appeared so sure or itself.
The horse ran the course with no faults..and afterward was prancing and bobbing its head.... drinking in the crowds praise.

There's something very "Regal" about horses...on this day....this horse was truly a King
To be more accurate.....A Queen!