Caber wrap up

Overall, Duke and I rode better in all three phases than we have so far, but we didn't do very well, coming in 10/18 on a score of 39.9 (1st was 27.4).
For dressage, we once again had a great warm up, but I started it too early, so he got kind of bored and sour when I tried to warm him up the second time.  Lesson learned is that I don't need half an hour, more like 20 minutes, and he'd prefer to get to work, work, go in and do the test, and be done with it; not take a break in the middle.
His canter was a little stiff both directions, but it was a steady, even test, which I was satisfied with.
And his manners at the trailer were to die for.  He's an absolute gem to hang around with all day.
For cross country, he was very good.  We didn't do much warm up; a bunch of walking, then several laps of trot and canter.  I jumped the cross rail, vertical (badly), and vertical again; then took a long walk break, and the rider before me did a lap of canter, the natural, and the oxer, which were absolutely perfect (Brooke confirmed!) and then just headed over.  He got a little tense on the walk over, so we just made circles and then walked in to canter out, didn't stand in the start box.
Our first jump was off a bit, and he looked at all the big fences I thought he would look at, and gave me a pretty good jig at the tricky tree/log combo (so did Caruso, Jessica said), but jumped the hill like a dreamboat and just shot through the water (in between the two big logs) like he was part seahorse.  I took the long route and tried to keep him slow, so we were only about 30 seconds faster than optimum time.  I was very, very happy with this course.  I didn't have to pull him up like I did at the derby, and we were much smoother and even.
For show jumping, it was our best jumping yet, but we still got a rail (fence 4; the second fence in the long "combo").  This time, despite the fact that I'm always early, our class had started early, so I did a very hurried warm up, with only 1/2 of the walking, trot, and canter I'd like to do, and then a few rushed bends because he was a little stiff and downhill.  Then we jumped the cross rail and vertical, tried to figure out how much time we had, walked a few minutes, jumped the vertical and oxer.  He was jumping pretty well, so I decided not to push it since I wouldn't have time to fix it, but then had a weird amount of time left, especially because the rider ahead of me didn't show up.
The round went very well; we just went out and cruised it; the turns were easier than I thought, but I went long at the final turn instead of inside.  I'm not quite sure why he got the rail on the fence, but I was very happy with him; he just went out and did his job.  I didn't have to reef on his face like I did at the derby a month ago.
While I'm disappointed in our placing overall (and, like an asshole, after I got the rail I left because I was so far below everyone else; as it turns out, we were in 10th place and they gave ribbons to 10th so I missed Duke's first show ribbon), I'm very happy with how much Duke has improved in the two months we've been working together.  If I think back to the first week and our first jump lesson, when we cantered around all askew and shot off on the far side of each fence, he's like a different horse.
We do have plenty to work on; he's got a hard drift left, like John said, which we're going to have to fix before training level, and he needs a topline and then some serious dressage work this winter, especially for our canter/trot transitions.
I guess I'm just disappointed because a) I really, really, really miss Charlie and feel guilty for riding Duke; and b) I feel like Duke is easier to ride (although I don't communicate with him as well yet), and yet our scores are worse.  He's a good little athlete, with a huge heart.  I feel really lucky I got him, and then guilty for being pissy that he's not sweeping the ribbons.
There was a huge accident (well, four accidents) on northbound I-5 and it was closed.  We went back roads home, which didn't take that much longer than normal (oddly), but was a lot of twisting and turning for him in a very hot trailer.
And yesterday I fell backwards out of the truck (stationary truck) trying to feed the dogs pretzels, and today I hit John's stock water tank and cracked it even though I've probably driven into and out of his haul-in 20 times.
I think I'm a sore loser asshole, and I'm kind of disgusted with myself for expecting so much from Duke, even though I have been telling myself out loud I'm not.
Oh, and Charlie and I our first year going novice (2013):
1st, 2nd, 12th, 17th, 5th
Get real, Martha.