Jump lesson with Christa - full course

Christa and I had a jump lesson before it got really hot today.  First we got to walk around the cross country course, which was nice; then I watched the end of the prior lesson, so I got to see what the course was going to be.
John had us start with a little plank (which I, stupidly, completely missed for like three circles, inexplicably), but it was what felt like a really tight turn.  So this made us have to ride off the outside rein and leg to get the bend right to get to the fence, and after we got it, he switched direction, and then raised the fence.  This was a genius way to warm up for the course; it got Duke listening and soft and bent in just a few circles.
From there, we went down a four stride line, which was kind of a forward four.  We did this a few times - I never felt like I got it quite perfect - and then we went onto the course.
The course was a black & white oxer off the right lead heading uphill (to the barn), left hand turn around to the four stride line, left hand turn up to an angled yellow & white oxer, with a six or seven stride bending line to the plank (which was the first fence of the four stride line), then a right hand turn to another angled oxer, on a straight line to angle over a gate/red vertical, then five strides on that line, then left hand turn around to a triple, which was a vertical, one stride, oxer, two strides (with a whoa!), vertical.
The first time through Duke did it, but I made a lot of little yelpy noises because it was ugly.
What was interesting though, was that after I rode it the first time, I kind of figured it out.  So the next time through I didn't get my first fence like I wanted it, so I asked John to start over.  He said that's fine, but that at the show, if Duke is just pulling the bit and not listening, halt, make a little circle, and then start again.  Make him snap to attention before we go over the first fence, when it's too late to really have enough space to fix it.  So I did, I had him bend to the outside, go a stride or two forward, then come back, THEN we went over the first fence, and it was MUCH better.  Not perfect, but much better.
I had to say "whoa" between the final oxer and vertical, which surprised Duke and made him whoa, which helped us get out of the vertical very nice.  Duke touched one fence, like once, so John said he doesn't know wtf is going on at the shows.  He said he thinks that I am more relaxed in my lessons probably.
It was also great to watch Christa.  Her mare was rubbing several fences, just getting lazy with her feet, so John had her bump a rail, and then, when she went back to doing it, he put a ground line after the oxer before the vertical, and that made her snap to attention.
Duke was a little peckish after yesterday's work (he ran away when he saw me coming to get him this morning), but he perked up a bit for the fences.  I'm not sure he could have done a whole lot more though, without getting sloppy.  He was glad to get home early and stretch back out in the pasture, I think.
It was a great confidence building lesson.  When I was looking at the course, it looked busy.  John said he should never ride a course this complex at a show, so he "should" be able to go clear at the show (eventually ....).
Christa and I did another lap afterwards, and she said we should make a team with Meg with a goal of the 1* at Rebecca next year.  That would be so awesome.