AHS show Ardingly report

Seahorse

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Thanks guys for your good vibes yesterday, it must have worked because Axey was amazingly relaxed and well behaved all day
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I've never known him to be so chilled at a show before!
We arrived early so had plently of time to get settled in and take Axey for a walk round, unfortunately got a bit too relaxed and carried away eating bacon sandwiches and by the time we had tacked up and got ready my class had started
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Luckily the judge let us in and we had to do our individual show from cold as I hadn't even had a chance to warm up at all! He was a bit spooky and really didn't like the busy end of the arena where the spectators were so had a few very small rears, but on the whole went nicely. We stripped off and he was fantastic, standing up well and his trot was fabulous
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I was feeling quite pleased at this point, but was very disapointed to be pulled in 6th out of 6
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The judge handed me my rosette and said well done, its all good experience for him. Fair enough!

My second class wasn't for another 2 hours so we went back to the lorry untacked and had a cup of tea.
Got down to the arena in plenty of time to warm him up properly this time and he was amazing, so relaxed and listening to me
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he was just as good in the show ring too, so again I was surprised to be pulled in 6th in the initial line up. It was the same judge so the horses she had ridden before did an ind show and she rode the rest. Axel was being a bit lazy with her but once he settled down he looked lovely. Unfortunately there were 2 pigeons on the floor of the ring and as they cantered towards them one of them took of in Axels face making him jump in the air, bless him! Well sat by the judge too
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Anyway, she obviously didn't like Axel very much as we were pulled in 5th.
I was delighted with him though and really impressed by how relaxed he was
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Didn't get any photos as the battery was flat on the camera
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Sam x
 
Sam it sounds as if your experience was very similar to mine! We got pulled in 4th , which I was a bit dissapointed with! But I was more miffed by the comments I got as they were so far removed from our usual comments and when I told my trainer he could not believe it! Needless to say he is coming with me next time to warm us up...

I guess you can't win them all and at the end of the day it is only one judges opinion (which is what we're paying for).... just going to put this one down to experience!

Got a dressage show in a couple of weeks so that will give us a chance to redeem ourselves!
 
If the class had started before you entered the ring the judge won't have had any choice but to put you last. The rules say that if a competitor is late its the judges decision as to wether you are allowed to enter at all and you cannot be placed above competitors already in the ring. This happened to me once at a county show and i was so embarrassed to be pulled in behind a horse with a hollow back and ewe neck that i've never been late agian!!
 
Pasha, I've just replied to you on Arabianlines!

I didn't even get any comments in the 2nd class, it was all she could to literally 'throw' my rosette at me, say well done and run off!
What were your comments? just out of interest!
What I was surprised about was in the novice ridden the girl that won had a white numnah, a skull cap on and a hanging cheek snaffle
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Never mind, I have dressage in a couple of weeks too, and if he goes like he did yesterday I'll be very pleased with him!
Where is your dressage? I'm doing 2nd round trailblazers at Golden Cross
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Well - you won't be late for your class again, will you! You were lucky to be allowed in the ring, to be honest. I am sure with the correct working in, that you would be better placed. To be quite honest, a few rears would be enough for most judges to ask you to leave the ring, let alone place the horse!
 
I agree FMM but lets just say yesterday the normal rules didn't apply!! However I did have a different judge to SEahorse so I can't really comment. I'm not going to post my comments as it wouldn't be fair on the other competitors or the judge (Seahorse feel free to PM me), but i will say that standing still whilst the judge gets on and general manners were not considered a requirement yesterday!
 
No I wont be late ever again lol!!
There was 2 of us that didn't hear the tannoy and we went in late together, but her horse was a bit better behaved than mine!
Really I should have gone in the novice, but the open was a cherif qualifier, but I was up against some really very nice horses, including the wonderful Ottoman (who won) I will go in the novice next time though, as I think I was being a bit over ambitious with a 5 year old thats never been shown before!

Sam x
 
It is great that you had the confidence for you and your horse to get out to a show as that is really the only way you can learn what you are ready for and how he stacks up against other horses of a similar type. May be worth noting the judge down and not bothering to go under her again!
 
No- they should treat each class totally separately, which is why (really) a judge should ride the horses again, even if they have ridden them in a previous class. It may make her a little wary of him though!
 
I thought so, but it was weird that she was saying I've ridden that one before so you can do an Ind show, and she'd seem me do an ind show so she rode Axel, she also had seen him stripped so didn't want to see him again either
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very strange as he was like a different horse in the 2nd class!

Thanks
Sam x
 
Well done, we were there first thing with a 2yr old pba who also found it very buzzy!

Some of the entries in the riddens were a bit interesting in some of the classes i have to say! Wish we could have got my boy reg to do some but his arab parents aren't reg in UK or something so he can't be
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Well done.
 
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