Comp Report - BD Debut - bleurgh

[PucciNPoni]

So, after waiting for what seemed like ages, we finally made our BD debut. We've not been out anywhere, not even Unaff since the beginning of June. However, I decided to wait til our closest venue was having a show and dutifully signed up. As I'm restricted by being foreign in to having to be in rider group 3 (bah!) I'm unable to go in at a lower level to get some confidence. And as it's been a while and don't have facilities to practice long arena stuff,felt it more prudent to push ourselves at Nov / Elem rather than two Nov and forget where the markers are on the L/A tests.

Anyway, some personal stuff cropping up meant very little time to prepare. As bad luck would have it, friends who'd offered to come support and help me on the day had backed out or couldn't make it- and so the day before the show I had convinced myself I could *not* possibly make it on a debut on my ownsome. Then I got a kick up backside from trainer who offered to chum me - and that was what I needed.

Nice late times - 3.30 and 4 pm meant it wasn't a mad rush to get pony ready. Had a reasonable amount of time to bathe, plait and prepare lorry. Trainer turned up bang on time and off we went. Got there exaclty on time, very well organised. Got in to warm up and my boy warmed up so sweetly - and he was grinning from head to hoof to be out to a party again. Did our Nov test to what I FELT was a reasonable standard: he was soft, forward and on the aids, very obedient and the test was mostly accurate - only one small error when on the second simple change across the diagnol he picked up the wrong leg (pilot err) and then swiftly corrected. His first med trot was a bit stuffy/runny but the second was definitely better.

The Ele test I knew better, but still managed to forget to GR the rein on one canter circle (despite it being read to me!) and the whole test was not terribly accurate...more pilot error! Horse went and tried his very bestest. His medium trots were much better and his med canter was good. Even managed the LY and the simple changes on 10m 1/2 circles wihtout too much issue.

So the scores were pretty so-so. The Novice we got 58.62 and the Ele 53.somethingorother. The Ele score was totally justified, and perhaps the Nov was too - but I felt really deflated by the lack of any positive comments. The best comment was one which was "better". Better than what? But even the comments in the collectives were a bit "meh".

Despite the lack of encouraging comments, I still really enjoyed my boy and our day out. Lack of mental preparation definitely kicked our butts. Confidence has deffo taken a dent. Ho hum. And boo, not even a photo momento as trainer was busy reading my tests so couldn't take any pics/vid.

Big glass o' red for reading!

 

[MillionDollar]

Ah don't worry about it, get out again soon and you'll be less nervous. And when you beat the scores you got this time you'll be feeling great

 

[Ali16]

But you need those types of outings to make the good ones feel SUPER AMAZING!

Well done on getting out there in the 1st place and onwards & upwards from now on. I hate it when judges can't bring themselves to put anything positive down, it's so disheartening.

Entries done for your next one?

 

[Befney3]

Sounds like you haven't had the best of times in the run up to your debut but well done for getting out there. It's a shame your friends couldn't go but it's always nice to have your trainer there tho. My BD debut was a Prelim & I was so nervous that my trainer actually plaited Chilli up for me.

I always think it's a bit of a shame that some judges struggle to be encouraging or constructive but on the flip side, I've had some lovely positive comments at the end of some very average tests.

Just being nosey but are all foreign riders automatically grouped at 3? Why is this?

 

[PucciNPoni]

Ah don't worry about it, get out again soon and you'll be less nervous. And when you beat the scores you got this time you'll be feeling great

You're right - and while it's good to get good scores, it's actually better starting low and working up the way.

But you need those types of outings to make the good ones feel SUPER AMAZING!

Well done on getting out there in the 1st place and onwards & upwards from now on. I hate it when judges can't bring themselves to put anything positive down, it's so disheartening.

Entries done for your next one?

Thank you - and yes, that was what did get me down was that there didn't seem to be much good to say. It was all constructive, and that's fine - it's not as if the judge said anything "bad" per se. But there were a few parts where I wondered if the judge was actually watching

Sounds like you haven't had the best of times in the run up to your debut but well done for getting out there. It's a shame your friends couldn't go but it's always nice to have your trainer there tho. My BD debut was a Prelim & I was so nervous that my trainer actually plaited Chilli up for me.

I always think it's a bit of a shame that some judges struggle to be encouraging or constructive but on the flip side, I've had some lovely positive comments at the end of some very average tests.

Just being nosey but are all foreign riders automatically grouped at 3? Why is this?

LOL about the plaiting - I don't normally plait as I'm really really bad at it. But I ended up having to do it this time which made me more nervous but I did it and it wasn't too bad, despite it taking me nearly 90 minutes to do!

Yes, foreign riders automatically get grouped at 3. I can get it changed, I just haven't written in to do it yet. I think I will.

 

[Polotash]

If you're group 3 doesn't it just mean you have to go in the open section rather than the restricted (I have to do this too as group 5)? i.e. it doesn't mean you can't do prelim/ novice?

One big piece of advice; the judges do expect you to be VERY round and "through" at elementary, I suffer with this as my great big beasty likes to spooke and be a giraffe! This means we get 7's (and even the odd 8!) for most of our work, and then 4's and 5's as soon as he carries any tension and comes up even slightly. As a result our marks are usually 60-64% at Ele and 60-62% at medium... so this is my major aim of the winter to round him up LOTS!

Sounds like you did E45 btw, my sympathies, it's the WORST ele test in my opinion, it's isn't bl**dy symetrical and is so hard to learn! Look out for E53, much nicer ;0)

 

[PucciNPoni]

Nope, I did E49, which in fact I rather liked (slight upward adjustment on score now that I'm looking at it - 56.33 - a wee bit better). I actually rather liked the test itself - it gave us some challenges which were well...challenging! LOL

The comments I got were that he needed to be softer thru neck (a few places). There was one comment of losing roundess, fair enough -- but the collectives were that he "needs to be softer thru back and neck and work more in to elastic allowing contact to make changes within paces and balance easier as comes against hand at the moment"

I'm not too worried that we got slated as such on the Ele as I fully agree it's a bit of a stretch - he can do the work if I can ride him properly but I guess while I'm able to take constructive crit, would also like to know what the good points were so we can continue to work on those if you know what I mean?

The group 3 I believe states that you can't enter Prelims or restricted Nov? so it's open Nov and above?