First dressage comp in three years

Shrimp

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...and it went rather well despite the lead up to it! We went to Kelsall Hill to do the unaff Prelim just for a bit a fun and to get out and about.
I'm actually amazed we got there as I really wasn't prepared! The night before I couldn't find my white dressage numnah so send a pleading text to YO to borrow one. Then in the morning I couldn't find my stock shirts and then had the realisation that I'd thrown them out when we first sold Shrimp not thinking we'd be getting him back. So that ensued a quick trip to asda and ended up buying a small mens shirt and borrowing a tie of my dads that vaguely matched my jacket. Nothing else could go wrong now surely? How wrong I was :D

Well I got Shrimp all smart and off we went. Got there and as I was getting ready, the zips on my gaiters bust completely. Probably should have checked them before hand rather than getting them out of the cupboard after three years, oops! The zips had gone completely rusty and basically disintegrated :s
Soooo I ended up just riding in my short boots which I felt a bit silly in but at least my breeches were long enough so the judge wasn't subject my bright blue socks :D

Anyway onto the actual test, he warmed up well and I apologised to the judge on the way in for being incorrectly dressed :D But got in there and whilst it was obedient and he did nothing wrong it was just needed a bit more 'oomph'. I did feel rather rusty in the arena and forgot how long a centre line is in a 20x60! But we ended up on 64.3% for 4th place (out of 13, the winner of 66 % so not far off) So I am very pleased :) We're off the Aintree at the weekend for the arena eventing, which he should find a bit more exciting but I think i'd better go shopping before then :D
Thanks for reading :)
 
Oh dear sounds a nightmare on the wardrobe front!!!!!!! :D

Fab result made up for it though, well done & good luck at Aintree, :D
 
Lol at the wardrobe malfunctions... I would have probably thrown a hissy fit, so good one you for continuing! ;) Excellent score too, you must be thrilled to be out and about again :D
 
I did moan a bit but there was nothing I could do and I forgot about it one I was riding!

KatB - Im loving being out and about again especially as I can now drive myself. Can't wait for Saturday and we're off to Somerford on thursday for some xc schooling, much more fun! :D
 
You have my sympathies, but I have had a worse wardrobe malfunction, when my bra strap let go in the middle of a test...

Not good!

Good on you for carrying on though and to be honest, with the attire to contend with, it probably kept your mind off the usual "what's he going to be like" wibbles! I went through all this last year, melted my card at the saddlery shop getting all the kit again, then my boy went lame the night before. Ah well...

It sounds like you made an excellent debut though - onwards and upwards!
 
Quite literally a dress rehearsal eh? At least all the kinks are ironed out for the next outing!

Long arena - I haven't done one yet--- avoiding it like the plague as I've no place (currently) to practice one.
 
Hopefully! This was only the second test in a 20x60 i've done (first one was 4 years ago) but I find it much easier, lots more room to manoeuvre around. The arena at our yard is not quite a 20x40 but still manage to practise the movements. I didn't even know which marker was which, just whereabouts in the arena I had to do it. You should go for it, it really won't be as bad as you think :)
 
LOL, after four years of doing dressage, I'm only just now to grips with where AFBMCHEK are - and then they throw in RSV and P. And what about the centerlines? XDG are bad enough - are there more on the center line too??? EEEK, I might have a fit just trying to cram all that in. I need a road map half the time to find my way round a dressage arena. Sometime I may have to tell you the story about getting lost at a motorway service station - and then you might understand my plight! LOL
 
There are but I can't remember what they are! Lol though to be fair, motorway service stations can be confusing but I have never got lost in one :D
 
I'm pretty sure I'm the only person to loop back in to the services rather than exit as I was meaning to. Then me and my pal sat in the car park hysterically laughing. Yeah, I need a sat nav sometimes to get out of my house!
 
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