First dressage competition.

[Evil_Cookie]

Hi, well after asking you nice people on here about my dressage test last week, I thought I better update and tell you how it went.

Here's last weeks post...

I wore the navy jackey and black hat, didn't plait and bought a new white show shirt and stock pin and of course couldn't forget the obligatory lucky socks...

For those with awful travellers we bought a full width breast bar on thursday morning, squeezed in a short trial journey before lunch and hey presto, the usual drenched sweaty, tense lunatic came out of the trailer completely dry and happy... Now why didn't we try that sooner?

Ruby is usually awful in the trailer and sits on the back bar, she seemed much happier on thursday though, so success... things are going right at last.

Anyway back to stressage. I only learnt the tests thursday morning, and cleaned my tack on the way there so everything was a little hurried

but still...

Our warm up was ok, the ground was soaked so was rather worried about slipping as she has no shoes, but luckily all feet stuck like glue so we were ok. First test was a little tense but ok, it was prelim 7. I rode rather badly, think 1 metre from the track all the way round and cutting corners... we also changed legs in right canter which seems to have only just occured recently, I'm thinking it's time for another back check. All in all though it was a good test, we came last by half a percent though

ahhh well
On my results sheet though it was rather confusing... I got a few truthful comments like the leg change but then she also wrote that it was accurately ridden

now I don't know but I have ridden more accurate bucks than that, so I was left wondering.... is it because I didn't have anyone calling the test for me when everyone else did or was it just that they overlooked the 1 metre from boards riding and thought the turns were accurate? Suggestions?

The second test - prelim 18, went much better, much more relaxed and fluent with her working from her back end a lot more, we even managed an 8 for our halt, it was square which is unheard of for us until we bought the new saddle. And the right canter was much better no flying changes this time,

I swear she was only trying to show of really. But shock of all shocks... went to collect my sheets and.... we came third

and no there was more than three in the class

So now have our first rosette... I'm so pleased with her... she was an angel, if we can just work on a few things, you never know we might have a dressage diva... I didn't think I'd ever say I'd enjoy dressage, but hey it wasn't bad.

Anyway I best not ramble on and bore you any longer....

Here are the pro pics....
The dark bay half way down with her head in the clouds...

They are of our first test so forgive me if I look like I'm frozen with shock... was rather tense, and yes she's not working through her back... was the diagnol line, not our best movement...

Thanks for reading, any tips or comments appreciated, and any ideas on getting her to stretch on the long rein?

 

[Sparklet]

What a lovely little horse and well done for getting 3rd on your first time out - that's brilliant. You can forgive her being a bit silly in her first test.

I suspect that the judge wrote accurate test because you did all the moves you were supposed to in the right order - judges try hard to say something positive even when our little equine friends make it particularly difficult for them.

Onwards and upwards for you then?

 

[Pasha]

Well done - 3rd is a great result for your first test!

 

[Evil_Cookie]

don't know about upwards, we've qualified for the championship, but I think we'll give it a miss and go to a different venue instead, it'll still be in the evening and if the mass of people on thursday are anything to go by it'll not be finished till midnight

although only 1-3 qualify so maybe not? What do you think... it's next week, but there is also dressage somewhere else on wednesday night and then I could do evening sj on thursday...

I know Its a lot to ask from her but she's been with us 3 years and this is the first time we've competed, so now we're on a roll... going to keep it that way