milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
Thought we were a bit short of reports in here again so have opted to do a separate post rather than stick this in weekend plans 
To say I was not very organised for our little trip to Vale View would be understating it somewhat, it's all a bit awkward as although I've got loads of leave due before our leave year runs out at the end of the month (er... like, on Sunday...
) my boss has had a bereavement and it's all gone a bit busy. I was working all day on Tuesday when I ought to have been packing... duh. So flew out the door at the end of the day, sorted Millie some new pens for the next couple of days, did a supermarket sweep, threw everything into the lorry, scrubbed Kira's white bits and then bundled her into her travelling boots and onto the box
Google maps got us to the venue, which was in darkness with no signs of life other than a small group of other competitors sitting around a table outside their lorries. Helpfully one of them pointed me in the right direction to find my stable and I got Kira unloaded in the pitch black. Stable was rather damp so I was pleased I'd brought some extra bedding with me, and even more pleased with my parting gift from OH of a folding camp bed so I didn't have to blow up the air bed! Saved my lungs and much more comfortable too
nom nom nom Kira in the weird temp stables (I've always had nice wooden temp stables - with lighting - at BE events, these plastic ones were odd!)
Spent a nice couple of hours getting to know some of the other people stopping over and then headed off to bed to learn my tests
Woke up at crack of dawn on Wednesday to give Kira her first breakfast
p), which was followed with #2 a couple of hours later...
Leisurely start as the arena walk wasn't til 10 and then I was first into the arena for the warm up test AM85 at 11. She felt relaxed and happy in the indoor, had a little peep at the judges tables but *for her* really felt forward and quite rideable. The judge at C was the one I had to retire from at Summerhouse last week when we had the journey from hell that fried my brain, so I felt a bit awkward -it's not like i'm riding a generic brown WB.. here I am again on my pink welsh, remember us!?!
Anyway, I thought she did a good effort other than a bit of greenness in the simple changes, and the extensions always need work but a good start. Back to the lorry for a swig of water and then we were first in again for the champ test AM96. I felt her go a little off the boil in the warm up but she pulled her socks up quickly enough, again stayed reasonably rideable which is just so lovely, I really feel like she's starting to grow in confidence and the moments when she sucks back are getting more manageable. Just a little communication breakdown in the simple change - entirely my fault as I just KNEW she'd strike off wrong but for some reason just sat there and let it happen duhhhh. And then in the extended canter at the end she thought it was time for some tempis so humped a bit instead of going forward... but I can't moan about that, she's using her initiative
One of the other competitors videoed it for me
[video=youtube_share;hRmOMasX2-4]https://youtu.be/hRmOMasX2-4[/video]
Really delighted with 66% in AM85, there's much more to come at this level as she's still quite new to it, and 64% in the champs test for 3rd place, as I mentioned on the WP thread the 2 who were above us were already established at PSG and beyond so to be within 1% of the top was really pleasing though kicking myself about the silly mistakes
Soggy night on Wednesday, I had a turnout rug in the lorry so hung that at the front of the stable to stop as much rain coming in as I could but poor Kira was standing in a lake when I brought breakfast #1 on Thursday
Arena walk at 8am so plaited early so we would have plenty of time to wander round the other indoor and see some different judges tables you could also see the water complex and xc fences which Kira was VERY interested in!
Breakfast #2 and then time to get cracking. Elementary 57 first, and with hindsight i should have asked to do the medium first while she still had plenty of "go" but you live and learn! She was dying for a poo in the warm up but wouldn't go, so I was very relieved when she stopped just before the bell went for her to start the test, although she would insist on doing a giant steaming pile right on the track at P, where several of the test movements start/end... excellent
What can you do?! Well she did her best, just skipping over the pile at P a few times
I don't think I rode very well but she did enough for 66% and 7th in a big class. The medium was 40 mins later, and by then she really was very tired which was a shame as M75 is a busy test that she can do well when she's quite buzzy, but takes a lot of riding when she's not. Bit of a low scoring class so 64% was enough for 4th place.
LONG long wait for the last prize giving at 4.15... I'd pushed every last scrap of feed and hay into Kira to try and help her stay awake She couldn't quite believe it when I appeared with the saddle again... promised her she only had to trot round the arena once and then we'd be on our way home
pro pics here, hope link works https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1706928799318623&set=pcb.1706929149318588&type=3&theater
So, 3 champs classes, 3 placings and 3 mounted prize givings ... I'd call that a good result Last year we did the novice and elementary and she was *extremely* green, wobbling around the arenas spooking - I didn't think I was going to get to C in the indoor as she was so afraid of the flowers/seating/photographer, it felt like we did the test in one end of the arena. So for her to stay away and be a proper grown up at advanced medium is just wonderful, the ele/medium is just a nice add on.
She was very pleased to see Millie when we got home, and even more delighted to go out in the field today! Quiet few days of R&R for her I reckon
To say I was not very organised for our little trip to Vale View would be understating it somewhat, it's all a bit awkward as although I've got loads of leave due before our leave year runs out at the end of the month (er... like, on Sunday...
) my boss has had a bereavement and it's all gone a bit busy. I was working all day on Tuesday when I ought to have been packing... duh. So flew out the door at the end of the day, sorted Millie some new pens for the next couple of days, did a supermarket sweep, threw everything into the lorry, scrubbed Kira's white bits and then bundled her into her travelling boots and onto the box Google maps got us to the venue, which was in darkness with no signs of life other than a small group of other competitors sitting around a table outside their lorries. Helpfully one of them pointed me in the right direction to find my stable and I got Kira unloaded in the pitch black. Stable was rather damp so I was pleased I'd brought some extra bedding with me, and even more pleased with my parting gift from OH of a folding camp bed so I didn't have to blow up the air bed! Saved my lungs and much more comfortable too
nom nom nom Kira in the weird temp stables (I've always had nice wooden temp stables - with lighting - at BE events, these plastic ones were odd!)
Spent a nice couple of hours getting to know some of the other people stopping over and then headed off to bed to learn my tests
Woke up at crack of dawn on Wednesday to give Kira her first breakfast
p), which was followed with #2 a couple of hours later...Leisurely start as the arena walk wasn't til 10 and then I was first into the arena for the warm up test AM85 at 11. She felt relaxed and happy in the indoor, had a little peep at the judges tables but *for her* really felt forward and quite rideable. The judge at C was the one I had to retire from at Summerhouse last week when we had the journey from hell that fried my brain, so I felt a bit awkward -it's not like i'm riding a generic brown WB.. here I am again on my pink welsh, remember us!?!
Anyway, I thought she did a good effort other than a bit of greenness in the simple changes, and the extensions always need work but a good start. Back to the lorry for a swig of water and then we were first in again for the champ test AM96. I felt her go a little off the boil in the warm up but she pulled her socks up quickly enough, again stayed reasonably rideable which is just so lovely, I really feel like she's starting to grow in confidence and the moments when she sucks back are getting more manageable. Just a little communication breakdown in the simple change - entirely my fault as I just KNEW she'd strike off wrong but for some reason just sat there and let it happen
duhhhh. And then in the extended canter at the end she thought it was time for some tempis so humped a bit instead of going forward... but I can't moan about that, she's using her initiative One of the other competitors videoed it for me
[video=youtube_share;hRmOMasX2-4]https://youtu.be/hRmOMasX2-4[/video]
Really delighted with 66% in AM85, there's much more to come at this level as she's still quite new to it, and 64% in the champs test for 3rd place, as I mentioned on the WP thread the 2 who were above us were already established at PSG and beyond so to be within 1% of the top was really pleasing
though kicking myself about the silly mistakes
Soggy night on Wednesday, I had a turnout rug in the lorry so hung that at the front of the stable to stop as much rain coming in as I could but poor Kira was standing in a lake when I brought breakfast #1 on Thursday
Arena walk at 8am so plaited early so we would have plenty of time to wander round the other indoor and see some different judges tables you could also see the water complex and xc fences which Kira was VERY interested in!Breakfast #2 and then time to get cracking. Elementary 57 first, and with hindsight i should have asked to do the medium first while she still had plenty of "go" but you live and learn! She was dying for a poo in the warm up but wouldn't go, so I was very relieved when she stopped just before the bell went for her to start the test, although she would insist on doing a giant steaming pile right on the track at P, where several of the test movements start/end... excellent
What can you do?! Well she did her best, just skipping over the pile at P a few times
I don't think I rode very well but she did enough for 66% and 7th in a big class. The medium was 40 mins later, and by then she really was very tired which was a shame as M75 is a busy test that she can do well when she's quite buzzy, but takes a lot of riding when she's not. Bit of a low scoring class so 64% was enough for 4th place.LONG long wait for the last prize giving at 4.15... I'd pushed every last scrap of feed and hay into Kira to try and help her stay awake
She couldn't quite believe it when I appeared with the saddle again... promised her she only had to trot round the arena once and then we'd be on our way home pro pics here, hope link works https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1706928799318623&set=pcb.1706929149318588&type=3&theater
So, 3 champs classes, 3 placings and 3 mounted prize givings ... I'd call that a good result
Last year we did the novice and elementary and she was *extremely* green, wobbling around the arenas spooking - I didn't think I was going to get to C in the indoor as she was so afraid of the flowers/seating/photographer, it felt like we did the test in one end of the arena. So for her to stay away and be a proper grown up at advanced medium is just wonderful, the ele/medium is just a nice add on.She was very pleased to see Millie when we got home, and even more delighted to go out in the field today! Quiet few days of R&R for her I reckon
