khalswitz
Well-Known Member
So after our epic results on Saturday (http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...-Geoff-Update-BD-Take-2-and-Attempting-Novice) at our first Novice test, I was in a quandary about what to do next. We're entered for 2 BD prelims at the weekend, trying to get our sheets for Areas, however as he seemed just so much more rideable in the Novice with a bit more to do, I was debating whether or not to withdraw one and enter a Novice instead. However, it turned out our local venue was running an unaff evening on Wednesday, so we decided to do a sneaky trip out for one novice test then instead... I promised Geoff a two week holiday after this weekend so I'm sticking strictly to that!!
So we took note of our times, casually hacked up to leave a half an hour for warming up. Geoff warmed up LOVELY - lovely big forward trot, lovely impulsive canter, coming back softly for the canter changes through trot, balanced in the counter canter, doing a lovely floaty leg yield and staying soft through the shoulder-in where he cans sometimes be tense. Then we went over to the board to check how many still to go - to find the times had been pushed back half an hour to allow for late entries.
I was fuming. We then had to mull around, Geoff went totally off the boil and started getting the tension in the neck and shoulders that he's prone to. Didn't help that an old acquaintance of ours happened to be there on her horse that she bought the same time as Geoff - they were on a level when we bought them, and we were always a bit competitive with each other, but her horse is coming LOVELY and massively outstrips us at the jumping. This was their first dressage outing, and she scored 75+ in both tests (scores we can only dream of) and had a first and second - which she wasn't happy about, as she said 'she knew he could do better'. I felt like saying 'GO AWAY! Dressage is the only thing we can do and now you're taking that from us too!!! You don't even like dressage - you're only doing this because last time we chatted I said Geoff was doing quite well and therefore you had to prove us wrong!' Silly, destructive and immature I know, but it did just add to the cr*pness of the evening so far.
We went in for the test, and I FELT him go into cruise mode rather than listening. He tried to head nod up the centre line - LEG ON from me soon put stop to that, but then he just didn't come back despite major half-halting before the 10m half circles, ending up with me hauling him round them. Then the first canter was picked up over X - and he picked up the wrong lead!!! He hasn't done that in such a long time, and it was his preferred canter lead he was supposed to be picking up too - I can only assume the counter canter/canter changes practice before going in was a bad move and it was a bit anticipatory. The give and retake felt good to me, he maintained his self carriage, but judge commented it wasn't clear enough (that's as long as my arms *are*, sweetheart). The medium trot felt good but again she commented it wasn't an obvious enough transition.
He did a lovely free walk as always, but all in all was a bit disappointing.
Score sheets came out, and he placed 3/5 with 68.5%. I'm fairly sure the judge was a very generous marker (a few other dressage people were there and said the same thing so not just me being critical), and she's the same judge who gave us a 70 last time at prelim so I think she likes his type ("Gorgeous horse with nice paces and a willing attitude" - think our bling was blinding her). Normally I'd be over the moon with a score like that, but I don't think it was deserved, and then felt like I was being condescended to by the aforementioned acquaintance when I got a 'well done'.
So, bit of a pity party going on, even though I know comparing is a BAD thing to do, (I have to keep telling myself that Geoff is an exracehorse, with a weak back end due to the shivers, and a very dominant attitude making him not an easy ride, and that he is doing fab considering he only started doing dressage six months ago... even if other people can rock out first time and get higher scores than we ever will) but trying to look up and be positive about BD at the weekend. I want to get him qualified for area festival at Prelim, then he can move up to Novice properly and get going
After a long chat with my instructor, we're aiming him for Elementary end of this year/early next year, so thinking schooling, not getting caught up in placings and comparing (that's my mantra). We know he's no world beater, he's never going to be a horse that wins classes - and he's no pothunter as he gets bored when things are easy and misbehaves! So I'm going to concentrate on things we CAN control.
Sugar puffs and hot chocolate on offer (late brekky)
So we took note of our times, casually hacked up to leave a half an hour for warming up. Geoff warmed up LOVELY - lovely big forward trot, lovely impulsive canter, coming back softly for the canter changes through trot, balanced in the counter canter, doing a lovely floaty leg yield and staying soft through the shoulder-in where he cans sometimes be tense. Then we went over to the board to check how many still to go - to find the times had been pushed back half an hour to allow for late entries.
I was fuming. We then had to mull around, Geoff went totally off the boil and started getting the tension in the neck and shoulders that he's prone to. Didn't help that an old acquaintance of ours happened to be there on her horse that she bought the same time as Geoff - they were on a level when we bought them, and we were always a bit competitive with each other, but her horse is coming LOVELY and massively outstrips us at the jumping. This was their first dressage outing, and she scored 75+ in both tests (scores we can only dream of) and had a first and second - which she wasn't happy about, as she said 'she knew he could do better'. I felt like saying 'GO AWAY! Dressage is the only thing we can do and now you're taking that from us too!!! You don't even like dressage - you're only doing this because last time we chatted I said Geoff was doing quite well and therefore you had to prove us wrong!' Silly, destructive and immature I know, but it did just add to the cr*pness of the evening so far.
We went in for the test, and I FELT him go into cruise mode rather than listening. He tried to head nod up the centre line - LEG ON from me soon put stop to that, but then he just didn't come back despite major half-halting before the 10m half circles, ending up with me hauling him round them. Then the first canter was picked up over X - and he picked up the wrong lead!!! He hasn't done that in such a long time, and it was his preferred canter lead he was supposed to be picking up too - I can only assume the counter canter/canter changes practice before going in was a bad move and it was a bit anticipatory. The give and retake felt good to me, he maintained his self carriage, but judge commented it wasn't clear enough (that's as long as my arms *are*, sweetheart). The medium trot felt good but again she commented it wasn't an obvious enough transition.
He did a lovely free walk as always, but all in all was a bit disappointing.
Score sheets came out, and he placed 3/5 with 68.5%. I'm fairly sure the judge was a very generous marker (a few other dressage people were there and said the same thing so not just me being critical), and she's the same judge who gave us a 70 last time at prelim so I think she likes his type ("Gorgeous horse with nice paces and a willing attitude" - think our bling was blinding her). Normally I'd be over the moon with a score like that, but I don't think it was deserved, and then felt like I was being condescended to by the aforementioned acquaintance when I got a 'well done'.
So, bit of a pity party going on, even though I know comparing is a BAD thing to do, (I have to keep telling myself that Geoff is an exracehorse, with a weak back end due to the shivers, and a very dominant attitude making him not an easy ride, and that he is doing fab considering he only started doing dressage six months ago... even if other people can rock out first time and get higher scores than we ever will) but trying to look up and be positive about BD at the weekend. I want to get him qualified for area festival at Prelim, then he can move up to Novice properly and get going
After a long chat with my instructor, we're aiming him for Elementary end of this year/early next year, so thinking schooling, not getting caught up in placings and comparing (that's my mantra). We know he's no world beater, he's never going to be a horse that wins classes - and he's no pothunter as he gets bored when things are easy and misbehaves! So I'm going to concentrate on things we CAN control.
Sugar puffs and hot chocolate on offer (late brekky)
