Perfect_Pirouette
Well-Known Member
Okay so yesterday was D-day for me.
On Thursday I was asked to compete a mare I've been riding for the past couple of months also on Sunday. The deal was that I would school her and compete her, but she is only young and quite exciteable so last month owner suggested my instructor (who also schools the mare a couple of times a week for owner) ride her in her first ever dressage test. It was all a bit of a disaster and unfortunately blew her brains a bit as she exploded in the test and ended up launching herself over the boards and into the next arena
It was decided then that my instructor would ride her in the next couple of shows until she got used to it all and settled down.
However, there were over a 100 entrants yesterday for the dressage at this venue and they were then a judge short, so my instructor got asked to judge. Therefore she wouldnt have time to compete the mare. So I got asked. I said I'd do it but only do an intro. My instructor then texted me however and said that the Intro was what she had been asked to judge and it would be a bit difficult if me and this mare were in it. So I had to reluctantly agree to do the Prelim instead.
So I was riding Honey, this mare in the prelim in the morning and G in the afternoon for the freestyle
Anyway, I was nervous yesterday and so confess to having a bit of dutch courage before I got on Honey, aka some wine in a hip flask. Lmao. I just wanted to stay as calm and relaxed as possible for her sake. Anyway, she wasn't too bad in warm up, kicked out a few times at other horses which unfortunately she does have a tendency to do so I just tried to keep her in a space on her own. She then pinged me into orbit a few times when I asked for the canter, which I was kind of expecting anyway.
Took her into the test, she walked straight into the indoor arena (which did not happen last month!) She had a bit of a look and snort at the boards but that was about it. Anyway, long story short, I achieved my objective of getting round the test, with her fairly relaxed, staying inside the boards, not bombing off in canter and not getting eliminated
So I am very, very pleased with that and look forward to competing her again!
Now to the Freestyle......
After all that in the morning I really wasn't too worried about the Freestyle. It had all gone well in practice the day before and I was going to be on my best friend, my old trusty friend
He warmed up okay, not brilliant but I didn't stress. Not sure why, but I think I just thought to myself, it's too late to worry now. He is the horse I love most in the world, I don't get to ride him anymore, I've ALWAYS wanted to do this and I can't think of any other horse I'd rather do it with. Just ENJOY it.
And Enjoy it I did
Video- For some reason you can't hear my music very well at all on the video so you'll need to turn your speakers up fairly loud!
http://s748.photobucket.com/albums/xx121/horsemadme/?action=view¤t=Picture106.mp4
WE CAME 2ND WITH 61.67% I am sooooo pleased!! Love that horse so much!
I also met Thistle yesterday, she's a very nice lady and both her daughter and their pony Comet did great! Never met anyone off here before I don't think, but it was really lovely to put a face to the name!
And a few pictures of me and Honey
Medal if you got this far
On Thursday I was asked to compete a mare I've been riding for the past couple of months also on Sunday. The deal was that I would school her and compete her, but she is only young and quite exciteable so last month owner suggested my instructor (who also schools the mare a couple of times a week for owner) ride her in her first ever dressage test. It was all a bit of a disaster and unfortunately blew her brains a bit as she exploded in the test and ended up launching herself over the boards and into the next arena
It was decided then that my instructor would ride her in the next couple of shows until she got used to it all and settled down.However, there were over a 100 entrants yesterday for the dressage at this venue and they were then a judge short, so my instructor got asked to judge. Therefore she wouldnt have time to compete the mare. So I got asked. I said I'd do it but only do an intro. My instructor then texted me however and said that the Intro was what she had been asked to judge and it would be a bit difficult if me and this mare were in it. So I had to reluctantly agree to do the Prelim instead.
So I was riding Honey, this mare in the prelim in the morning and G in the afternoon for the freestyle
Anyway, I was nervous yesterday and so confess to having a bit of dutch courage before I got on Honey, aka some wine in a hip flask. Lmao. I just wanted to stay as calm and relaxed as possible for her sake. Anyway, she wasn't too bad in warm up, kicked out a few times at other horses which unfortunately she does have a tendency to do so I just tried to keep her in a space on her own. She then pinged me into orbit a few times when I asked for the canter, which I was kind of expecting anyway.
Took her into the test, she walked straight into the indoor arena (which did not happen last month!) She had a bit of a look and snort at the boards but that was about it. Anyway, long story short, I achieved my objective of getting round the test, with her fairly relaxed, staying inside the boards, not bombing off in canter and not getting eliminated
So I am very, very pleased with that and look forward to competing her again!Now to the Freestyle......
After all that in the morning I really wasn't too worried about the Freestyle. It had all gone well in practice the day before and I was going to be on my best friend, my old trusty friend
He warmed up okay, not brilliant but I didn't stress. Not sure why, but I think I just thought to myself, it's too late to worry now. He is the horse I love most in the world, I don't get to ride him anymore, I've ALWAYS wanted to do this and I can't think of any other horse I'd rather do it with. Just ENJOY it.
And Enjoy it I did
Video- For some reason you can't hear my music very well at all on the video so you'll need to turn your speakers up fairly loud!
http://s748.photobucket.com/albums/xx121/horsemadme/?action=view¤t=Picture106.mp4
WE CAME 2ND WITH 61.67%
I am sooooo pleased!! Love that horse so much!I also met Thistle yesterday, she's a very nice lady and both her daughter and their pony Comet did great! Never met anyone off here before I don't think, but it was really lovely to put a face to the name!
And a few pictures of me and Honey
Medal if you got this far
