Pride comes before a fall: A debut tale!

HufflyPuffly

HufflyPuffly

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 October 2012
Messages
5,735
Visit site
So we did it, made our Advanced debut :eek::eek::eek:

Boiling hot, so glad I made the choice of a short warm-up as Topaz just melts in the sun :o. Warmed up ok, could have been a little more together but didn’t want to over cook her, and we're still not quite there for full power yet. Ran through a few lines from the test and all was going well, no drama once I'd reminded Topaz she can do a clean right change ;). Just as it was getting to my time, my hat decided to try escaping :eek:. Debated whether to run and get my normal hat but as we were running out of time figured it would be fine...

33060350_799600403559155_2421959052083855360_n.jpg

33036800_799600353559160_1194182800152985600_n.jpg


I must learn to stop staring at her head like I might loose her :o.

Up to the test arena and Topaz felt so with me #proud. Started well, movements flowing nicely (though we did stand on a board opps!), medium trot got a bit runny rather than elevated but otherwise ok.

33248910_799599493559246_9177120173994278912_n.jpg

33086890_799599873559208_6182223496920170496_n.jpg


Unfortunately the hat continued its escape, so lots of movements performed one handed :o:eek:. Half pass one handed is tricky! Though still all going well though until the four times... now we had them fine in the warm up, but Topaz decided this was the moment to act like we have never practiced them ever :o.

32941437_799599613559234_4615446253705101312_n.jpg


So with the bouncing in the middle off went the hat :o:o:o. Hat retrieved, started the line again thinking well at least we get another chance, Topaz decided to still be like 'nope I have never been asked to do this ever' :o. However, carried on and managed to finish with the hat still attached!

33167890_799598590226003_789673507381313536_n.jpg

33057412_799598900225972_6349109308814262272_n.jpg

33079985_799600366892492_5119040033973600256_n.jpg


Ended on 63.75% including the -2 for #hatgate :D:lol:. Second (of two), but our first wonderful Advanced points and rosette :clap:.

33120361_799598056892723_337275775935840256_n.jpg


Posting the video in all it's hat escaping glory, I promise we can actually do tempi's! Really pleased with where we are with the changes, only missed at the start of the serpentine but otherwise she is starting to feel quite consistent now!

[video=youtube_share;DPgVMCZmOCg]https://youtu.be/DPgVMCZmOCg[/video]
 
VERY well done - can't see the video for some reason, but the pics are speaking to me :-) Horses, eh? The fours look like fun; woe betide the owner whose horse has a sense of humour....
 
_EVS_ said:
WOW! Just WOW!!!! You both look amazing!!! Congrats on such a huge achievement! On and up now!!!!
Click to expand...

:) Thank you, loads to work on including making sure all parts stay attached when we are on the up :o.


Cortez said:
VERY well done - can't see the video for some reason, but the pics are speaking to me :-) Horses, eh? The fours look like fun; woe betide the owner whose horse has a sense of humour....
Click to expand...

Hmm not sure on the vid, it says its public, this is my facebook link:
https://www.facebook.com/LeapofFaithDressage/videos/799709683548227/

She is a sod, I only did them twice in the warm-up as they were spot on :lol:!


The Fuzzy Furry said:
Well done, despite #hatgate :D
Click to expand...

#hatgate will follow me for a while I think, the judge wrote "get a chin strap" and unlined it :o...


Ambers Echo said:
Beautiful dancing horse. You look FAB!
Click to expand...

She's just amazing, despite the 4's lol!


ester said:
Naughty Topaz :D, that was quite funny, less said about the hat the better ;). tit tape?
Click to expand...

Got to have a sense of humour with her otherwise I might cry, a lot ;)! I have just had my grey top hat delivered, but now I'm worried it's too tall... But elastic round the bun is happening for the next time!
 
Huge congratulations - she looks fantastic despite the objections to tempis and how amazing to keep your cool on your advanced debut when your hat is trying to take flying lessons. That would have been a perfectly acceptable debut score even without the issues - just shows you how great the rest must have been!
 
apercrumbie said:
Huge congratulations - she looks fantastic despite the objections to tempis and how amazing to keep your cool on your advanced debut when your hat is trying to take flying lessons. That would have been a perfectly acceptable debut score even without the issues - just shows you how great the rest must have been!
Click to expand...

Haha thank you, quite pleased with the score as a few of the other movements got affected by the escapee hat, so fingers crossed for the next one as I'm going to step up for one of the qualifying tests!

Midlifecrisis said:
Brilliant read - congrats by the bucketload!
Click to expand...

Thank you, super chuffed :).
 
Isn’t that fabulous? Get you, in top hat and tails, well for the most part with top hat! Did you have to get off or did someone pass it to,you! I wonder if that’s why cdj wears a normal hat?! Ruddy marvellous, well done.
 
Congratulations! Regarding "hatgate", son had the same problem - his off the shelf hat departed part way through a test - served me right for being a cheapskate I thought but I was trying to save some pennies having bought his tails, new boots and paying for 3 day event entries! So, I dug (very!) deep and he was fitted for a Patey top hat, I insisted he rode in it at home and we discovered it started to slip after being worn for a while so we ended up putting double sided tape (t*t tape) inside the front of it which worked well. It just meant he didn't remove it for his first saluted and then pulled hard to take it off for the final one - it did leave a rather fetching red mark on his forehead but at least the hat stayed in place for the test! Obviously being female you wouldn't have to remove yours to salute and could take it off more gently if you did try this OP.
 
Oh no, how embarrassing! Could almost see the 'well this is a new one' look on your face at the moment of #hatgate.

Great debut nonetheless though - exciting times :biggrin3:

ETA:with top hat in place I have to say you do look rather fabulous. The grey is really beautiful
 
Last edited:
Bernster said:
Isn’t that fabulous? Get you, in top hat and tails, well for the most part with top hat! Did you have to get off or did someone pass it to,you! I wonder if that’s why cdj wears a normal hat?! Ruddy marvellous, well done.
Click to expand...

:lol: I stood looking surprised until someone retrieved it for me :o, I'd like to think it was the reason for CDJ but I rather think it was more the CO deal she got :o:lol:!


EventingMum said:
Congratulations! Regarding "hatgate", son had the same problem - his off the shelf hat departed part way through a test - served me right for being a cheapskate I thought but I was trying to save some pennies having bought his tails, new boots and paying for 3 day event entries! So, I dug (very!) deep and he was fitted for a Patey top hat, I insisted he rode in it at home and we discovered it started to slip after being worn for a while so we ended up putting double sided tape (t*t tape) inside the front of it which worked well. It just meant he didn't remove it for his first saluted and then pulled hard to take it off for the final one - it did leave a rather fetching red mark on his forehead but at least the hat stayed in place for the test! Obviously being female you wouldn't have to remove yours to salute and could take it off more gently if you did try this OP.
Click to expand...

Ooof not sure I can stretch to a Patey :eek3:, I couldn't even afford to event :lol:!
However I have another hat winging it's way to me and I shall be investing in elastic, pins and tape for our next attempt!

I think we need a picture red mark and all ;), though yes at least I could retreat to the box before removal and not show the world everything it takes to maintain the unruly thing on my head :o.


DabDab said:
Oh no, how embarrassing! Could almost see the 'well this is a new one' look on your face at the moment of #hatgate.

Great debut nonetheless though - exciting times :biggrin3:

ETA:with top hat in place I have to say you do look rather fabulous. The grey is really beautiful
Click to expand...

I like it best on the video replay when it bounces off Topaz's bum :biggrin3: :o...


ester said:
so tit tape is more actual than I thought!
Click to expand...

Defo a thing to try, it would appear :lol:.

milliepops said:
Super well done :D :D :D
Which one are you doing next? How exciting!
Click to expand...

Thank you, we're trying our best to follow your footsteps :), going to try 102 I think, though I might ride through both and see which Topaz likes better.
 
Very well done!!! Top hats are a nightmare, just wear your normal hat, its one less thing to worry about. It can take time to get the tempis in the arena sometimes, dont worry, just keep practising them.

(Charlotte wears a normal hat instead of a topper because of a bad fall, nothing to do with sponsors)
 
daffy44 said:
Very well done!!! Top hats are a nightmare, just wear your normal hat, its one less thing to worry about. It can take time to get the tempis in the arena sometimes, dont worry, just keep practising them.

(Charlotte wears a normal hat instead of a topper because of a bad fall, nothing to do with sponsors)
Click to expand...

Interesting about CDJ didn’t know that :).

Will keep going, I’m sure she’ll stop getting stage fright about them at some point :lol:.
 
Will keep going, I’m sure she’ll stop getting stage fright about them at some point :lol:.[/QUOTE]

She will, the more confident she gets with them the better they will go, just keep going, your doing brilliantly!
 
Just love that mare!

You've done so well with her, you deserve to be incredibly proud.

#hatgate is just a funny blip that I'm sure you will forever look back on in a half cringe half laugh emotion ��
 
daffy44 said:
She will, the more confident she gets with them the better they will go, just keep going, your doing brilliantly!
Click to expand...

Definitely, she refused to do normal changes in a test until recently, just need to do a few more to get the penny to drop :).


McFluff said:
Well done, you both look amazing. Your jacket is lovely, very smart. What a fab score :-)
Click to expand...

Thank you, fairly pleased with the score for our first attempt, though it is the easiest one and we did mess up the only advanced part of it :o...


milliepops said:
Tis all in her book, y'know ;)

I did 102 to test the water and then 105 to make sure, it's almost got everything from the PSG in it so a good benchmark :)
Click to expand...

:lol: not read it yet! Wonder why it hasn't been more widely known, I have been an avid follower and didn't know that was the reason, which is much better than just because of sponsors!

See I only picked 100 as it was me letting the side down not knowing how to count :o, really didn't think Topaz would down tools about it lol, might do A102 and then if that feels a bit iffy too, do 105 as well before dipping our toe in at PSG!


HappyHorses:) said:
Just love that mare!

You've done so well with her, you deserve to be incredibly proud.

#hatgate is just a funny blip that I'm sure you will forever look back on in a half cringe half laugh emotion ��
Click to expand...

She is just the coolest, she's so forgiving (well mostly ;)), I did laugh at #hatgate, I have worn that flipping thing for years and years in evening performances with my show pony and never once has it tried to escape before! Typical, though it was pointed out that Topaz is just a 'touch' bouncier than my
 
AlexHyde said:
Ooof not sure I can stretch to a Patey :eek3:, I couldn't even afford to event :lol:!
However I have another hat winging it's way to me and I shall be investing in elastic, pins and tape for our next attempt!

I think we need a picture red mark and all ;), though yes at least I could retreat to the box before removal and not show the world everything it takes to maintain the unruly thing on my head :o.
Click to expand...

Picture as requested - this was a demo, not a competition, but even so you can see how the tape has pulled the hat lining out as he removed the hat to salute but it cetainly kept it secure. At this angle you can't really see the red forehead!

XQ4u0ocm.jpg
 
Its ok, I havent read Charlotte's book either (probably a sackable offence for a dressage rider) but I remember her riding at addington winter regionals not long after her fall, and she was not very well and really struggling to balance due to damage done from the fall.

I used to stuff the edges of my top hat with bits of gamgee, it still never fit very well, it hurt my forehead, and gaped at the sides, hence the gamgee, my normal hat fits much better, and i dont have to do an extended trot with my head on side praying the wind doesnt gust!
 
it's a funny thing isn't it, because when you're standing at the bottom of the ladder looking up, finally earning your TH &T seems like THE most amazing achievement and so feels a shame not to do it. I wore one eventing before the dressage crew started moving to crash hats instead so it still seems like a thing that people do, rather than being completely frowned upon no-no.

I remember Charlotte speaking up quite a lot because there was a bit of media interest when she made the swap to a crash hat, definitely very much from a safely point of view.

I suppose it won't be long before the top hats are banned anyway. Luckily mine is a good fit (bought from another HHOer when I wanted navy instead of my black eventing one). Old one was stuffed with sponge like yours, daffy. and my horse is not bouncy :D

The thing I like the most is not getting gross sweaty hat hair! I know it's stupid!
 
MP, your so right, its such an iconic thing, I remember wanting it so much, and being silly excited buying them both, I'm still wearing the tails I bought then, although I am lusting after different ones now.... But I loved my top hat, its very flattering, and I loved it, but it really didnt fit very well, my head is just the wrong shape, I kept wearing it despite that for all the iconic reasons, but when everyone switched to normal hats I followed pretty rapidly!
 
I think it's a shame it hasn't been more widely shared/ brought up, though most people ride with hats generally now whereas I know a lot of dressage riders wouldn't at home back then either. Horses for courses and all that, I trust my horses enough for the calculated risk, if I save up enough for a snazzy grey crash hat affair I'll probably wear that ;).

It's typical that although I've worn that top hat a lot and it fits very well, for some reason it had a life of it's own on Sunday :o, though I think it might have been how hot it was and maybe giving me a sweaty forehead was the cause?


EventingMum said:
Picture as requested - this was a demo, not a competition, but even so you can see how the tape has pulled the hat lining out as he removed the hat to salute but it cetainly kept it secure. At this angle you can't really see the red forehead!

XQ4u0ocm.jpg
Click to expand...

:D Very smart thank you, best make sure I don't accidentally tape it my hair then :eek3:!


Asha said:
well done ! How on earth do you remember all that ?
Click to expand...

Thank you :), to be honest I've never struggled with learning tests, but I do learn them my way rather than exactly how they're written (so the shapes and thinking going from the corner, to middle letter rather than the actual letters F, B etc).


Bernster said:
Oh I know, anything above novice tests confuses me (and I have trouble remembering prelims) so the stuff these guys do just baffles me. In a good way.
Click to expand...

I actually find the higher level stuff easier as my mind wonders a bit for the simpler tests :o, not sure what that says about my attention span :lol:.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top