black_horse
Well-Known Member
We tootled off to Bedgebury Equestrian Center today (lovely venue!) to do an Elementary 53 and Medium 64, out first medium.
Delicia warmed up fab, she is a bit hot of late but there isnt much i can do about it except not accept her bad manners. We entered the arena to do our elelmentary, bell rang, was about to go down centre line and bell rang again....
Judge came out of her box and asked us to come down the the hut. As some of you may be aware a few years ago delicia suffered some catastrophic injuries to all four legs due to wet bandages (which were done up too tight) being left on the legs over night, seering the skin away from the tendons and bones. Luckily, the only thing left of months of very intensive therapy to right her is she has lost pigmentation on her legs, leaving white marks. The judge thought i had left my boots on and wanted to warn me to take them off before starting.
Bless this is actually a lovely gesture, because HAD i left boots on i would have been eliminated. However, in a new venue and a slightly spooky indoor arena it was just the excuse Delicia needed to behave like a prat (rolls eyes). She snorted, she bucked, she reared, she reversed at a speed James Bond would have been proud off. I sat there, throwing the reins at her and repeating 'when you have quite finished'. Which she did, with another snort. She softened and did the test, but she was very on edge and exploded a few times. I was very disapointed in myself and in her for our performance. I recieved applause (people i dont think could believe i stayed on her at times!). I rode her out and took her to another arena to cool down before my medium. I was talking to Delicia, saying that it wasnt really necessary for her to thrown all her toys out of her pram then throw the pram out of the arena now was it.
Luckily the judge (a reknowned harsh marker) was very fair. The good bits i scored highly on, the bad bits....well we wont go there
. Anyway i came 4th with 61%. Which tbh was higher then i was expecting, and some lovely comments. Apparently my horse is powerful 
.
I had a bit of a wait till my medium, but i was cold, wet (it was raining) and stiff so didnt dare dismount for fear my legs and hips would give up and i wouldnt get back on. So i concentrated on trying to get Delicia to focus, lots of transition and lateral work. Her canter half pass is really coming on nicely. Everything i do with Delicia is about building her confidence and i was worried she would have lost some in the elementary as she hasnt played up in a test for a while. So i spoke softly to her, tried to calm her. Fed her polos (which with a full double on is no mean feat!) and tried to get her to listen to me and my aids.
I went into the medium, and tbh i wasnt expecting much. I have never competed at medium myself before and this would be Delicia's first time, so it would be a learning curve for us. But...
...she was fab! She was calm, cool and collected, she listened to me and really sat on her hocks at points (we are still working on this). I was so very proud of her. Though i asked too much for the medium canter and i went rolll *rolls eyes*, i was relieved as she seemed relaxed. I was on cloud nine. My beautiful black beauty was competing a medium test!
I finished the test (again to more applause) and the professional photographer came up to say what a stunning mare she was, her beautiful her angles were and what a pleasure it was to photograph her (insert proud mummy moment)
I had a bit of a wait till my scores, at which point the heavens opened up again, and as the lorry was quiet a distance we took refuge in the indoor school. I knew by mums face i had done well.
We came first with 62% (if i hadnt gone wrong would have been higher). Some fab comments from the judge highlight exactly what i thought. The judge came over to appologise about my elementary, but tbh, delicia needs to learn to take these things in her stride and not have a diva moment.
So now we are both qualified for the elementary and medium champs in october. So happy words cannot describe! Delicia is not rugged up and out in the field playing field pony, she seems to have grown up lately and i am so utterly proud of how far she has come this past year. She is truely my horse of a lifetime and such an exciting ride at that!
Now piccci time, the professional ones arent up yet so dad took a few
and a nice elegant one lol
Delicia warmed up fab, she is a bit hot of late but there isnt much i can do about it except not accept her bad manners. We entered the arena to do our elelmentary, bell rang, was about to go down centre line and bell rang again....
Judge came out of her box and asked us to come down the the hut. As some of you may be aware a few years ago delicia suffered some catastrophic injuries to all four legs due to wet bandages (which were done up too tight) being left on the legs over night, seering the skin away from the tendons and bones. Luckily, the only thing left of months of very intensive therapy to right her is she has lost pigmentation on her legs, leaving white marks. The judge thought i had left my boots on and wanted to warn me to take them off before starting.
Bless this is actually a lovely gesture, because HAD i left boots on i would have been eliminated. However, in a new venue and a slightly spooky indoor arena it was just the excuse Delicia needed to behave like a prat (rolls eyes). She snorted, she bucked, she reared, she reversed at a speed James Bond would have been proud off. I sat there, throwing the reins at her and repeating 'when you have quite finished'. Which she did, with another snort. She softened and did the test, but she was very on edge and exploded a few times. I was very disapointed in myself and in her for our performance. I recieved applause (people i dont think could believe i stayed on her at times!). I rode her out and took her to another arena to cool down before my medium. I was talking to Delicia, saying that it wasnt really necessary for her to thrown all her toys out of her pram then throw the pram out of the arena now was it.
Luckily the judge (a reknowned harsh marker) was very fair. The good bits i scored highly on, the bad bits....well we wont go there
. Anyway i came 4th with 61%. Which tbh was higher then i was expecting, and some lovely comments. Apparently my horse is powerful .I had a bit of a wait till my medium, but i was cold, wet (it was raining) and stiff so didnt dare dismount for fear my legs and hips would give up and i wouldnt get back on. So i concentrated on trying to get Delicia to focus, lots of transition and lateral work. Her canter half pass is really coming on nicely. Everything i do with Delicia is about building her confidence and i was worried she would have lost some in the elementary as she hasnt played up in a test for a while. So i spoke softly to her, tried to calm her. Fed her polos (which with a full double on is no mean feat!) and tried to get her to listen to me and my aids.
I went into the medium, and tbh i wasnt expecting much. I have never competed at medium myself before and this would be Delicia's first time, so it would be a learning curve for us. But...
...she was fab! She was calm, cool and collected, she listened to me and really sat on her hocks at points (we are still working on this). I was so very proud of her. Though i asked too much for the medium canter and i went rolll *rolls eyes*, i was relieved as she seemed relaxed. I was on cloud nine. My beautiful black beauty was competing a medium test!
I finished the test (again to more applause
) and the professional photographer came up to say what a stunning mare she was, her beautiful her angles were and what a pleasure it was to photograph her (insert proud mummy moment)I had a bit of a wait till my scores, at which point the heavens opened up again, and as the lorry was quiet a distance we took refuge in the indoor school. I knew by mums face i had done well.
We came first with 62% (if i hadnt gone wrong would have been higher). Some fab comments from the judge highlight exactly what i thought. The judge came over to appologise about my elementary, but tbh, delicia needs to learn to take these things in her stride and not have a diva moment.
So now we are both qualified for the elementary and medium champs in october. So happy words cannot describe! Delicia is not rugged up and out in the field playing field pony, she seems to have grown up lately and i am so utterly proud of how far she has come this past year. She is truely my horse of a lifetime and such an exciting ride at that!
Now piccci time, the professional ones arent up yet so dad took a few
and a nice elegant one lol
i almost lost her, i have no idea still how she came sound again, it is beyound me. I usually spray her legs with supreme magic cover spray but didnt today as she is a bit sensitive skined at the moment and didnt want to upset her.
