nikkimariet
Well-Known Member
First things first... We are fully supporting Movember at Sparkle Towers:
So, PS headed off to Bury Farm for the AF PSG on Friday
We set off with high hopes, he's been going fantastically at home... And also chewing the fence...or not
He's been really forward and raring to go every day and getting 65% ish even when I make stupid mistakes. So I thought a nice clear round might just about do it. Sadly it just was not to be
He started off warming up (outside) nicely enough, sharp but listening, until some absolute pillock decided to have it out with their nappy horse and canter across the car park right next to the warm up! CS and the youngster also in the warm up both exploded, then exploded at each other exploding, then exploded again for good measure!
And that was the end of any vague hope of relaxation really, tried going indoors but he was on an absolute knife edge and every time someone dared to breath in the next door arena or on the yard he went off again, rearing and leaping.
Went back outside as said pillock had disappeared, he did start to chill but we ran out of time to get him 100%. Bless him, he did a big sigh of relief and relaxed in the ring, being inside those white boards is like a security blanket I think. I can't fault his attitude, he didn't even blink at th flowers/ heaters/gallery/banners etc. Brave boy
The test itself was fine, just brittle. He only made one mistake in the change after the canter zig zag when he changed, changed back then hopped round the corner like a mounted games pony! Rather than risk an upset, I walked one stride then cantered on which he did calmy. I let him chose the size of the piri's and he decided to go tight, but very sweetly (got 6.5 to 7.5 for them, yay!) and then did the tempis foot perfect but just tight over the back.
He ended up on 65.395% which left us 7th in a strong class - the top 8 or 9 were separated by 1.5%. So, without the tension who knows what might have been.
Bittersweet really, to get 65% with that degree of tension is great; shows the basics are very correct and his general way of going is pleasing to the judges. But I so wanted a win, for the horse more than me, he deserves it. I don't think we will get a wildcard now, albeit no one seems to know how many BD will give this year after changing the direct qual to 1st place only! Everyone continue to cross your limbs please! In any case, he's improved so so much in the last six moths and I'm insanely proud of him
We head back to Bury for the High Profile in 3 weeks to see how we compare to the big boys in the PSG qual. Then to vale the week after for the PSG qual again, with the loose plan being to qual for the 2014 regionals at PSG, and maybe Inter 1 too.
Figs turn on the Sunday at Vale View High Profile for the ROR Champs
He's been such a good boy recently! If you ignore what happened after this snap on Friday:
Where I stopped for a moment to let a car pass on a really winding tight bend. And before I could stop him Fig had destroyed some poor childs beautifully carved pumpkin!!! We scarpered rather quickly, sniggering all the way home. 50:50 bemused:embarrassed! Otherwise I've been really working on the canter and the transitions. Both coming along very sweetly and the basic canter work is starting to feel SO grown up.
Fig came out chilled as a bean. I did a very short 20 min blast around to let him have a look (in between the torrential downpour. Got to love that micro climate at Vale!), and he was super. Thought I was onto a good one. Sadly... This was also not meant to be.
It really really really doesn't help when somebody comes cantering back out the ring and smashes into 3 horses and canters off without apologising... Nor does it help when people halt in the middle of your canter piri, or walk through your medium trot... (although I felt more sorry for the girl on the obviously wound up horse, and everyone continued to ride right up to her!!!!) Fig was seriously tense by this stage I ended up cantering in a light seat for about 10 mins solid to try and get him to relax. (He got bumped quite badly during racing, and from then on his trainers had a bit of trouble getting to him to nip forward through gaps between horses, which translates into his warm up ring behaviour - we're going to try a red ribbon in his tail and see if that will put some sense/manners into everyone).
The Novice first, in the bigger spookier international. It was brittle, but it was forward and 99% accurate. He threw in a horrid salmon hump grunt buck in part of the canter:
It was only when I came round for the free walk that I realised why he'd done it - how inconsiderate to suddenly appear on horseback in the doorway, with your horse INTO the competition arena up to its shoulders, whilst someone else is doing their test. I was absolutely furious.
Medium trots didn't happen, medium canters went a bit flat. The downwards transitions were ok actually - his stretchy circle was moderate, he drew his chin round rather than out. Still got some 8's, but the 5's for the squiffy moment bought us down. The class had more than 30 people in it, so I was hopeful we'd end up in the top 10 at least.
Onto the Elem... He was still being really daft. And irritatingly, the contact has been super at home but he went really set and rigid in his neck on me There were some really nice moments of work, but he didn't feel *with* me. I went in for the test, and I asked for the door to be closed, only to be told that because I was the only one who had bothered to ask it would put me at an advantage!!! I assured them it had been closed for the Area Festivals but nope. Ok, so I can handle that. I wasn't prepared for them to keep walking in and out of the doorway during my test though...!
The set contact made everything a little brittle again. He wouldn't medium trot towards the group of 4 people in the doorway, especially when one waved their arms (presumably at someone in the warm up), which made him shove his ears up my nose. The upwards transitions were better this time although his back was ever so tight and he was stepping quite short behind. I attempted a medium canter up the long side, past the open door. Only for a steward to suddenly walk in (just checking we're still in there?!) - which meant we ended up doing a flying change onto the 3/4 line. Massive thanks! So emergency halt and pick up the correct lead and try and rescue a 10m half circle to counter canter... Again, a few 8's, but the 5's for the change and wiggly 10m half circle to counter canter hammered our mark.
Scores went up; 4th in the Novice with 67.7% and 3rd in the Elem with 67.65%. Gutted (because I know what he's capable of). And gutted that I've spent all year (not to mention last year) trying to get him confident about competing, and people just don't seem to *think* at time He deserved a better day out. He's still in Elem points so next year we'll tackle the Elem again and I've got my eye on that rug and sash!
Couldn't be more proud of him though - he's had a cracking year with some amazing results. He's gone further than anyone said or thought he would. Love him to bits and still wouldn't change him for the world!
Off for our double date with PS and CS at Vale early Dec, got that medium debut penciled in and then we'll introduce the double bridle over winter
So, PS headed off to Bury Farm for the AF PSG on Friday
We set off with high hopes, he's been going fantastically at home... And also chewing the fence...or not
He's been really forward and raring to go every day and getting 65% ish even when I make stupid mistakes. So I thought a nice clear round might just about do it. Sadly it just was not to be
He started off warming up (outside) nicely enough, sharp but listening, until some absolute pillock decided to have it out with their nappy horse and canter across the car park right next to the warm up! CS and the youngster also in the warm up both exploded, then exploded at each other exploding, then exploded again for good measure!
And that was the end of any vague hope of relaxation really, tried going indoors but he was on an absolute knife edge and every time someone dared to breath in the next door arena or on the yard he went off again, rearing and leaping.
Went back outside as said pillock had disappeared, he did start to chill but we ran out of time to get him 100%. Bless him, he did a big sigh of relief and relaxed in the ring, being inside those white boards is like a security blanket I think. I can't fault his attitude, he didn't even blink at th flowers/ heaters/gallery/banners etc. Brave boy
The test itself was fine, just brittle. He only made one mistake in the change after the canter zig zag when he changed, changed back then hopped round the corner like a mounted games pony! Rather than risk an upset, I walked one stride then cantered on which he did calmy. I let him chose the size of the piri's and he decided to go tight, but very sweetly (got 6.5 to 7.5 for them, yay!) and then did the tempis foot perfect but just tight over the back.
He ended up on 65.395% which left us 7th in a strong class - the top 8 or 9 were separated by 1.5%. So, without the tension who knows what might have been.
Bittersweet really, to get 65% with that degree of tension is great; shows the basics are very correct and his general way of going is pleasing to the judges. But I so wanted a win, for the horse more than me, he deserves it. I don't think we will get a wildcard now, albeit no one seems to know how many BD will give this year after changing the direct qual to 1st place only! Everyone continue to cross your limbs please! In any case, he's improved so so much in the last six moths and I'm insanely proud of him
We head back to Bury for the High Profile in 3 weeks to see how we compare to the big boys in the PSG qual. Then to vale the week after for the PSG qual again, with the loose plan being to qual for the 2014 regionals at PSG, and maybe Inter 1 too.
Figs turn on the Sunday at Vale View High Profile for the ROR Champs
He's been such a good boy recently! If you ignore what happened after this snap on Friday:
Where I stopped for a moment to let a car pass on a really winding tight bend. And before I could stop him Fig had destroyed some poor childs beautifully carved pumpkin!!! We scarpered rather quickly, sniggering all the way home. 50:50 bemused:embarrassed! Otherwise I've been really working on the canter and the transitions. Both coming along very sweetly and the basic canter work is starting to feel SO grown up.
Fig came out chilled as a bean. I did a very short 20 min blast around to let him have a look (in between the torrential downpour. Got to love that micro climate at Vale!), and he was super. Thought I was onto a good one. Sadly... This was also not meant to be.
It really really really doesn't help when somebody comes cantering back out the ring and smashes into 3 horses and canters off without apologising... Nor does it help when people halt in the middle of your canter piri, or walk through your medium trot... (although I felt more sorry for the girl on the obviously wound up horse, and everyone continued to ride right up to her!!!!) Fig was seriously tense by this stage
I ended up cantering in a light seat for about 10 mins solid to try and get him to relax. (He got bumped quite badly during racing, and from then on his trainers had a bit of trouble getting to him to nip forward through gaps between horses, which translates into his warm up ring behaviour - we're going to try a red ribbon in his tail and see if that will put some sense/manners into everyone).The Novice first, in the bigger spookier international. It was brittle, but it was forward and 99% accurate. He threw in a horrid salmon hump grunt buck in part of the canter:
It was only when I came round for the free walk that I realised why he'd done it - how inconsiderate to suddenly appear on horseback in the doorway, with your horse INTO the competition arena up to its shoulders, whilst someone else is doing their test. I was absolutely furious.
Medium trots didn't happen, medium canters went a bit flat. The downwards transitions were ok actually - his stretchy circle was moderate, he drew his chin round rather than out. Still got some 8's, but the 5's for the squiffy moment bought us down. The class had more than 30 people in it, so I was hopeful we'd end up in the top 10 at least.
Onto the Elem... He was still being really daft. And irritatingly, the contact has been super at home but he went really set and rigid in his neck on me
There were some really nice moments of work, but he didn't feel *with* me. I went in for the test, and I asked for the door to be closed, only to be told that because I was the only one who had bothered to ask it would put me at an advantage!!! I assured them it had been closed for the Area Festivals but nope. Ok, so I can handle that. I wasn't prepared for them to keep walking in and out of the doorway during my test though...!The set contact made everything a little brittle again. He wouldn't medium trot towards the group of 4 people in the doorway, especially when one waved their arms (presumably at someone in the warm up), which made him shove his ears up my nose. The upwards transitions were better this time although his back was ever so tight and he was stepping quite short behind. I attempted a medium canter up the long side, past the open door. Only for a steward to suddenly walk in (just checking we're still in there?!) - which meant we ended up doing a flying change onto the 3/4 line. Massive thanks! So emergency halt and pick up the correct lead and try and rescue a 10m half circle to counter canter... Again, a few 8's, but the 5's for the change and wiggly 10m half circle to counter canter hammered our mark.
Scores went up; 4th in the Novice with 67.7% and 3rd in the Elem with 67.65%. Gutted (because I know what he's capable of). And gutted that I've spent all year (not to mention last year) trying to get him confident about competing, and people just don't seem to *think* at time
He deserved a better day out. He's still in Elem points so next year we'll tackle the Elem again and I've got my eye on that rug and sash!
Couldn't be more proud of him though - he's had a cracking year with some amazing results. He's gone further than anyone said or thought he would. Love him to bits and still wouldn't change him for the world!
Off for our double date with PS and CS at Vale early Dec, got that medium debut penciled in and then we'll introduce the double bridle over winter
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He has never freaked out though, and I put this down to the 'anything goes' atmosphere at the yard where he was started, where people could be wandering, leading horses past and in the case of the kids, running or cycling past the school without any notice and he just had to live with it...
