Then and Now, a tale of not getting qual'd this time round :(

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

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Went to the Area 1 BRC qualifiers (dressage) yesterday in Ayr. I love Rozelle Park, it's a fab venue to ride on -- best grass riding ever! :)

Yesterday started at 4 am for me - early o'clock as my first test was at 11.30 am and about 2 1/2 hrs away?! :eek: As I was going to "carpool" with another team mate I loaded up Sammy in Bionic Bertha (with her new improved aluminium reinforced floor and new ramp!) to meet along the bypass, unload and reload up again....to get on the road by 7.30 am-ish.

We arrived in good time, and while some team mates were still to arrive, the person I travelled with went off to the loo while I decided that it was a good time to try to learn to tie my stock :rolleyes: ....and then next thing I know there was a mad dash to catch a loose horse that managed to decant his rider and then run across a main road. Horse eventually caught and safe, TG.

Had a lovely warm up...but stupid me was so fixed on getting the back end working that I seem to have left his best work in the warm up area! Did our riding test (the Advanced one this year) and aside from a rider error in which I nearly forgot a walk transition, left it late, and caused a hollow rushed back to trot transition - and then a slightly pear shaped counter canter later in the test - I felt it all went pretty good. I felt confident in my riding and my boy felt good. The result was not too bad, 68+ percent and a third place. :D Not qualified, but hey ho, it was the first time doing an advanced test, and only third ever riding test.

We'd had about an hour to chill so untacked, loaded back on to the trailer, grabbed a quick cold sandwich and then had time to re-tack back up and warm up again. I was ever mindful that Sammy never had a wee all day, since early o'clock and that he was needing (and just refusing to go). His trailer mate was trying to show him how - as he had an impressive three pees during the day! LOL

~Anyway, we warmed up okay for the Prelim test - a tad bit stuffy but definitely respectable. I hate this test, it's annoyingly unsymmetrical and easy to forget - so got someone to read it for me last minute. It was all going pretty good (though a bit flat) right up to the final halt when the qtrs drifted a tad to the right - leg on, BIG step to the left! TINK! :rolleyes:

We ended up just out of the rosettes on 64+ percent. As tests go, I know we've done better, but I still couldn't have asked for more from him.

Our team didn't get qualified either, though one of our members did get an individual qual, so will look forward to supporting her for that. :)

Long ride back home, went to pick up my lorry and Sammy just about lept aboard - he actually wee'd en route! Flooded the entire back of the lorry, poor soul. I'm thinking perhaps I ought to just go in Bionic Bertha and sod the fuel saving next time! He obviously would be happier for it!

Finally got off the yard after tucking him up in his bad about the back of 8, so it was a LOONNG day.

So the photos are interesting (well, to me anyway) as I've also found last year's qualifier photos (where we got qualified both in the riding test as an individual and in the dressage on the team where we got a 2nd individually). I think there is a remarkable improvement....

Here's last year's
http://www.tf-images.com/arcdressage-171#photo

and this year
http://www.tf-images.com/dressage-260#photo



So....now what shall I do? I think I might just bite the bullet and affiliate :p
 
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Sounds like a great day out, even if slightly frustrating at being so close to qualifying in the riding test. He is beautifully turned out and more uphill in this years photos. If sharing travelling again could you take half a bale of shavings with you to put under him? Might help?
 
He's looking fab! Way more advanced outline than a Prelim horse - so you may find you did not score as well for that reason.

Definitely affiliate - you two would be racking up the points in no time!
 
tigers eye - thanks :) Actually, that's a good idea - about bringing along a 1/2 bale. I'm not sure if he has a shy bladder in strange places/trailers? I mean he WILL wee in his field, so why not on lovely grass at a show? But I might try that the next time. Though the last time we went down to Lincoln he had shavings in the lorry we travelled in, but it wasn't his lorry and he wouldn't wee til we arrived some 10 hours later and got him in to his stable.

DarkHorseB, someone else suggested the same to me - that his outline might be too high and he's in a funny place in his training now. We've been working away at home and doing local shows up to Elem (and doing okay, and oddly scoring about the same as the prelims). He doesn't do that well in the Novice tests - he'll get in the low 60s and high 50s!

I'm actually on the BD site just now - looking at the membership options. I'm a little confused as I'm not British it says I'd have to go in group 3 - the rule states:

"Foreign riders and those who have spent a minimum of 12 months abroad will be no lower than a Group 3 rider upon registration unless dispensation is granted by British Dressage."

Okay, I am just wondering how one goes about getting this dispensation? There aren't instructions there, so I may have to write to them seperately about it....unless anyone already knows and can advise?
 
A friend is from Switzerland and I believe she rang BD and spoke to them about it, and she didn't have to have a riding assessment for them to drop her riding grade.
 
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