HufflyPuffly
Well-Known Member
Posted on my facebook page, but with this year being the lockdown hokey-cokey and therefore a lack of comp reports overall, I thought I'd share here too.
It was the first dressage outing for Topaz in over a year (August last year!) and Skylla's medium debut! So it was battle of the carriage horses in the medium!
Skylla first and she, as ever, was SO excited to be at a party
. She was a bit suspicious at the dressage saddle and lack of jumps in the warm up, but assured herself they must be waiting for her in the indoor. Disappointing lack of jumps in the indoor too, so she entertained herself with going fast and doing sass-snake-head lemme-goooooo bouncing
.
Ok I'm being a bit mean, she was actually pretty good if 'enthusiastic', (I don't think anyone thought she was stopping from her medium gallop ahem canter
). She was last in the elementary and first in the medium, so stayed in the arena, tried to calm her down a bit
, did some half-passes and then off we went! She feels so much stronger, so sitting trot wasn't as hard as it used to be. Halfpass positioning was a little off, she's so enthusiastic at the sideways stuff, we ended up a little quarters leading, but for her first time in a test I'm so pleased with her! She got a little heavy on the contact, so came a little short in the neck and behind the vertical, but as she gets stronger and less excited she should find her balance more.
Then a super fast turnaround to get the black one ready. Topaz is not a horse who does well with comp breaks. Topaz came out like she'd never left the yard or heard the word 'dressage' in her life... I also had made an error when booking in of thinking the tests would be outside...
So although she is obviously secure in the medium work, I was pretty sure Skylla would win the battle
, especially when it was a struggle to actually get Topaz to trot round the arena without her ears up my nose! However, her 17 years have given her 'some' ability to remember how to horse and once we started the test she decided she might be able to almost go all the way round (only the F corner remained problematic, the SI and medium into it was fun!). Medium canters across the diagonal were cautious as she just couldn't get her head around not doing a flying change! Overall, it was a slightly spooky but clear round.
Again she was last in the medium and first (and only one) in the advanced medium, so stayed in the arena and I tried to tell her she could canter properly and it really wasn't that scary! She gave me her best collected fancy trot, but remained just a bit tight through the back for the canter. It was smoother and less spooky but the right change suffered for the tightness in the back, which was a shame but not unexpected for her indoors.
Judge was so lovely and nice about them, said they both looked so jolly and happy to the job (especially Skylla lol). Results time, and both were consistent! Skylla came fourth in both her classes with 64.82% in the elementary and 65.17% in the medium
. Definitely chuffed with those scores, considering where she is in training!
Topaz, well blow my socks off and call me a pot hunter, the judge loved her and gave her two wins with 73.27% in the medium and 70.38% in the advanced medium!! So much for me saying she is strictly a mid 60's horse!
It was so wonderful to be out, especially when the judge totally 'got' them and could see their desire to do the job (even if Skylla had some of her own ideas about what should be going on
, the 'after' shots of their plaits tell their own story lol). It's been an odd year for competing, but this has given me the kick to keep going
. Though maybe not four tests in about 40 minutes again, I was shattered!!
After shots, I can plait neatly promise!
No idea if I'll be able to get out again, but we're tentative for SJ for next weekend!
It was the first dressage outing for Topaz in over a year (August last year!) and Skylla's medium debut! So it was battle of the carriage horses in the medium!
Skylla first and she, as ever, was SO excited to be at a party
Ok I'm being a bit mean, she was actually pretty good if 'enthusiastic', (I don't think anyone thought she was stopping from her medium gallop ahem canter
Then a super fast turnaround to get the black one ready. Topaz is not a horse who does well with comp breaks. Topaz came out like she'd never left the yard or heard the word 'dressage' in her life... I also had made an error when booking in of thinking the tests would be outside...
So although she is obviously secure in the medium work, I was pretty sure Skylla would win the battle
Again she was last in the medium and first (and only one) in the advanced medium, so stayed in the arena and I tried to tell her she could canter properly and it really wasn't that scary! She gave me her best collected fancy trot, but remained just a bit tight through the back for the canter. It was smoother and less spooky but the right change suffered for the tightness in the back, which was a shame but not unexpected for her indoors.
Judge was so lovely and nice about them, said they both looked so jolly and happy to the job (especially Skylla lol). Results time, and both were consistent! Skylla came fourth in both her classes with 64.82% in the elementary and 65.17% in the medium
Topaz, well blow my socks off and call me a pot hunter, the judge loved her and gave her two wins with 73.27% in the medium and 70.38% in the advanced medium!! So much for me saying she is strictly a mid 60's horse!
It was so wonderful to be out, especially when the judge totally 'got' them and could see their desire to do the job (even if Skylla had some of her own ideas about what should be going on
After shots, I can plait neatly promise!
No idea if I'll be able to get out again, but we're tentative for SJ for next weekend!
, it was a huge ask for Skylla! She's only done I think two elementary's before in competition, as she has been so lightly competed whilst she built her strength, so to do the Ele and a Med was mega for her!
