sychnant
Well-Known Member
We have now done 20 Intro tests in our dressage career, and previous to today we had done one Prelim, just to see how it went. (lots to work on is the kindest way to describe it!)
However, today I feel we are a step closer to being "proper" competitors, as we did our first serious Prelim.
We did Intro C first as a warm up, and he went nicely (although not as round as I know he can go) and we scored 77.61%, our highest mark so far!
Then Prelim 7 - we CAN canter, but right lead is awfully sticky and keeping the canter round half a 20m circle and then almost all the way round the school is hard! But we DID it - almost struck off on the wrong lead in the right canter, but corrected super quick and thank goodness, got the correct lead that time! The judge's comment was "reluctant to canter", so we possibly got a better mark than we would have if he stepped straight off on the wrong lead, which so nearly happened!
Unfortunately then he got the wrong lead going left, which he NEVER does! I think we may have been practising right lead a bit much and it all got a bit confusing for him
However he tried really hard, scored 67% and first place, and some lovely comments - "What a lovely character! Super activity and really trying hard for you." Yes he was, bless him <3
So for the next few competitions we will stick with an Intro and a Prelim, with a view to doing Intro BD in 2017 and Prelim unaffiliated.
Love my little Gypsy Cob so much!
However, today I feel we are a step closer to being "proper" competitors, as we did our first serious Prelim.
We did Intro C first as a warm up, and he went nicely (although not as round as I know he can go) and we scored 77.61%, our highest mark so far!
Then Prelim 7 - we CAN canter, but right lead is awfully sticky and keeping the canter round half a 20m circle and then almost all the way round the school is hard! But we DID it - almost struck off on the wrong lead in the right canter, but corrected super quick and thank goodness, got the correct lead that time! The judge's comment was "reluctant to canter", so we possibly got a better mark than we would have if he stepped straight off on the wrong lead, which so nearly happened!
Unfortunately then he got the wrong lead going left, which he NEVER does! I think we may have been practising right lead a bit much and it all got a bit confusing for him
However he tried really hard, scored 67% and first place, and some lovely comments - "What a lovely character! Super activity and really trying hard for you." Yes he was, bless him <3So for the next few competitions we will stick with an Intro and a Prelim, with a view to doing Intro BD in 2017 and Prelim unaffiliated.
Love my little Gypsy Cob so much!
