JennBags
HHOSS Wonder Woman
Went over to Hickstead today for unaffiliated dressage, I entered at the very last minute for P12 and N30, I haven't been out to dressage since March, so was completely unprepared. Been focusing very much on the jumping lately, but got a couple of flatwork lessons in with the lady who rides G for me, and she's changed my riding a huge amount with just a couple of small tweaks.
Warmed up nicely, except G felt completely flat. I'd brought him in from the field early and plaited him up first thing, so he knew he was going out and didn't have his usual morning doze when I left him. Met a very nice lady who lent me her stick, and in for P14 I went. The judge rang the bell almost immediately and off I went, chucking the stick out of the school as G suddenly woke up. He did a lovely test until we got to our nemesis: right rein canter. I know we struggle getting this, and I'd really worked on it in the warm up, but alas it didn't happen, and G is so balanced that I didn't realise until we'd ridden a whole long side :eek3: Changed onto the correct lead but it was all a bit messy and disorganised.
Came out grinning though as apart from that one mistake, it had been a lovely test. I'd really worked on our connection and engagement and he'd been light in my hand and submissive for a lot of the test which is a huge improvement.
Didn't have long until the Novice, so I practised a walk to canter and pushed for some medium strides, but it was so hot I didn't want to do too much. Stupidly instead of keeping him going slowly in walk, I stood and watched the lady before me (the one who lent me her stick), then went straight in. Well G was completely switched off, and again the judge didn't give us any time before ringing the bell, so the whole test wasn't pretty at all. We got the wrong leg twice, we spooked, we tripped. Even our halts and free walk (which are usually our trump cards) were a bit rubbish!
Back to the lorry, and I made a cup of tea for the whip-lending-lady who was parked a couple of lorries down, while she checked the scores. My prelim was 59.38 which I was a little disappointed in, until I got the sheet. I'd got a 1 for my wrong right rein canter followed by a 4 for the next part of the canter when I'd corrected, but nearly all the other marks were 6's and 6.5's except our FWLR which was a 7. Had I not had that mistake and got flustered I'd have been about 62% which would have made me happy. And also would have made me not last!
The novice was a total washout, and I got 53.85%. Possibly slightly harsh but I didn't deserve much more than that. On looking at the photos, he's gurning away in all of them and all the tips I'd been picking up had gone completely by the wayside and my riding was atrocious.
So I was last in both tests. Again. However as last time I went to Hickstead I did fall off in the middle of the dressage test, staying on was a bonus! Got some lovely pictures too
Warmed up nicely, except G felt completely flat. I'd brought him in from the field early and plaited him up first thing, so he knew he was going out and didn't have his usual morning doze when I left him. Met a very nice lady who lent me her stick, and in for P14 I went. The judge rang the bell almost immediately and off I went, chucking the stick out of the school as G suddenly woke up. He did a lovely test until we got to our nemesis: right rein canter. I know we struggle getting this, and I'd really worked on it in the warm up, but alas it didn't happen, and G is so balanced that I didn't realise until we'd ridden a whole long side :eek3: Changed onto the correct lead but it was all a bit messy and disorganised.
Came out grinning though as apart from that one mistake, it had been a lovely test. I'd really worked on our connection and engagement and he'd been light in my hand and submissive for a lot of the test which is a huge improvement.
Didn't have long until the Novice, so I practised a walk to canter and pushed for some medium strides, but it was so hot I didn't want to do too much. Stupidly instead of keeping him going slowly in walk, I stood and watched the lady before me (the one who lent me her stick), then went straight in. Well G was completely switched off, and again the judge didn't give us any time before ringing the bell, so the whole test wasn't pretty at all. We got the wrong leg twice, we spooked, we tripped. Even our halts and free walk (which are usually our trump cards) were a bit rubbish!
Back to the lorry, and I made a cup of tea for the whip-lending-lady who was parked a couple of lorries down, while she checked the scores. My prelim was 59.38 which I was a little disappointed in, until I got the sheet. I'd got a 1 for my wrong right rein canter followed by a 4 for the next part of the canter when I'd corrected, but nearly all the other marks were 6's and 6.5's except our FWLR which was a 7. Had I not had that mistake and got flustered I'd have been about 62% which would have made me happy. And also would have made me not last!
The novice was a total washout, and I got 53.85%. Possibly slightly harsh but I didn't deserve much more than that. On looking at the photos, he's gurning away in all of them and all the tips I'd been picking up had gone completely by the wayside and my riding was atrocious.
So I was last in both tests. Again. However as last time I went to Hickstead I did fall off in the middle of the dressage test, staying on was a bonus! Got some lovely pictures too
) for our wrong leg 
, but the rest of the scores sound better!
