Winner Winner, Potter Trotter!

rosiesowner

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This part of the forum has been lacking in reports lately, so I thought I would make a post about today. Chilli and I haven't competed since June, where we earned our best novice score to date of 74.75%. This also meant I hadn't plaited since June, so I had a little practise the other night. It's a small victory but I'm so glad the bottom of her mane is getting thick enough FINALLY, for reasonably normal sized plaits :eek:
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We've made a lot of progress since then and I was looking forward to showing it. I also felt I had a little more to prove as the judge today was the same lady who we'd ridden our worst ever test in front of (the dreaded 57% N27!). The Novice we entered happened to be the same test as that time.

Into the Novice, immediately as we entered the arena, Chilli became seriously tense as she saw the car. Not like you've seen one 1000 times... :D The test rode well, with a couple of moments of tension. I was expecting a 67% sort of mark. It seems I must have been a little too harsh on myself as we scored a 74.69% to win! So a fraction of a mark behind our best test ever, but given the moments of tension I'm so pleased. The little jog we always seem to have in the medium walk needs to stop!

She scored 8.5s for both medium trots and the transitions in and out were way better. To be honest, I think if she could have done the whole test in a medium she would have been happier; she was in a proper show-off-tense-mare-mood today. Our collectives were good, and 8, 8, 7 and 8. I'm especially chuffed with the 8 for rider position. I've been working so hard not to look like a sack of potatoes!!!!
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Next was our prelim music test-the first music test we've ever done as a duo. I'm not going to lie, preparation for this was horrendous! As some of you will have seen in my other thread, she decked me last week and I tore my talus ligament. So riding has been absolutely minimal. I finalised a floorplan last night and put my music together. I took my spurs off before this test so I could use my leg a little more strongly to really squeeze and remind her to go forward instead of sucking back and becoming tense. Today was not the day for beautiful spur refined invisible aids :D

We used bits and pieces from the Harry Potter score. The lighter bits of Hedwig's Theme for trot, Double Trouble for canter and Window To The Past for the walk sections. I had accidentally added in an extra chunk of music and so had to improvise and add in an extra circle in front of the judge to make up the time!! Our final halt was a little hurried and our turn back to the centre line not fab as again I was guessing along with the music. We came 3rd with something between 66 and 68%-I can't quite remember and I've left my sheets at the yard :p Frustrating, as I know it could have been so much better had I just known my music but the circumstances for preparation weren't the best...

The judge's wife (who was also kind enough to scribe for the whole day!) also said after all the tests had finished that we were beautifully turned out and that Chill is looking fantastic. Always nice to get little compliments like that, especially when I've been working so hard to get the weight and muscle on her!

So all in all really pleased with my teeny horse today. Just love her!
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rosiesowner

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Yay, well done that's brilliant. Chilli looks amazing, and you've done brilliantly after your fall.
Thank you! Don't think we did too badly considering we had minimal practice!
Wow. Well done, and thank you for sharing. I dream of getting collective scores like that!
I'm so pleased with her, she really is a super little horse.
Love the plaits, fab day out, well done. Clean pony too!
Haha, it's the power of a NAF Show Off shampoo! And a lot of their stain removing foam too!!!!
Wowzers, that's amazing results. Chilli looks ace.

*cough* time *cough* for elementary *cough* :p
That's my goal for the end of next year! I won't be competing now till next year as I won't be able to get out anywhere, so hopefully early next year we'll be back out at Novice really confidently and move up to elem. She has all the buttons, but I want everything to be more refined and the tension ironed out as it shows up more in things like the lateral work!!
a big well done, chilli is such a beautiful horse. what lovely remarks from your judge...
Thank you, I can't help but agree. She is a bit gorgeous.
Wow amazing scores!!

Also very impressive to get a such a clean horse this time of year! My grey had a green face this morning... ��
Haha, let me tell you she isn't that colour any more after plenty of field time!!
 
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