Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Given how great I felt about Test 1, Test 2's recap should leave you in stitches. Well, it would have if anything disastrous had happened, but nothing did. I was actually able to pull it all together and put out what at least felt like a better ride. I got much stronger with my outside aids and kept those 15-meter canter circles a bit better under control. Speedy still swapped leads after the canter lengthenings, but after talking with Chemaine, I know why and have even "fixed" it for now, thanks to a Monday lesson with JL. I love how my trainers work together from afar even though they've never even met. I am surrounded by such great people. Test 2 is very similar to Test 1, but there is an added element - the leg yield. These are fairly basic so nothing horrible happened, but we do need to get straighter. We earned a 6.0 for each leg yield, but with the trailing haunches comment, I know the score would have been lower at a rated show (see yesterday's soap box). We did earn two 8s which, while maybe not truly worthy of an 8, were still very solid movements. The judge liked both our canter to trot transition at X and our walk to trot at C. These should be good movements for us as they come straight out of Training Level. I'll take the scores though as we worked hard on those two elements all year. It's hard to compare one test to another as Test 2 has eighty more points than Test 1. Either way, we did improve our percentage on the second test with a 64.05% (63.79% on Test 1). This is a big deal for us as we typically score lower on the "harder" test.
Speedy was pretty fired up for Test 1 which hurt our canter score. During the warm-up for the second test, he was being quite the stinker so Chemaine offered to get on him and school him a bit. She worked his little butt hard, insisting that he soften and pay attention. He was pretty cranky when I got back on, but he was a better listener. This is totally off the subject, but I was secretly relieved that Speedy G didn't look and work fabulously for Chemaine. He was a butt head for her too which tells me that it's not necessarily me that's causing the problem; he just needs more work. Granted, if she rode him every day, he would look fabulous, but it's not like I am wrecking my horse. Back to the subject at hand … I had a great time at this schooling show. In the morning, I retrieved tests from the judge and ran them back to the show secretary. It's always fun to volunteer, if only for a little bit. I also hung out with a couple of friends whom I adore (Valerie and Sarah - you ladies are AWESOME!). I even tried out a horse who is for sale. The property owner gave me a short "lesson" on him which was totally fabulous. While I love the challenge and charged atmosphere that comes with a rated show, it sure was fun to dink around at a schooling show. Hopefully I'll be able to hit one or two more before we need to get back to the rated shows.
7 Comments
11/15/2014 07:45:42 am
It was fun. Just getting away from 20-meter circles was the best part! :0)
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jenj
11/15/2014 06:24:20 am
Glad you had such a great time on your first-first outing!
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11/15/2014 08:40:30 am
I am glad he didn't all of a sudden look brilliant. :0)
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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