Blog Archives

The Struggle is Real - Part 2

5/31/2018

Before you go thinking that Part 2 must have a comeback story, it doesn't. In fact, we scored even worse than on the first test. Two things to note however - 1) I had never Ridden test 3 all the way through, only its individual parts, and 2) both my trainer and I felt that I did a much better job regardless what the score says.

10-meter circle.

Before the ride recap, which isn't going to be that exciting anyway unless you love the number 5, I want to share a super quick story. I've told you this first part about 900 times, but here it is again (make it 901).

I rode my first dressage test just a week or two after an endurance ride. Speedy and I started at Introductory Level. Having already competed in endurance racing for nearly two decades, it was tough going back to beginner status. I desperately wanted to be successful and felt that getting to Training Level was where it was at. Forget about First Level; I knew I'd never make it there. Second Level was home to the Big Dogs. I felt guilty even breathing their air.

Trying to be a medium trot.

The way the dressage court is situated at the Bear Valley Equestrian Center, most people wander back and forth between the court and the show office. To get to the arena, riders have to pass through this back and forth traffic. Speedy loves it as he is always surrounded by what he considers his peeps.

A very nice woman walked up to us and wanted to chat. She was very complimentary as she stroked Speedy's face. During our conversation, she said something like, I ride, but I'll never be as good as those of you riding at Second Level. Imagine my embarrassment. I spluttered, didn't you just see my test? If I can make it to Second Level I told her, ANYONE can!

The lesson for me is that Grand Prix riders put on their underwear just like I do. And for those of you who feel like everyone else is doing it better; they're not. Okay, maybe some of them are, but they have their bad days too.

Collected trot. Looking kind of fancy!

After the first test, Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, insisted that I ride with a whip and get after Speedy each and every time he tried to drop behind the bit and leave his hind end trailing.

The moment just before the canter.

I am not sure the judge liked a single moment of this test other than when we turned to leave the arena. Fifteen of the twenty-seven scores were 5.5 or lower. She even found creative ways to criticize. Her comment on our final halt, too many short steps into halt. It felt like she was really digging for a negative thing to say. Her favorite word was "too". He was either too deep, too shallow, too constrained, or too high.

A very dramatic transition!

I am not suggesting that the judge was wrong, but it felt as though she had made up her mind about us after the first test. I feel like judging can be done in at least two ways. First, some judges look to reward your good moments. Other judges take a more negative view looking to penalize your bad moments. On this day, it felt like we had more of the latter.

Counter canter

In all probability, it's just a case of sour grapes. I didn't get a good score so the judge must be mean. I don't think so though. Our final score was a 55.122%. At least I know what we need to work on. Here's the video.

Our next show is in two weeks. It's another two-day USDF show. We'll see how it goes!

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The Struggle is Real - Part 1

5/30/2018

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I am definitely an under-achieving over-achiever when it comes to dressage. This is hard for me because I tend to be pretty good at the things in which I am interested. Why I chose dressage, I'll never know as it is a discipline where perfection is unattainable unless your name is Charlotte, Carl, or Isabell.

I am not making excuses here, but dang is Second Level hard. On Sunday, Speedy and I gave it yet another go. For the first time this show season, I didn't have a horrendous migraine, and while I may still be drugged up, the drugs weren't making me loopy. And you know what? We scored WORSE than before. Insert HUGE eye roll here.

I think we have straightness down pat.

Again, I am not making excuses, but this judge was tough. I rarely, if ever complain about my scores. If anything, I tend to discredit our higher scores believing the judge to be overly generous. I am not doing that again. Out of 23 posted scores (not counting 1 elimination or any of the scratches), 10 scores were in the 40s and 50s. I'll do the math for you; that's 43%.

On the other hand, the judge also handed out some very nice scores. The top two scores were a 71% and a 75%. The rest of the scores were all in the 60s. This either means that this show attracted a LOT of sucky riders and a few good ones, or the judging was a little tough. I guess it depends on who you ask.

A little behind the bit - we're still working on that.

Each time I move up to a new level, the struggle is the same. I work hard, I cross my fingers, and I pray for a 60%. Instead of the 60, I bring home scores in the 50s. Eventually, we get better, and I start looking for scores in the mid-60s. Then comes the day where I start praying for a 70%. That's when I know we're ready to move up. We're not there yet. Speedy and I are still stuck in the land of the high 50s.

The Simple Change through walk.

We had some nice moments on our Second Level Test 1. Our free walk earned a 7 which was great as it has a double coefficient. Our walk to canter at C earned another 7 as did our halt at X. We also had a smattering of 6s for our rein back, the simple changes, and our medium canter. The rest of the test was filled with 4s and 5s.

Medium canter.

I did make two errors that were not Speedy's fault. On our second 10-meter canter circle, I glanced down and swore we were on the wrong lead. I brought him back to trot and picked up the left lead. Doing that put us out of position for the counter canter from F to E so I halted again, turned back toward A and picked up the left lead again so I could counter canter back to the rail at E. Out of the 20 possible points for those two movements, I earned 7 points. Ouch. And as it turns out, I was on the correct lead to begin with.

Canter at C.

I knew it wasn't a great test, and I was frustrated for second guessing myself. Our score was a dismal 56.515%. Certainly not what I was hoping for, but at least we had a few good moments. I have some homework to do for sure, especially on my sitting trot. Like I told my trainer, last May when I rode with Hilda Gurney at the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic, I couldn't sit the trot for more than two strides. Now, here I am sitting for a whole test. It may not be pretty, but it's getting better.

Here's the video.

Test 2 Tomorrow.

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A Bit of a Legal Problem

5/29/2018

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If you've been around a while, you know about Izzy's bitting preferences. If you're new to our journey, here's a quick run-down.

Izzy started in an eggbutt snaffle with a lozenge mouthpiece. He went okay in it until he didn't. The wheels fell off our bus.
I put Izzy in a ported correction bit. Things improved tremendously.
I next put him a lower, wider, ported bit with Kimberwick cheek pieces and a curb chain. He loved it.
As an experiment, my trainer had me try a double bridle. That worked fabulously for about three days before he refused to let me bridle him.
I went back to the lower, wider curb bit.
I bought a USDF legal bit with an even wider and lower ported bit with loose rings and no chain. He'll take that bit, but he doesn't work as well in it.
Over the past year, I've played around with the legal bit, trying to use it once a week.

You're now caught up.

So picky.

Izzy had his teeth floated in February, but they required very little work - his teeth are looked at twice a year. The vet was happy with his mouth. I rode with the legal bit a day or two later. The next day, he refused to take the bit, and I realized that he might have been a little sore from the dental work. He of course blamed it on the legal bit.

Rather than fight with him about it, I went back to the bit he likes so that I could build his confidence back up. Things started to really come together in early spring. Since the beginning of March, he has been a joy to ride. He is stretching over his top line and reaching for the bit, happy in his work.

Last week I decided it was time to bring back the legal bit. Insert an exasperated sigh accompanied by a dramatic eye roll. My lovely, bouncy, happy horse disappeared and a jackass took his place.

At the same time, Speedy began ramping up his temper tantrums over the pile of discarded jump standards that rest outside of the arena. It's a long story, but to help him cope, I laid the jump standards down and moved them over. Not only did it not help Speedy, but Izzy flipped out.

Back to happy and no longer flipping out.

I might have dropped a few F-bombs. Holy hell. This all happened in the two days before this past Sunday's show (write up coming, I swear.) Determined to beat them at their own game, I moved the jump standards yet again. At the near end of the arena is an area that already has a pile of discarded things. As ridiculous as it sounds, I tried to camouflage the jump standards by mixing them in with the jump poles and other industrial implements already there.

For yesterday's ride, I walked Izzy over to the new pile so he could check things out. He didn't even look. I did the same thing from inside the arena. On foot, we walked back and forth past the pile so that he could see it from both eyes. Then I got on him and did the same thing. I shouldn't have bothered. He didn't give a rat's behind about the new situation. I either camouflaged things really well, or he was over it. Speedy had the exact same reaction, no big deal.

Now that the junk piled has been resolved, Izzy is back to his happy, bouncy self. When I ran the whole situation past Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, she suggested I try the legal bit for one ride but then go back to the bit he likes until he's happy again. Each time his confidence returns, I'll go back to the legal bit for a day.

I am hoping over the next month I can go back and forth from one bit to the other without having to start all over again. And of course ultimately, it would be great to use the non-legal bit just for tune-ups and reminders. Since he was so great on Monday, his next ride will be in the legal bit.

Like I said, a bit of a legal problem!

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Spend Money to Save?

5/28/2018

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My husband just doesn't understand the whole Look how much money I saved! strategy. He doesn't get it because he doesn't realize that I am going to buy those things eventually which will be money spent, but when I find a deal on said items, I really have saved money. You follow this logic, right?

Riding Warehouse Memorial Day Sale

Not too long ago, I wrote about a pair of summer weight tights that I really liked. I definitely planned on ordering more, but I was waiting for a sale or more money to find my wallet. When I saw that Riding Warehouse was running their Memorial Day sale, I knew it was time to order.

The Horze Women's Juliet HyPer Flex Full Seat Tights go for $59.95, a good price for tights that you like. But, if you order two or more - and why not?, they go for $52.95. With the 20% off sale, the discount for buying two pairs, and free shipping, I only paid $80.86.

I now own all three colors.

The discount is automatically applied - I love not having to enter a promo code!. The sale end today though, so if there is something that you know you're going to be buying soon, you might as well spend it now and pay less than you might in a month or two.

See! Spend money to save. What's not to understand?

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Second Level Struggles and Successes

5/25/2018

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Speedy and I are going to our third show of the season on Sunday. It will be our third attempt at Second Level. It's a CDS-rated show so the atmosphere will be a little more relaxed, but the judging will still be tough.

While I don't feel like we have Second Level down pat, I do feel more confident than I did in March. Since I hate Second Level Test 2, I've decided to jump right into Test 3. It's the one I'll have to ride at RAAC anyway, so I might as well get some practice in now.

I remind him all the time that he's now a Second Level horse.

Both Speedy and I have had some big AHAs over the past few weeks. I've shared mine, but last weekend, I realized that Speedy has had at least one too. All of a sudden, he has clued in that nearly all of our downward transitions from canter are now to the walk. Even when I am okay with a (lazy) canter to trot because he just did something really well, he's still sitting hard and walking. Good boy!

He may well be the most awkward Second Level horse out there.

The AHA that I desperately need him to have like RIGHT NOW is that he can carry his haunches to both the left and the right WHILE TROTTING. Holy heck is he being stubborn about this. I get that it's challenging, but please, horse, just try!

To his credit, he gets it at the walk. He now knows that he can maintain the inside bend AND carry his haunches in. He's getting much lighter in my hand and willing to flex his neck. Now I just need him to do it while trotting. I haven't yet told him about the fact that (eventually) he'll need to also do it at the canter. Palm to forehead.

I am not sure he WANTS to be a Second Level Horse!

It took us a month or so, but we have a three-loop serpentine. I don't know how good it is, but it rides pretty well. Just this past weekend I really worked on collecting him for the counter canter while letting him move out more for the true canter. Playing around with transitions within the gait seemed to really help him balance.

Maybe the best thing we've got going is that Speedy's collected trot is showing a lot more uphill tendency with tons more thrust. His poll is up, and he's really moving well. Unfortunately, he's stuck with a rider who is still struggling to sit his more expressive trot. Oh, and that's me in case you were wondering.

He loves his peppermint candies!

Second Level doesn't scare me anymore. In fact, it's turning out to be a lot of fun. Stringing all of the movements together so they look harmonious is our struggle now. Schooling at home with do-over after do-over is nothing like showing. In front of the judge, you get one shot.

Good thing I am good at moving on from mistakes! Next movement, please.

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Imposter Izzy?

5/24/2018

1 Comment

Who is this horse, and what have you done with Izzy?

Beyond relaxed.

I know as soon as I write about how freaking awesome this horse is becoming he'll turn into a jerk, but I can't help it. Every day that I get on him, his back gets softer with more swing. On Sunday, he felt ten feet tall and fifteen feet long. He was sighing, grunting, snorting, and flopping his ears towards me at every stride.

Neck is relaxed.

He is so happy in his work that I am able to try something new every day. His leg yields are getting nicely rhythmical. His haunches in are so much better than Speedy's (sorry, Dude, but it's true). He can do most of the counter canter work from Second Level; I haven't asked for the three loop serpentine yet because I don't want to shake his confidence.

We've also been able to play around with a trot lengthening. His back has been so tight that I couldn't get a regular length of stride. To even be able to play around with lengthening the stride is huge progress.

I don't have a show plan for him yet, but I am thinking about it. There's a lot I'd have to work on before we're ready to try showing again, namely getting him into the legal bit again. That I am even thinking about it shows how much progress he's making.

As I clap my hands in glee, I am so thankful that I didn't sell him. If he never makes it to a show, it will be okay as he is so much fun to ride. I am looking forward to seeing how much more he can do!

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Show Goals

5/23/2018

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First of all, I have them, and secondly, the pressure to achieve all of them this year has disappeared.

Last year: First Level (elite) reserve champions at the CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition Central Regional.

I hate to share my goals publicly because talking about something before it happens generally results in the thing not happening. I am not sure if that is Murphy's Law or not, but it seems to be my experience. Besides that, every time I get myself all geared up for something, a horse gets broken. It seems as though I am better off not saying anything at all as I simply send in my show entries and go with the flow.

2014: Training Level (novice) Champions at the CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition Central Region

I've already met some of my goals for this year's show season. We've already earned our Second Level qualifying scores for this year's CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition. My goals do not include winning a third cooler - I have two already (see one above). Nor do they include winning yet another leather halter (see it below); one will do nicely, thank you.

Who needs two? :0)

With the pressure of winning at RAAC off the table, my plan is to first keep Speedy healthy enough to compete at this year's event. With that goal met, I'll hope we can just not embarrass ourselves. If we can do that, I'll be more than satisfied.

One down, two to go.

Another goal that Speedy and I have already achieved this year is earning the final scores for our CDS Ruby Rider Award. They're given out at the Annual Meeting Awards Banquet, so I'll send in the application later this summer. The Gem Awards are a lot like USDF Medals except they're awarded for scores earned at CDS-rated shows (which can also be USDF-rated). The award is a lapel pin that can be worn on your coat or wherever you want to pin the thing.

Half-way to the one on the left.

Strangely enough, I recently realized that I am half-way to earning my USDF Bronze Medal. There is a long, long way yet to go, but before this past month or so, I never really believed that I could earn a bronze medal. All of a sudden, I am one score away from being two-thirds of the way there. I have no doubt that I can earn that score.

While Speedy and I are nowhere near having Second Level vanquished, it no longer feels like we're hanging on by our toenails; we're actually getting it. When I realized that, it popped into my head that we're probably going to make it to Third Level ... eventually. That knowledge gave me goosebumps and a huge kick in the pants.

Before you roll your eyes, rest assured that my head is the same size as it has always been - it might even be shrinking. Crap. something new to worry about. At our most recent show, I apologized at least a thousand times to my trainer during the warm up for looking like such a disaster amongst all of the real dressage riders out there. How can they all look so put together and well-schooled?

So. Goals. Yep. I have them. Not looking stupid is always the first one. Why can't I ever check that off the list?

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Electrolytes

5/22/2018

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Back when I started endurance riding in 1996 - can it be that long ago? - there weren't a lot of electrolyte formulas from which to choose. There was Lyte Now Electrolyte Paste, Endura-Max, and a few other cheaper brands that real endurance riders scoffed at. The selection was still so small that many riders mixed their own electrolytes from table salt and other ingredients. Now, Riding Warehouse has an entire page dedicated to just electrolytes.

My very first "race" season.

I never mixed my own, but electrolytes were definitely part of my feed and maintenance program. For hundred mile events, I found Lyte Now paste to be the most convenient, especially when we rode a single loop 100-miler, meaning we never came back to camp until the finish. It was much easier to toss two or three syringes in your crew bag than to pack all the supplies necessary for administering the powdered form.

For rides where we came back to camp every few hours, it was cheaper to give powdered electrolyte and administer them at the trailer. Like many riders, I stocked up on jars of carrot and apple flavored baby food. I simply dumped the baby food into a red Solo cup, poured in my electrolytes, and thinned it all with a bit of water. Like every other rider, I administered it orally using a catheter syringe which looks like the syringe of any vaccination except it holds approximately 60cc and has a really fat tip.

Not my hand or syringe, but this is what they look like.

In those days, my choice of electrolytes was Endura-Max. Even back then its formula most closely matched the ideal combination of elements necessary to actually replace what our horses were losing due to sweat. Many of the cheaper brands contained more glucose/sugar than anything else. There are five main electrolytes required by horses, namely: Sodium (Na⁺), Chloride (Cl⁻), Potassium (K⁺), Magnesium (Mg²⁺) and Calcium (Ca²⁺) and all play important roles within the horses’ body. - Source

Today I use Summer Games Electrolyte.

Given that my horses no longer work nearly as hard nor as long as when I was training and competing in endurance races, their electrolyte needs are different. They still need them, but not at the same levels required for horses working for 10 - 24 hours at a time. Summer Games Electrolytes is made by Kentucky Performance Products, the same folks who created Endura-Max Electrolytes.

Analysis and Ingredients

Even though it is hotter than Hades here in the summertime - last year we had nearly 70 days of triple-digit temperatures with lows in the high 70s to low 80s, I don't give electrolytes every day. My horses rarely work for more than 40 minutes a day, especially when it's that hot.

Serving suggestion

During the summer (which lasts 6 -8 months here), I give electrolytes before or after a lesson, any time we trailer somewhere (my trailer does not have A/C, and it gets HOT back there), and when we show. Since I don't administer electrolytes every two to three hours like I did when endurance riding, the syringe is no longer necessary (although I still keep a few around just in case). Now-a-days, I can mix a dose in with beet pulp or LMF Senior. Since Speedy also gets Flaxseed oil, adding a scoop of electrolytes goes unnoticed.

Re-stocking my summertime supplies.

A few weeks ago I used the last bit of my electrolytes during an unseasonably hot spell. Since Riding Warehouse was running that sale on fly stuff, I tossed in a new bucket of electrolytes. Since summer is now here to stay, I'll be needing them for afternoon lessons and shows.

For those of you who live in more humid climates, do you use electrolytes, and if so, how often?

4 Comments

Happy Birthday, Izzy (only 1 week late)

5/21/2018

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The only birthdays I can remember besides my own and my husband's are one of the dogs' birthdays and Speedy's. The other dog and Izzy get forgotten every time. Frankly, the only reason I remember the birthdays that I do is because Tobi's is the day before mine, and Speedy's is on tax day, April 15th.

Tobi is the black one, and Brienne is the yellow one.

The thing is, I like celebrating my four-legged family members' birthdays. I don't go all wild and crazy about them, and in fact, I don't really do anything extra special, but I still enjoy the day. For me, there's a weird sense of accomplishment in having an animal for its entire life, and I love checking off yet another year. Izzy's special day was last Monday, May 14th.

Decmeber 2015

Izzy came to me as a six-year-old, nearly an adult. In reality he was still a baby with a lot of growing up to do. Those first few years with him were tough ones. First, I had to deal with the leg that suffered that terrible laceration, and then I had to cope with all the I don't wanna attitude.

Our first day together.

This birthday, his tenth, has revealed a more mature and confident horse. Speedy did the same thing except I had to wait a lot longer before I had a horse I enjoyed. I bought Speedy as a three-year-old, so it took nearly seven years before I really liked him enough to pull down the for sale sign.

While Izzy is probably not completely finished with the temper tantrums and sassy attitude, they're definitely becoming few and far between. Even at fourteen Speedy still likes to flip me the bird.

Favorite photo, but it shows what he can now do.

I've said many times that I hope to never purchase another three-year-old, four-year-old, or even an 8-year-old. Make mine a ten-year-old, and you've got yourself a deal!

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Another Canter "AHA!"

5/18/2018

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Speedy and I are still chipping away at the elements of Second Level which most recently have included collection. While schooling the simple change through walk on Wednesday, I had the most distinct AHA.

Our walk to canter has gotten pretty show worthy. I am not going to say it's 10-worthy, but it is consistent. He still wants to pop his head occasionally, but he's starting to figure out how to really push off from his hind end when I insist on it.

September 2015 - first learning to really "sit"

The canter to walk, the other part of the simple change, is where we've had more trouble. I just can't get a true walk unless I haul back on the reins, and then it's a rather ugly transition.

One of the exercises I've been doing is cantering three strides by counting down: three, two, one. On the one, I ask for the walk. I then change the bend and pick up the other canter lead, again counting down to the walk. Sometimes he does a great downward transition, and other times not so much.

A definite "not" moment from February 2017.

While I ride, I have a running dialogue in my head. Usually it's with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, but occasionally I just talk myself through what I am trying to accomplish.

On Wednesday, I am not sure whose voice I was hearing, but I heard Speedy can't walk while he's leaning on your hands. Get him soft before you ask. That must have been Chemaine as that sounds like something she'd say. So for the next canter to walk transition, I counted down, but as I did so, I also asked for him to get soft. To my amazement, he stepped softly into a walk. I actually whooped out loud.

To make sure it wasn't simply a lucky moment, I told Speedy we were going to do a few more just to see. Sure enough, when I got him soft before I asked for the walk, the downward transition was lovely.

About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime 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.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently schooling Third Level in preparation for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy 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 schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

Second Show - July 2016

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

State Awards

CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

2019 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USEF
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(t) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2019 Pending …

4/12-14/19 - AA Clinic (c)
5/26/19 - TMC (*)
6/15-16/19 - El Sueno (***)
6/22-23/19 - SCEC (***)
6/23/19 - TMC (*)
7/13-14/19 - El Sueno (***)
7/28/19 - TMC (*)
8/10/19 - RAAC (Q) (***)
8/25/19 - TMC (*)
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

2019 Completed …

Qualifying Scores for 2019

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:

CDS Championship Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:
Score 4:
Score 5:

Working Towards:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level:
Third Level:
Fourth Level:
Fourth Level:

USDF Bronze Medal
First Level - 70.179%
First Level - 72.600%
Second Level - 62.879%
Second Level - 61.970%
Third Level -
Third Level -

The Struggle is Real - Part 2

The Struggle is Real - Part 1

A Bit of a Legal Problem

Spend Money to Save?

Second Level Struggles and Successes

Imposter Izzy?

Show Goals

Electrolytes

Happy Birthday, Izzy (only 1 week late)

Another Canter "AHA!"

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

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About the Writer & Rider

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