Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
When I saw my score from Second Level Test 1, I was quite pleased; it's my highest Second Level score yet. Not that 64% is fabulous or anything, but improvement is worth celebrating. Test 3 started out fairly well with a 6.5 for our entry and halt and progressed well, if not quite as solidly as test 1. Where we had 6.5s for test 1, our score was 6.0 for test 3. In total, we earned only a pair of 7.0s, eleven 6.5s, twelve 6.0s, and two scores below 6.0 - we earned a 5.5 for the first simple change across the diagonal and a 5.0 for the second one. The simple change is definitely our weakest moment right now. Not only did we miss my goal of no scores under 6.0, I didn't help myself any by giving away two points in an error at the walk. Yes, you read that correctly. How do you go off course when YOU'RE WALKING?!?!? If you walk from M to V instead of R to V, you lose two points - that's how. Rats. That mistake cost me half a percent. Without the error I would have had a 62% which just feels better than a 61%. My final score was 61.585%. The overall score was still above 60%, which is my goal for now. And while there are definitely plenty of things to improve, there were some really good moments. The 10-meter canter circle to the left earned a 6.5 with the comment, "Balanced." Both turns on the haunches, which carry a double coefficient, earned scores of 7.0 - we made up a lot of points there. Both medium canters earned the comment, "bold." When I got home and started looking at my scores and analyzing what needs to be improved upon, I realized that I had completely forgotten about earning the third score toward our Second Level Rider Performance Award. The award is earned with four scores of 60% or better from four different judges from at least two different shows. We only need one more score. At our next show, this show's judge and Hilda Gurney will be judging. I hope I get to ride at least once for Hilda, otherwise we won't even have a chance to earn that last score. As painful as it is to watch, here's the video with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, narrating. Comments are closed.
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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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