Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I have been faithfully watching, or at least watching in fast forward, the video I record every Sunday morning. While I was watching the video from the Sunday before last, I actually hit pause and then watched it at regular speed. Who was this gorgeous horse and rider? - less emphasis on the rider. It finally hit me that Izzy is becoming a very nice horse. A year or two back, Barbi Breen- Gurley, a trainer from the coast with whom I rode with at a clinic, reminded me to go of who my horse used to be. For a long time, I referred to him as a green bean long after he was truly broke. For a long time after that, I referred to him as a very difficult horse. Lately, I've taken to referring to Izzy as complicated, but recently, Izzy's chiropractor refuted that moniker and claimed that Izzy's pretty simple: ride him correctly, and he'll perform. Of course, believing that is hard to do when you're carrying around eight years worth of bolting, hollowed back, rearing, and spinning memories. This most recent video though showed me a really pretty horse with a lot of talent. Izzy is still not easy, and most likely never will be. That doesn't change the fact that I have a very nice horse that's just not everyone's cup of tea. Neither is Verdades. Remember how many people didn't want him? Laura Graves couldn't give him away way back when. Each winter I am hopeful that we'll go to that first spring show with the horse I ride at home. We may never get to that point, but I am feeling ever more hopeful about this spring. Izzy is performing downright beautifully for me this past month or two - most of the time. He's still Izzy after all.
So ... no more green bean, difficult, or complicated. Meet my new, nice horse. Comments are closed.
|
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
|