Tehachapi - Intro A

This was not a bad test.  The score is low (56.875%), but I walked out of the arena with a smile.  My goal for the day was to simply stay in the ring without having to excuse myself.  Mission accomplished!

Sydney was very anxious, but he held it together and listened to me throughout the test.  Yes, we weaved and zig-zagged, but he tried hard to do what I was asking even though his Danger, Will Robinson! alarm was blaring.

The A end of the arena bothered Sydney more than anything else.  As we approached A for our first 20 meter circle, he spooked to the inside.  JL had told me that if something like that happened, it was more important to school him through it than worry about the score.  So I sent him in a small circle and got back on track.  Since we went off course, there was a two-point deduction.

We've been working so hard on our bends that I actually over rode the corners!  The judge commented that we need to stay out of the corners when doing a circle.  I am guessing our circles looked more like squares!  

Our trot circles might have been stinky, but our walk work was right on track!  We earned a 6 for the first medium walk and a 7 for the free walk.  In this test, the finish is with a walk up the centerline.  Sydney earned another 7 for his medium walk up centerline and then a 7 for the halt.

Overall, Sydney started out really tense, but he got softer and rounder for the end.  That was the best thing that I could have hoped for.  Click tests to enlarge.

Blurry and ZOOMED ... best I could get!