Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I am sure that California is the butt of everyone's jokes this week. While the rest of the country has been languishing in the winter of 2019, Californians have been donning tank tops and sunscreen. Turns out, the joke's on us. Winter must have heard us smugly snarking about our 90 degree weather and flipped a u-turn. She then slammed into us broadside and dumped rain and snow all over the state. Not once, not twice, but for more than a week. And she's not done. This month, Bakersfield has already had 1.4 inches of rain, excluding what's predicted for today. And while that number might look puny to you all, we only get a bit over 6 inches for the entire year! An inch in May is far, far out of the normal range. I looked back at data spanning 24 years, and I could only find one year, ONE YEAR, that showed more than a trace of rain in Bakersfield for the entire month of May (2005 with .75" of precipitation). It simply does not rain in California during the summer months. In fact, it rarely rains until November or December. And even then it's only a few days out of the month. It has already rained 6 times this month in Bakersfield, and we still have 10 days to go! Big deal, right? It's just rain. It happens. Normally I would agree, but our first show is on Sunday in Bear Valley where it's supposed to rain every single day this week, including both weekend days. I sent a pitiful email to the show manager and asked whether the show was still on. It's a yes for now, but it will all depend on how well the footing holds up. I am trying to be hopeful, but I will be so disappointed if Speedy and I don't get to give Third Level a try on Sunday. My plan is/was to show at this CDS show before going to a USDF show two weeks later. I'd really like a practice run before we go "live." You know what I mean?
Ah, well ... it will be what it will be. But still. Quit raining, dammit! 5/21/2019 11:04:12 am
Ugh, that's timing. :/ Call me a fair weather desert rat, but I'm not a fan of equine events in inclement weather, either back when I was showing or during an endurance ride. 5/21/2019 01:56:52 pm
Oh, I hear you. I have only shown in the rain once, and it was horrible. Of course I rode many, many endurance rides in the rain, including 100 milers. Those were even worse. LOL :0) 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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