Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Dressage and 4-H Fun - All in ONE weekend

 The weekend was a blur.  And it was cold again - brrrrr.  So in preparation for District on Saturday, I took Sister, Pico and Sunny to the Claremore Expo Friday afternoon to bath, band/braid/trim, and complete other show prep. 

The horses shivered and I put blankets on them... I shivered too but had no blankie.



The girls moved up to the intermediate group this year, so qualifying for the state 4-H horse show was hard.  Ivy and Sister placed 4th in Halter Mares (6 and up) - Alaina and Sunny placed 10th in Halter Geldings (6 and up) and 11th in Showmanship.  Whew - they get to go to the State Horse Show and riding classes still to go.  Ivy and Pico placed 2nd in Hunt Seat Eq and 1st in Hunter Hack.  Alaina and Sunny placed 6th in Western Pleasure, 3rd in Western Horsemanship, and 2nd in Trail.  Yippeeeee.  The girls hung out with their horse show friends and Roxanne rode in her first 4-H show placing in Hunter Hack with Trouper and Western Horsemanship with Misty (both beautiful Morgan horses).

The weather was beautiful for the Rocking C dressage show in Inola on Sunday.  Insanely, we took Pico, Sister, and Splash.  Alaina rode Sister for the first time in the show ring (she aspires to Pre Caprilli by the end of the year); they were 3rd (60.62) for Intro B and 2nd (57.5) in Intro C.  Canters were rushed but on the correct lead.  Judge Lee Ann Alf said: nicely forward with energy but needs soft connection.  Ivy and Pico were 2nd (61.6) in Training Level Test 3 and 1st (60.68) in First Level Test 1.  The judge said: needs more suppleness and connection, nice freely forward horse.

Sister and I attempted Training Level B.  Although the score wasn't awful (56.87), we were 6th and Sister resisted every step of the way - very fussy in the bridle.  Lee Ann said:  nice energy but needs to be softer and more supple.  Yes.  Then, I switched to Splash with very little warm up (Kathy B had worked him for me because my ride on Sister and Splash had one ride between).  We placed 2nd (64.5) in Intro C and 2nd (60.0) in

 Training 1.  Really pretty good considering the year he had off recovering from injury last May.  Judge LA said:  nice free-moving horse; work on connection in/out of canter and keep hands closer together to help connection.

After my rides, I manned the paddock and was reader. 

A lovely, serene ending to the day. 

It didn't start out that way at all.  We arrived 3 hours before ride times so that the girls could help in the concession stand over lunch and so I could lunge Sister and Splash without a rush.  After checking in, I groomed/saddled both and headed to the arena to work Sister.  She was very good on the lunge and I had high hopes because she had been good at the District show.  While I was working her, a crisis at the trailer.  I raced back to discover Pico cowering under the big district blue ribbon - Alaina had decorated hi
m and left him to the vicious attack of a big blue ribbon flapping around his neck in the breeze.

I rescued him and finished with Sister's lunging. 

Next up, Splash.  All was well until another runner brings news of chaos at the trailer - AGAIN.  Pico spazzed out when a white bag blew by and broke the halter rope.  Marilyn caught and tied him back up and I went back to finish the lunging extravaganza.  Yikkes.  So, Splash is lunging nicely when, suddenly, he bolts away and rips the lunge line from my hands.  Blasts around the outdoor, into the covered (luckily, no test in progress since the show was on break), charges around and then back out for more charging until captured.  Completed lunging wondering what had caused "that" and thinking two shows in one weekend is a bad idea.  Turns out, there was bucking behind me that started the whole thing.  Got in trouble for having a bad horse (or two).

After 2 days of showing, Alaina wanted to work Sunny on some trail obsticles Sunday evening.  I wanted to lay on the couch.

I guess we survived, but I am really ready for serious equine therapy with my wonderful YaYa Sisters - if they will still ride with me.  Please?

2 comments:

  1. What state are you gals in? This blog is loaded with all kinds of horsie fun. You go, girls. GREAT BLOG!
    Marsha Hubler, author of the Keystone Stables books
    http://horsefactsbymarshahubler.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/todays-horse-facts-marshas-third-horse/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Marsha - we are in Northeastern Oklahoma. I will have to go check you out. Keep riding. c

    ReplyDelete