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?

Dressage at the Rocking C

The Remember September 11th Show at the Rocking C included 2 tribute rides - one for the heros of 9-11 and the other for our military.  Patty rode Dante and Marilyn rode Willy and a moment of silence was observed.  See some great photos at the OSD/GCC website (Jeanie's Photos). 

I had our earliest ride time at 8:45 for my First-1 test on Pico and we scored a 63 along with high-point.  Ivy and Ruthie both rode Pico in training level tests in the morning - Pico was a good boy - we were finished riding him before the dreaded Pirates started warming up for the drill exhibition.  Ivy recieved 2 red ribbons and Ruthie had 7's for impulsion and gaits!  After lunch, Alaina rode Sunny in both Intro tests - she really did well and they recieved their best scores to date and 2-3rd place ribbons.  It is hard to ride that western pony since Sunny has taken all the recent training in SLOW to heart.  I didn't ride Splash because after a couple of weeks of sound work (very light work), he was off again on Labor Day. 

Christiana and Zoe escaped the dance frenzy and got to ride at the show - both were awsome with at least 2 blue ribbons to show.  Christiana rode both Oreo and Arde - Arde is coming along looking more steady and Oreo had a wonderful first show.  Kathy and Call had good rides too - taking Ameture Training Level High-Point.  Marsha got judges comments for Lakota that included gushing praise for trot-work.  Shannean and Jurgen recieved a blue ribbon for the walk/trot equitation class and Jessie looked great on Denali in their coordinating pad, shirt and horse-hat.

The Rogers County Fair is next weekend - we will work the speed events on Thursday evening, then show Sat. morning (10am) halter/showmanship; Sat. afternoon (2:00pm) horse show; Sun. morning (noon) fun show; and will help with Cloverbuds Sun. afternoon (2:00pm).  So, come and join us.  There will be an adult ride night on Tuesday evening.  With 4-H on Monday night and fair entries due on Wed., every night is booked up.  The fair will be fun but I sure hope YaYa's can get together next week and that the weather will continue to be cool.

YaYa's in Summer

It was to hot to ride - what's a yaya to do? Get together!  My sweet YaYa Sisters gathered at Rita's last Wed evening and we had wonderful food and fun for my birthday season.  I am sure I don't look any older - don't look any younger either.  Rita made homemade Peach ice cream and Sherry baked bread pudding and we had fruit salad, fruit crisp, Waldorf salad, taco rolls and taco salad, wine and peach ice tea, and more....  And we considered how long it will be until we ride again in the cool of fall.  That's to long!

Balloons landed in fields north and west of the Wild O Ranch on Friday morning and caused the resident horses to careen around the pasture in wild formation.  No horses were harmed during the photoshoot....

Tuesday evening Shannean come over to try to get a little more jumping video and Pico was his freako self.  Then Fri morning Ruthie came to warm up for the show on Sat. and Pico was more freako - could have been the balloons....  I rode him a bit too and had to manhandle him past C and the very scary cavallettie and tall grass.  And he was sooooo good at Rita's jumping last weekend. 

Then, off to Prairie Lane late afternoon to have Splash for his 2nd adjustment.  After his good, short lesson last weekend, Splash was very uneven on Tuesday evening - then on Friday morning he was fine (if you don't count bad attitude).  Dr. Ennis found his right shoulder better but a new spot on the left side of his neck (likely from using different muscles after the last adjustment) and he agreed that the spot Shannean had identified on his back was sore.  Dr. E also checked my saddle fit and gave me the all clear to start regular work in the next week or so just minimizing circle work.

I was on animal care duty for the weekend since Steve and the kids were camping at Oolagah Lake.  But after handling the morning chores including chicken management, I headed to Inola with Pico and Splash for the Rocking C Dressage show.  Ruthie had Pico at 8:26 in T1 and Pico was spooky on both sides of M and just north of C.  Soooo, during her T4 ride at 9:54, Splash and I stood in the doorway between C and M - magic!  Pico was good and Ruthie had a lovely ride.  10:24 and Pico and I were mounting for our first ride - T4.  Ominous drum roll.....  the pirates were gathering for the exhibition drill team ride and Pico had the first of about 100 heart attacks.  Those tricorn hats along with the puffy shirts and flowing coat tails (gorgeous costumes) were MONSTERS after PICO.  So, although Pico found a way to deal with C and M (Splash in the doorway), the entire east side of the arena was now the scariest place on earth. 

The good news is:  I didn't fall OFF.  But T4 and First1 were not the harmonious dance dressage should be. Oh well, there is always next time.

Meanwhile, I will dream of improvements with Splash and of trail rides with my yaya sisters.