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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the...

SMDA Dressage Show – August 7, 2011

Sunday, August 7 was our fourth SMDA show of the year.  The judge was Bill McMullin (r).  I was happy to have a “little r” judge instead of a “learner” because I think they are better judges.  Dreamy has been going so well and I was anxious to see how we would do at First level again.  Of course, it had to rain AGAIN!  LOL!  Oh well.  At least it was not super hot, but it was a bit damp.  My young horse friend Amber came along with me, which was nice.  I usually show alone at dressage shows, so to have someone to talk to and help me out if needed was great!  She had never been to a dressage show, so it was neat to explain things to her.  And of course, she took some great pics despite the rain!

I had decided to ride Prix Caprilli again, but also do Training 3 and First 2.  It was a weird combination, but I am trying to qualify for SMDA year end awards and you need to ride a test three times to qualify, hence the reason I rode two tests that were not adjacent. 

Getting ready to ride!

We started with Training 3 and I was pleased with the ride.  I had not ridden it for a while, but I was able to memorize it and not go off course!  LOL!  I have the worst time memorizing dressage tests.  (I ought to write a product review on my dressage test apps on my iPhone….BEST way to memorize tests!!!)  We ended up with a 64.4% and a second out of nine riders!  We got 7s on our right lead canter, and a 6 and 5 on the left.  We had two 8s, one on our first centerline and of course the freewalk.  The rest was mostly 6s and 7s with one 5.  I have been getting 7s on rider position too, which is cool.  The comment was, “Some very nice walk and trot work. Canter needing more support from rider’s seat and back to maintain better engagement. Good luck!”
Warming up


Going in for Training 3

Training 3

Training 3

Next was Prix Caprilli.  I got a bit nervous because we have won this test three times already this year and I REALLY wanted to win again!  LOL!  So of course, I psyched myself out and we ended up with a rail down over the last jump.  DUH.  The test was going SUPER well, we had good jumps, great transitions, and I think I just lost my focus and let her get too close on the take off.  We even had a cool canter lead change: we had to canter between A and K, change rein at the canter over a fence diagonally at X, and then land in canter.  We cantered into the fence on the right lead and landed in the left!  WHOOO!  We had to trot to the left at M anyway, but I was proud that she actually was able to make the change.  I think it helped that we cantered in with her stronger lead.  (Funny note: my friend Amber overheard people on the rail saying things about how I was not supposed to switch leads.  Amber asked me about it since she didn’t really understand what they were talking about.  If the test had specified which lead to land on, it might have mattered.  But all it says is, “land in working canter”.  I was happy she understood how to switch leads over the fence.  Railbirds are always interesting…)

We ended up placing first DESPITE the rail down!  WHOOO!  We just got a 5 on that movement, while the rest of the test was all 7s and two 8s (first centerline and freewalk AGAIN!)  We scored a great score of 68.900% and first out of three.  Good mare!  Still undefeated after four tries at Prix Caprilli!
First jump in Prix Caprilli



This was the last fence, and as you can see from her right foreleg, we hit it down.
And last was First 2.  We had an AWESOME warm up.  She was so good, excellent canter work, prompt and straight leg yields, and her trot lengthenings felt powerful and balanced.  I was a little worried we were leaving our test in the warm up and I was right.  She was tired and perhaps I could have warmed her up a bit less.  We lost our left lead canter midway around the 15 m. circle and had to trot to rebalance.  That was a 3.  Whoops.  The rest of the test was all over the place, from a 5 on the right leg yield to a 7 on the left one.  We had a few 6s and 7s with an 8 free walk.  I knew it was not a great test, but I was still pleased with Dreamy’s effort after two previous tests.  First 2 is hard for us and I was happy with the 57.100% and a sixth place out of eight riders.  Our comment was again praising our walk and trot work but that I need to support her more for the left lead canter.  I like when the judge’s comments are spot on to what I am already working on.  It reinforces what I already know and what my instructor is telling me.  It tells me the judge knows what he is talking about!  LOL!

First 2 warm up



Waiting patiently for First 2...Dreamy looks super impressed!  LOL!

Good mare!  :-)





Trot lengthening in First 2 would be MUCH better if I were not leaning forward like a hunt rider!  ARGH!


Canter lengthening in First 2

Final halt in First 2
So we had a great show, despite the dreary weather.  We even had a cute cartoon drawn of us…there is often an older man at the SMDA warm up ring drawing gorgeous sketches of the horses.  I have seen him give cartoons to other riders, but I have never had the chance to really speak with him.  He made a point to remark positively on my mare (and told me I would win a blue….hahaha he was right!) and asked if he had ever made me a cartoon.  I thought it was very cute!



Posing with our Prix Caprilli and Training 3 ribbons...this was before we got our 6th in Frist 2 as they had not finished scoring that test yet.

Love her!
Untacking at the end of a successful day!
Thanks to Amber for taking pics!  More are here...

Comments

  1. Congrats, that's awesome! Too bad about the prix Caprilli rail, (think of what she could have gotten without that oneteensy error) but it sounds like you had a great day overall!

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