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| Um ... where is THIS trot in the dressage???!!! |
Sorry this post has taken FOREVER! I've been a bit busy and not in front of my computer. Sunday dawned clear and cold after a small rain shower Saturday night. Tiki was clean and happy and snug as a bug in his nice heavyweight blanket and his snuggly neck cover. LR took him for a little walk and he was happy and interested in his surroundings, but not silly or googly-eyed at all:) Good Muffin!
We went down to the xc course and staked out a spot to watch the Intermediate and most of the Prelim. The course seemed to be riding very well; I'd walked the Prelim coffin and was quite impressed by the sheer SIZE of it. Big wide ditch, and big logs in and out. It rode beautifully, with barely any peeks by any of the horses. I really fell in love with PP, it's such a lovely farm, and the footing couldn't have BEEN any more perfect. Saturday we'd walked the course, and without further ado, I present ... the course walk!
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| Lincoln logs; easy as pie! |
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Garden Gate, NO problem
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3, teeny coop
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| 4, little cabin I would have worried over 2 years ago:) |
5 was through the water, he was PERFECT! Even cantered through it:)
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6, the "faux ditch". He jumped this nice and big!
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| 7 was a nice little bench with a bit of a down hill landing and a long downhill gallop to 8 |
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| Cute little hedge jump; he again jumped this LOVELY |
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| A simple, solid log with a downhill straight ahead to the mushroom |
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| Mushroom was a nice 10 or so strides down then up a hill. He got a tiny deep here, but did great |
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| 11 was a cabin he's jumped many times (thanks Marty!) |
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| 12 were barrels he's pretty comfortable with by now |
13 was the ONLY jump of concern. It was a pretty big brush into the woods. It was a light to dark question, and the jump itself was a little spooky. LR was prepared to sit up, close her leg, and swish the crop if needed.
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| About 3' with the brush |
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| Up to the armpit on landing! No worries though, he was PERFECT |
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| Next was the tiny little canoe; a little wider, but very small |
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| 15 was a quick pass through the water, up to ... |
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The world's tiniest log
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| a little palisade that he jumped well, finishing with ... |
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| A planter that seemed WAY smaller than the one at May-Daze;) |
He didn't hesitate, overjump, or otherwise act silly. He marched around picture perfect, according RIGHT to plan, and LR got to feel how lovely he is over the solid stuff. She wore my watch to keep an eye on time so he didn't incur any speed faults, and managed to keep a good and even rhythm and finished well within optimum time. Another double clear moved them up 4 more spots to finish in 10th. Not too shabby! I'm SO proud of both of them, it was a GREAT weekend! Tiki has grown up to be such a big man, and he's learned his job so nicely.
I've made a crucial decision ... I'm 100% going to May Daze again. AND ... moving up again. We're going to go for Training. No reason not to! He can handle a trakehner, he can handle a coffin, he can handle big and wide and gallopy. I've watched a few helmet cams from T, and I don't see anything he can't handle with grace. We will work on our dressage, we'll go schooling one more time, and I will make it to where I've always hoped we COULD. Exciting times!:)
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| Such a big boy:D |
Who hoo!! What an adorable course. Was this BN or Novice? The courses in the states seem a lot smaller than we find here... I find it very interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou guys will have a blast at Training!!
It was BN. Very nice course; had some tough questions for the green horse or rider, but VERY rideable. Not soft at all, but also not completely maxed out.
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