Throughout the past few weeks I have been working quite hard on improving in the areas we lost marks in last season. Usually it was the canter and walk which were the two worst areas, whereas our trot was always scoring 7's and 8's.So, over the summer whilst showing (also successfully) I have been working on collecting his canter a lot more, getting him to sit back on his hocks as well as working from behind. He also needed to not rush, as this tended to cause downward transitions to look messy at times.
As well this, often I found myself getting the dressage arena and rushing rather than taking my time and concentrating on performing to the best of our ability.
On Saturday we arrived in plenty of time and having read over my tests on the way, I decided to take the time to watch a few others ride their tests. Usually I don't do this and hate watching others as it makes me compare my test to theirs whilst I'm riding.
I left myself forty minutes to warm up, which in hindsight still probably wasn't still quite enough, but was more than I had allowed last season. At this venue I can almost always guarantee that Ceaser doesn't warm up as well as he rides in the actual test. Their outdoor arena is situated right next to the car park and I often find him watching what the other horses are doing whilst I'm warming up rather than concentrating on the job in question!
He began to warm up really well and was very responsive. However when I asked for the first canter he bucked, farted, had a bronc and tried to shoot down the diagonal. So, I asked him to do a few trot to walk and walk to trot transitions to get him listening and then asked for the canter again. This time he was a lot better and cantered as soon as I asked without a few heated moments. One thing about Ceaser is, he will always normally have a "I don't want to" few moments, but then goes on to work lovely; and this is just what he did.All too soon we were being called in to ride our Prelim test and as he hadn't been in an indoor arena for a good few weeks he was a little tense upon entering and kept going above the bit. However, luckily you are able to ride round the arena for a few times before the bell goes. This gave me chance to ride him past the busy cafe and seating area, which helped tremendously. After a few goes round he settled and started to work on the bit again.
The bell went and after an absolutely dead straight entrance at A, our whole test went past in a rather lovely blur. It all felt like it went well in the right places and the free walk was a lot more active. One of the downward transitions required you to trot just after X on the diagonal and we trotted just before but that was honestly the only minor blip. For the first time in a while I was happy with how our test had gone and Ceaser felt a lot more steady in the canter and to be working through his back end a lot better.
I was absolutely thrilled to find we received 2nd place with a fantastic 66.40%, just 0.4% behind the winner, which was a big 16.2hh. With 14 entered in the class I didn't expect such a high placing! Ceaser was one of the smallest in the class and the winner made him look like a shetland so I was more than happy with 2nd place.
Next up was the Novice 30 test. I had never ridden this test before, not even practiced. In fact I never practice my dressage tests before I ride them as I believe it can end up getting you worked up if there is a particular movement you are finding difficult. In stead I read through the test when I am booking in for it and then do not read it again until a day before the competition and then on the day. I find this works for me and I am happy to keep doing it. Some laugh and say I am absolutely disorganised not practicing my tests, but I prefer it that way. Last winter I was prepared to go in a class but just the week before was struggling with a movement so changed my test. Since then I vowed never to do that again, and just deal with it.
The Novice 30 test had a walk to canter transition in the place that Ceaser for some reason never obliges! As well as this it had a canter-trot-canter transition which allowed only one stride of trot. Despite being complex I practiced them (for the first time, I add) in the warm up and although he was getting stronger by the minute tried not to get worked up and just go with the flow.This test felt a little more hurried in the canter to me but obviously didn't show - or I sat through it and smiled in the right places - as the judge still gave us 7's for all of our canters. The difficult transitions were also given 7's which I was more than happy with. Unfortunately we got a couple of 6's for our walk as they weren't as active as the previous test, but I thought the comments were more than fair. The whole test again felt so much more improved than our previous season competing and there was no area I could fault.
You can imagine my delight at coming 2nd again (behind the same horse as the Prelim test) with 65.38%, just exactly 1% lower than the winner; the big 16.2hh. Being the only pony competing in the Novice test against 8 other horses I was more than thrilled with my result and just goes to show that cobs can do dressage and CAN compete against the big warmblood types successfully. As well as this we qualified for the UK riders challenge in both classes. I like getting qualifications under our belt early on in the season as it takes the pressure off a little.
The comments on both test sheets confirmed for me, the areas that I feel do still need working on. At times Ceaser gets a little tense and this reflects dramatically on his way of going, but as it is happening less and less in tests I have absolutely no doubts we are heading in the right direction. It also never happens in showing, so it only confirms for me that whilst I get more tense in dressage it shows in his movements. So, as well as working on him, I will be working on my self.
I have my next outing planned and am really looking forward to the up and coming dressage season. I have lots more affiliated events planned than last year and I cannot wait to see whats in store for us.
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