Inbetween cantering up hills, schooling at every given chance and getting as much winter coat out as I can I also decided to go out and do a music class this weekend to give us a pre regionals warm
up!
My test time was rather quite late for what I'm usually used to and I found it bizarre not leaving at 8am to go off competing. Instead I didn't need to leave the yard until 3ish to compete at 5:20.
I arrived at the venue with plenty of time to spare and tried a new warm up plan of getting on an hour before my test, walking for half an hour and then picking him up and warming up properly for half an hour.
Taking our schooling slow at home and spending lots of time in walk doing transitions, leg yield and shoulder fore has worked a treat, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to try the plan when out competing.
Luckily the warm up wasn't too busy outdoors as lots of people were warming up indoors away from the weather threatening to rain which worked in my favour. The minute I got on Ceaser felt like he was giving everything his all. The moment I picked up trot I knew I was going to have a god ride. He was responsive, his transitions were spot on and he didn't need much encouragement to do some lovely leg yielding steps on both reins for me.
My instructor and I have really been working hard on making sure he doesn't take a hold of the left rein and fall trough the right shoulder, so I paid lots of attention to getting him to take both reins and work through and from behind.
The canter work was fantastic and our medium trots felt powerful and didn't need much asking for. In all honesty I was smiling from ear to ear and that was before we had gone in the ring!
Soon enough it was our time to go and I knew it was a decent class with some tough competition in. My instructors words from the day before rang in my ear that I just needed to go and enjoy myself and have a confidence boosting round, rather than push myself and him.
I paid special attention to not rushing, which is easier in the music as I've worked out now where my transitions need to come in the music and to which beat - which helps!
As I started my canter work I found myself smiling and enjoying every second of it, more so as we trotted up the centre line for the final time and I knew it had felt like the best test we had done in a while.
The score was irrelevant at this point. I had gotten the feeling that things were finally starting to come together and it was the best ride I'd had on him in a long time apart from during lessons.
I popped him back on the box and clicked online on my mobile to check the scores and couldn't believe my eyes to see he had won the restricted section with 68.61% but was also 2% infront of second place and would have been second in the open section which had some fantastic combinations in! The comments from the judge were very confidence boosting and I now feel as ready as I'll ever be for the Inter-Regionals!
I'm sure you'll also agree Ceaser looked stunning covered in Carr & Day & Martins Canter Coat Shine and Tea Tree Hoof Oil!
Wish us luck!
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