Dressage Championships

Last weekend saw Ceaser and I heading to Boston for the Tack & Togs Championships, which I had qualified for months earlier but completely forgotten about. After the usual, "Do I, Don't I?" scenario when it came to entering I decided to man up and just do it. It's not the championship setting I don't like, it's remembering my tests - and stupid as it may sound, it petrifies me having to remember them. I know, I really should get over it.

The championships was set over two days, so I had a test to ride on the Sunday and then the same test again on the Monday. Depending on our placings we were given marks, from 1st gaining 10 points, down to 10th place gaining 1 point. The person with the highest marks over the two days won the championship.

Sunday went well - Overall I think I was most nervous about Sunday. I was riding Prelim 17 first thing - a test I had never ridden before. Our warm up went well. Again I suffered the "the warm up is too busy" nerves which always seem to hit me when the warm up is swarming, but I just tried to keep everything steady and stay out of peoples way. Lets face it, they were bigger than me!

The judge was one I had never heard of before so was quite looking forward to being judged by someone new, which is what I have wanted for so long now, just to get a different perspective on Ceaser. They were reading scores over the speakers and everything was online within seconds because it was a championship, so it was a little nerve-wracking hearing how well others had done whilst I was trotting around the arena. There was some good scores and I was adamant we wouldn't fair well against them.

Overall the test went nicely. To be critical I rushed it again, but maybe one day i'll get in that arena, slow down and breathe. For now, maybe not.

As we headed back to the lorry to untack Ceaser and wait for Amy who was coming to help me warm up for the Championship class later on I had a quick flick on my phone to see if the scores were up. I honestly could not believe my eyes, we were leading the class with 70.38%! Unfortunately the last rider pipped me to the post with 73%, but I was still over the moon with that - what a score! Once I got my sheet I honestly could have fainted, there, standing out like a sore thumb was three 8's and a NINE!! A 9 on a double pointer….!! Lots of big pats for CP and on to concentrate on my second test.

Before warming up for the next test, Amy and I went down to the arena where she wanted me to focus on imagining where and how I would ride the test. She told me to go in that arena and not be sorry for being there, but to aim for that red rosette and ride like I wanted it. She then also got me to talk through the test, explaining what I would do within each movement, what I needed to ensure he was doing and how I could gain 8's.

When warming up for my second we then focused a lot on doing lots of transitions within the paces, so lots of trot to walk, walk to trot and then collecting and lengthening the trot and canter. It worked quite well and I felt I had him more than the morning so was quite confident.

All too soon it was my name being called and Amy and Mark took their place in the seating area. This was it. Being critical I rushed again, but I was really pleased with myself for remembering the test and having the balls to come out and do it - which 12 months ago I wouldn't have had because of my self confidence. Overall I was pleased with how it went and thought just under 67% was a fair score, which put us into 8th place.

*

Monday saw an even earlier start for us as my first test was at 9am and the next at 9:30! However it worked out that the earlier the start, the more chance I had of the warm up being empty. I tried to remember everything Amy had said and put it into practice. I visualised where I wanted to be, what I wanted to do and what marks I wanted to gain from that movement. Judge who was judging hasn't always given us great marks, so was quite sceptical of what we would get. I just knew I needed to ride it like the day before and we would be fine.

It felt much nicer than the day before as I made a big point of half halting and slowing down when needed, using my corners to my advantage and generally remembering to breathe and enjoy being there. Quick check of my phone once I had dismounted and was thrilled to see another 70.38% on our results - the exact same score as the day before, but this time with higher collectives for my riding! With two great scores like that under our belt we had definitely qualified for regionals - so I had every reason to celebrate.

With barely any time until my next time I took Ceaser back into the warm up which was becoming busy now. Again I focused on transitions in the paces and tried to get him just to lift a little so he was working more from behind. Once again it was my turn all too quickly and Mark took his place in the seating area. I made a big point this time of just slowing down, which really seemed to have an effect. The test felt much slower, more together and generally better. I was really disappointed that Ceaser dropped off my leg a little in the canter transition so just backed off a little - however once he realised what I was asking he switched back on for the rest of the test. I must work on slowing down, but keeping him with me and active.

Unfortunately judge wasn't over impressed and gave us just short of 65%. Very harsh marker I thought - and not just on my behalf but also other tests I watched seemed to get harsh marks. We were all roughly in the same region and I was left in 10th place after this.

Overall was thrilled with Ceaser - took him home and put him in the field. Couldn't believe it when I phoned Sheepgate to see where we had been placed and they said 10th and we needed to come back for prize-giving! Was absolutely chuffed to bits. With roughly 25 entrants in the class I didn't expect a placing, but 1st-10th were asked to attend, so we rushed back.

Couldn't have asked for anything more from Ceaser and it was a learning curve for both of us. Our success of late is making me strive for me and I don't want to stop yet. This weekend we're at the BD Senior camp where I'm hoping we'll pick up lots of handy tips and then it's time to give the debut of our Dressage to Music floor plan - but more on that another time.

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It's a long way...

With the sad, sad news that Elms Farm shows were all cancelled immediate affect I was at a loss with where we would go competing now that Ceaser would be as relaxed as he usually is there. Thankfully news has spread that it is reopening with new management so I can breathe a sigh of relief. However, that didn't solve my problem of needing a venue to rack up some points for qualifying for regionals at Prelim.

So, after much deliberation Mark and I decided to head to Port Royal on bank holiday Monday in an attempt to try somewhere new. Talking to everyone we didn't think it would too much of a trek, but just incase we left at 7am, ready for my first test at 9:28 - thinking that would be plenty.

We watched the time ticking by as we were driving and soon realised we were going to be very late and there was nothing we could do. Finally we arrived at 9:15 and as soon as the engine was off it was all system go to tack up in time ready to make the first class. Thankfully Mark and I have our responsibilities fine tuned when we're out competing. He took off bandages, took out Ceaser's tail plait, passed me tack and I tacked up, hopped on and wandered off in search of the warm up arena with exactly 6 minutes until I was due in.

Unfortunately this left me no room for working on the warm up Amy and I had planned, so I had a quick trot and canter on both reins and simply hoped for the best. What more could I do, Ceaser hadn't ever been to this venue before so I was just thankful he wasn't too spooky at things. He entered the arena like a diamond and didn't even bat an eye lid. Clever pony!

The test went okay - and as much okay as it could have without a warm up. As soon as I had saluted and was walking out the arena Ceaser spooked at the bricks holding the white boards down. I can imagine he had been waiting to do that the whole test, bless him! Okay score of 65%, but comments reflected our lack of warm up and I know we could have been more supple. Oh well, couldn't be helped.

Next up, long arena test, Prelim 19. This time I had, had 30 minutes to warm up and do things "properly" thank the lord! Everything was going fantastic, until it was time to circle 20 metres at C. I had misheard Mark and thought he said B, but soon realised he had actually said C, so just made my circle a little bigger. Judge penalised me for it and beeped her horn just as we rejoined the track at E. Ceaser slammed to a halt wondering what the hell was going on and almost did a sliding stop. Judge got out her car to say I had circled wrong - tried to explain I had corrected myself with just a big circle, but nonetheless was still given 2 penalty marks. Oh well, we lived to see another day.

Still really pleased with our mark, but kicked myself after realising without those 2 penalty marks we would have been near enough hitting 70% and won the class. Bugger; so ended up on 68%.

So, all in all it was a bit of an eventful day, but we're still smiling so that's all that counts!

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Dressage, training and general hectic times!

Blimey, I hadn't realised it had been that long since I blogged. Things have been hectic here and time seems to pass me by so quickly that before long it's been a month and I haven't posted on here. I'll try to fill you in with everything that has happened, but to be quite honest its so much I may miss some things out!

Before I start, I want introduce you to my summer project who comes in the form of a dapple grey Connemara cross called Ziggy. Ziggy is about 4-years-old and 14.3hh. He has a lot of filling out to do and I can't wait to see what he looks like once he's muscled up and has had some feed down him! He's very nervous of people and came to us petrified of mounting blocks and people standing next to him. He is very wary of what your hands are doing and it is suspected he has been hit somewhere down the line of his short life. When you sit on him he is fine but then all of a sudden panics. Already, in just 2 weeks of owning him he has come on leaps and bounds. I can now sit on him - without moving - and he isn't scared of mounting blocks anymore, nor me jumping on and off them! The future for this boy looks really bright and I'm sure you'll agree he has the kindest eyes.

Next up is the Ceaser news. I made the decision to take him to do a Novice and Elementary test at unaffiliated a couple of weeks ago. It would be our first unaffiliated test for a while as I simply wanted to see what our scores would be like. The warm up went brilliant and he was doing everything I asked, however as before at this venue, as soon as we went in to do our test he tensed up, rushed, I kicked on too much and everything just went rather too quickly! With two scores in the region of 65-67% I was pleased but a little confused as we've gotten higher than this at affiliated several times. The judge kindly gave me some feedback afterwards and said I need to slow down to allow his hind legs to come underneath him to work correctly. Feedback in my head, I went home and practiced like my life depended on it for the week. I concentrated on slowing everything down and allowing him to work from behind more, ready for going to Elms Farm to do two Novices at affiliated again the following week.

The warm up was great and he was really switched on. Felt slightly he was enjoying showing off as two young girls had declared their love for him before it was our turn to go and do our test. Lots of pats, scratches and comments like "he is gorgeous, can I have him?" later, he was well and truly in the 'I know I'm handsome' frame of mind. I'm seriously sure he knows when he has an audience! Anyway, first Novice went really well. Everything felt much calmer and change of venue helped, which is odd and he used to not go so well at this venue, but now seems to prefer it to all the rest. He pulled out a lovely 67% test with same judge as the previous week so really thrilled she saw an improvement. I think it was the final score we needed in order to qualify for Regionals and Novice level, so I am over the moon and hoping these calculations are correct! Second test went just as well and I am so sure now he prefers the long arena tests, with much more to focus on and more movements. Change of judge and we got just short of 66% which was great AND an 8 for our halt! Now that has never happened before.

What was even better is we WON both our tests! Definitely a happy Mummy that day!

We have quite a lot coming up now and for the next couple of weeks the plan is to drop back down to Prelim to try and qualify for Regionals at that level too. At the beginning of May I have a BYRDS squad training day and then senior camp the following week which I am really looking forward to! Especially as one of the instructors for the weekend is my instructor from university! It will be great to see her. I'm not too sure if we'll qualify for Regionals in prelim or not as he seems to be getting higher scores for Novices at the moment. We shall see!

Things have been hectic at the yard since becoming a Pony Club Centre. We've had in-house dressage competitions, the rallies and lots more. I've got a really good feeling about 2014 and I just can't wait to see what else it holds.

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BD Elementary debut - a good weekend!

After a small confidence knock in the previous weeks test I needed something to lift me back to cloud nine and what better way than to go out and attempt our first affiliated Elementary test.

I knew I would't get much time to ride during the week because of a hectic week with work and then I was filming and interviewing Saturday in Leicester so it was a big risk booking in for our first Elementary. My logic behind the madness was compared to the previous week I wouldn't get the opportunity to ride and over think things, so maybe little practice was what I needed.

I have no idea if it was the weather or the different venue, but Ceaser warmed up 1000 times better. He was much more relaxed, willing and forward. Every movement I asked for I got. I started by warming up on a long rein, then slowly increasing the pressure and asking for some shoulder in and traver on both reins. To get him stepping through and working from behind I applied what Tracey had said the previous week. So, I slowed down, almost "grabbed" his hind leg with my outside right leg, lifted my hands and asked him to come up a little more to get that more uphill feeling and appearance. When I felt I had got it I started to work on the counter canter which Amy feels really helps to give him that "lift". I love the feeling I get from his medium trot once we've done some counter canter - it's like something clicks and everything feels amazing once I have 'got it'.

My times were only roughly 25 minutes apart which I think suites Ceaser better than a large break where I have time to untack. Novice 34 was up first and we finished on 65%. The medium trot didn't feel good enough and our scores reflected this. I can't remember the precise movement which came up before the medium, but instead of using the corner properly and preparing for it I rushed. Complete rider error and had I set him up better we probably would have got something more worthy. However overall I was pleased with the result and I know we still have more work to do on getting him uphill but we're getting there. We had some lovely comments as we were leaving the arena from spectators which was nice and really positive.

Next up was Elementary 42; a test we have ridden a few times at unaffiliated, but never at affiliated. I felt it was a nice way to break us into the affiliated Elementary's with something I was familiar with. The mediums felt better this time, although I don't feel he is strong enough to change the rein in medium trot yet. From my point of view he's right there with showing some medium trot strides, but we tend to lose balance at the end if I'm not careful so this test was very testing of whether I could keep him between my hand and legs to stop him from running. Our medium canters were spot on and I felt the lift on both reins from working to medium canter. The powerful feeling he gives when he really starts to use his backend properly is amazing - I'll never grow tired of it. I feel we were judged fairly and went on to score a respectable 63%. I was over the moon as it was an achievement to go out and do an affiliated Elementary test for me. A mere 12 months ago we were only thinking of doing affiliated prelims, now I feel there's no stopping us. Really, really pleased with him as if my calculations are right we have roughly 20 something BD points now and must be almost (if not already) qualified for regionals. To say we had 0 BD points in January, I don't think we have done too badly!

This week has been spent jumping as I have promised to take one of the liveries to a cross country event. I think Ceaser has secretly enjoyed a change as he has been flying over the jumps and enjoying an excuse to lift all four feet of the ground!

Our next BD event is in a couple of weeks time and until then we have a number of lessons and clinics booked in. I am thrilled to say my place on the senior camp in May has been confirmed too! One of the instructors for the weekend is my riding instructor from University who has heard so much about Ceaser but never met him - so I cannot wait to see what she has to say about him! I've told him he has to be on his best behaviour!

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Neigh Nomination #

A couple of weeks ago a simple hashtag took over the Equestrian world. That hashtag is Neigh Nomination. A chance for all Facebook users who are involved within the equestrian world one way or another to post about their horse(s) of a lifetime. But why keep it to Facebook? I thought I would share mine on here!

Sara: The pony that I grew up with, shared all my childhood secrets with and the pony that allowed me to create memories with my Granddad I will never forget. The Pony who taught me to sit to a buck because she simply loved to use two feet instead of four! Sara taught me if you don't have enough leg on before a fence don't expect the pony to go over. I have two broken arm x-rays in my hospital records to prove that. She gave me my first experience of a hospital stay after breaking my arm so badly I had to have it pulled straight. She taught me to ride for my life and if I did she'd be right there with me. The pony that was given to me as a present and showed me to way into the competition circuit. We won every Handy Pony class we entered, we won almost every Workers class we entered and she took me right up to County Level.

 The pony that frustrated me many of times as a child because she wasn't the cuddly type - in fact she was a moody mare that liked to do her own thing. The only pony I have ever jumped 3ft 6 on - and probably the only equine I will ever do it on because she I trust her with my life. The pony that gave me my love for Gymkhana games - she would get so wound up at the starting line she'd start behind everyone else because she was too busy bucking, but she soon caught up and we went on to win various trophies in games classes. The pony that threw me off a total of 5 times at my first ever show, but soon gave me confidence to believe she could jump the moon. The pony that took me to my first hunt - and bucked her way around - the Pony that would stop in the middle of EVERY dressage test to go to the toilet. The pony that took me to my first Cross-Country event. Sara is the pony that taught me if you sit on your bum and ride forward there is no stopping you but most importantly she has always been my best friend through school.

 Ceaser: The pony that came to me a spindly, gangly 3-year-old having been rescued with a whole bunch of other horses. The pony that would barge, drag and stand on my tiny toes more times than anyone could count. The pony that was described by vets at age 10 as having "serious behavioural issues" and the Pony that would simply stand on his two hind legs, with his front legs over the stable door just so he could see out. The Pony that when I got my confidence back enough to ride him showed me deep down and underneath all the hair there was something special. The pony that taught me to sit an even bigger buck, this time with a rear thrown in after it and showed me all over again, if you don't have enough leg into a fence you simply aren't going over it and that's a fact! The Pony that soon taught me patience is virtue and if you have enough time to preserver then it all becomes worth it. The Pony that gave me my first success in a dressage test. The Pony that has the heart of a lion and proves that no two days of owning a pony are the same.

Ceaser is the once-in-a-lifetime Pony that has taken me right from unaffiliated prelim level Dressage to affiliated Elementary - and we aren't stopping there. The Pony that when he jumps it feels like you're capable of flying and that moment could last forever. The Pony that loves to have a camera in his face, just so he can do the whole 'nod his head, blink his eyes and prick his ears forward' so the photographer catches him. The Pony that gave me my first ever experience of galloping under a spotlight after coming 3rd in a huge Veteran championship class. The Pony that tries his hardest every time we enter that arena at A, and then tries some more. Ceaser gave me my first ever ride at an Area Festival but is also the Pony that taught me to sit deep, ride forward and react quick if he bucks, rears or decides something is spooky. Without a doubt I owe it to him for my sticky bum and quick reflexes when it comes to riding naughty little ponies. He never fails to please and is simply the Pony that every kid needs.

Dougie: The Pony that gave me my first ever experience of riding a Dressage Pony. The Pony that taught me what it's like to ride something that worked in a natural outline and had the heart of gold. The Pony that was purchased to build my confidence up after some horrible falls and the one that got me back jumping and enjoying it. The Pony that got me told off for over-taking the hunt master at a local hunt - despite having no choice! The Pony that gave kisses upon command and loved his owner to the moon and back. The Pony that taught me to see a stride, but also the Pony that hated sharing his food so put me in hospital with a rather large hoof print on my head! The Pony that knew if you were a confident rider or not and depending which one his attitude and mood would change. The Pony that was difficult for everyone else but easy for me.

Dougie was the Pony that taught me no matter how hard and long you held onto the lead rope for, he'd still always run off and he didn't mind if you were skiing behind him. Dougie was the Pony that we fought so hard to save but sadly broke my heart when I had to have him put to sleep in March 2013. The first Pony I had to make the awful decision with and the first Pony to make me be aware of what responsibilities come with being an adult. The Pony that I owe all my confidence to - the Pony that should still be here.



Do your #NeighNomination now :)

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When the going gets tough..

Phew - what a weekend it has been. My muscles are still screaming out at me that it was a tough weekend so I doubt I am about to forget it any time soon.

For those who are avid readers of my blog will already know I try to go for a lesson with Tracey Woodhead over in Grimsby at least once a month. It's great to get feedback from both her and Amy about Ceaser and I and get an insight into different tips on how to get the very best from him. Quite honestly they both usually say the same, which is always a good thing!

Before - warming up

Mark was booked in to work Saturday early evening at a gig it meant we could go for a lesson with Tracey, but it had to be early. So, this resulted in our alarms set for 7am on Saturday and us both reluctant to move from our warm, comfy bed. But, no pain, no gain and I intend to have a blooming good year. By 8:30 we were on the road and on our way.

Tracey was running slightly behind schedule so she told us to go for a walk around the park and have a think about what I wanted to go through. I already knew what I wanted to work on and was really looking forward to telling her about our recent scores at Novice which she had encouraged me to go out and do.

As usual she told me to do a quick, simple warm up and then tell her what aims I had for the lesson. I explained I wanted to get the understanding and feeling of Ceaser working more uphill. Whilst I know what I'm looking for I am so used to him not working like that for all these years, that I wanted to know just when he was right and what it felt like. I also explained that Amy wanted me to go and do an Elementary soon, so I wanted to prepare for this.

Tracey said she had noticed Ceaser has a tendency to not use his right hind like he does his left and we needed to correct this. She also said I was slouching a little and my left arm (we call it my spazzy hand at home!) sticks out - something I hadn't noticed until now! She also thinks with his right hind and my left arm it's causing him to nod a little which is losing us marks occasionally. She said once he works correctly, I sit evenly and his right is working correctly and underneath him he stops nodding.

After - the difference is amazing!

So, we focused a lot on getting me to sit up, shorten my reins - which Tracey thinks is something I need to do - and slow the trot down. She said it's almost like waiting for his hind leg to catch up, catching it, then taking a hold and then asking him to work more uphill. She also said I have to stop carrying him round and let him carry himself correctly, so we focused a lot on getting him where I wanted him and then letting go of the contact a little and letting him do the work. She said I need to keep my left hand next to his neck, with both hands raised more than usual and be very wary that my left elbow doesn't stick out. She also said if I sit up more it will help him work correctly.  Additionally I need to keep my right leg on to encourage his right hind to come underneath him more, which once I had got myself sorted it did. The difference was amazing and I can see what she means when I look at the photos Mark first took and then the photos he took towards the end. I will try to post a before and after shot.

Like Amy, Tracey feels lots of counter canter will help him and once I have done this the medium trot feels much more powerful. Once Tracey had got us just where she wanted us she asked me to try lengthening and shortening his strides so asking for the medium, then back to collected. I couldn't believe the medium trot after this and the power I felt I had underneath me. I didn't realise some simple exercised like Tracey had been getting us to do could benefit his medium so much! What a difference!

All too soon the session was over again and Tracey commented on how well he looks and encouraged me to follow Amy's advice of doing an Elementary as there is no reason he couldn't be scoring 8's looking at the work he had done today. Although, more importantly she said "Do you know what Sian, he really loves his job". Which to me, is a comment worth a thousand "He could score 8's."

*


Sunday saw Mark and I moaning again as our alarms went off at 7am. This time it was to go competing and probably wasn't the best idea after two lessons the day before. My whole body screamed in pain as I got out of bed!

I was booked in to do Prelim 19 and Novice 38, two long arena tests. Ideally I needed to get a good Prelim score as so far to date my Novices have been by far better than my Prelims - how that works I don't know, but I'm not complaining!

Sadly, I didn't feel quite up to it and I think this really reflected in my riding. I was tired, achey, felt run down and which ever leg I moved screamed at me that it hurt and Ceaser didn't quite feel as supple as he did the day before - so I am sure he ached too! However, he did an obedient Prelim 19 test and it was accurate, not rushed, steady and although he was slow off my leg at one canter transition he was great. Sadly the judge didn't think so and gave him a rather harsh 65% which just didn't figure as it rode much nicer than that.

With a long break until our next test, Novice 38 I decided to take some tablets, have some food and try to liven myself up a little. I toyed with going home as it felt like both of us were just not up to it, but I am not one for giving up, so I carried on. Wanting to give us a fairer chance for this test I popped the massage pad on full for 30 minutes and then got on an hour before our time and allowed him to do 20 minutes walking on a long rein to loosen up. This seemed to help and he felt much better than he had in the morning. However everything I had gone through in my lesson on him the day before and the lesson I had on Amy's horse in the afternoon was just going round and around in my head and I was over thinking things far too much.

Our time came for Novice and I was determined to ride a nice test. His counter canter was spot on and his mediums felt fantastic - much better than what they did a mere 6 months ago. Everything was accurate and spot on from what I could tell. I did make a slight silly rider error and circled near E rather than at V so I did a rather large 15 metre circle. However (and this leaves a lot to consider about what the judges thought to us yesterday) oddly enough on my test it said "Circle too small". I have no idea where she was looking but it was too big and not in the right place, but still…. I say no more!

Anyway, we were given a fair 67% for this and although it wasn't the 68% we gained in our last Novice test I thought it was fair. I think potentially where I wouldn't class the day as a bad day, I just don't think my heart was in it as much as it should have been as I just didn't feel all too well. The venue kindly gave me my test sheet back and I said I would check for my placings later on in the evening. I took Ceaser home, gave him a brush down, put him to bed, fed etc and then was in bed myself by 4pm and woke up at 7 ready for dinner feeling slightly better. I think I just needed some sleep and probably exhausted myself the day before.

So, the plan now is to go out again this weekend and try to not over think things before I get on. I am working Saturday so I will not have the chance to ride the day before, which probably isn't a bad thing. I just now can't decide whether to do a Novice and an Elementary or two Novices. Maybe because my Novice scores are better than Prelims, I should try that Elementary after all…. I will let you know!

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