A dream come true?

I have some very exciting news to share on this Blog post. I have had one of the most fantastic weekends to date and am still very much on cloud nine!
I am sure many of you aware by now that Ceaser has been having some trouble with mud fever recently. I am not sure where it has came from or how he has got it as he is hardly ever allowed to stay in a muddy field and is usually wrapped up if its wet and muddy. Much to our annoyance though he got mud fever and has had a swollen leg for two weeks. He hasn't been lame or doesn't seem to be having any problems with that particular leg, but as a precautionary thing I called the vet up and they prescribed me some antibiotics over the phone. Luckily Ceaser finished them by Friday and I was able to go ahead today with competing in our first ever affiliated dressage test. More on that later..

On Saturday I had arranged for my sponsor to bring her Equilbrium massage pad to the yard so I could give Ceaser a massage session. This is something I want to do on a regular basis now and my sponsor is hiring her pad out to me for a fantastic price. Hopefully this will make a difference to Ceasers way of going, and I look forward to noticing the improvement in the next few weeks.
As well as bringing the massage pad I was also lucky enough to receive some fantastic products from her as part of being my sponsor. Ceaser looks very professional in his embroided rug and matching saddle cloth! She was also kind enough to give us a free bag of carrots, just for him! I don't think he is spoilt at all, do you?

I have been so excited, and nervous all in one about Sunday all week. A part of me has been really looking forward to it, but then another part of me has been wondering whether I was entering something I couldn't handle and should just stay in my comfort zone. I know you should move up, and if you have done well at a particular level then try a different one. I have been wanting to affiliate Ceaser at Dressage for so long now, but in all honesty I have never had the guts. After looking at some affiliated riders I knew I didn't look anything like them. Ceaser can sure as hell move, but he hasn't got a flashy amazing trot 24/7. He's a cob cross, and he basically does what it says on the tin. He's an allrounder that has that posh side to him and when he wants to do a medium trot that deserves an 8 or 9, he does one. Or if he fancies doing a floaty trot, then he does one. The hard part is getting it out of him though, and I think right now, I have him.
I got Ceaser when I was 6. I had only been riding six months, and stupidly my Dad decided I was "ready for a pony" and was advised to buy Ceaser. At the time he was 3, just backed, turned away and hadn't done much. For a six year old whom had been riding 6 months it probably wasn't the wisest decision my Dad made, but it was then mine and Ceasers partnership began. I rode on the lead rein for roughly 6 months after that, and if I wasn't on the lead rein then Dad was running infront of Ceaser shouting "Come on Ceaser trot". Ceaser then began to show us his 'cheeky' side, I wanted to do more, and that was when Sara, my lovely 12.2h was purchased for me. Ceaser went to a lovely loan home for 2 years but stayed on the same yard and I think that is where his Dressage career began. Nicola did some Prelim stuff with him, and it was never a secret that he could sure as hell move, and jump!
After 2 years we moved yards, and Ceaser went to another girl on loan. By now he would throw a rear in if he wanted. He'd spin on the spot if he wanted, and he had put a girl in hospital with a suspected damaged back, but something about him made us never give up. After a while, I was 13 and throughout my time riding Sara I had taken a huge interest in Showing and Dressage, and had decided that Ceaser would be my new Dressage ride. We got on really well in some Prelim classes and I was beginning to learn how to deal with his "cheeky character". Dad had his back, teeth and everything checked. He had a 5* vetting check to ensure there was no underlying problems for his 'cheekiness' but the vet report came back as "Behavior problem". We look back at that vet report now and laugh.
At 14 I had a riding accident on Sara, and again my confidence plummeted. It wasn't then until I was 16 that I decided I would get back on Ceaser and go for it!
Since then we have never looked back, and in the past 2 years I have taken my Dressage and Showing seriously. I learnt how to sit his cheeky bucks, and deal with his occasional "NO" rears. We have had some fantastic showing results to date and I will never forget standing under the spotlight in the pitch black in September of 2011 at Royal London. We had just been placed in a HUGE Concours De Elegance class and the finale gallop was amazing.
Up until now I had been winning every dressage class I entered and moved up to Elementary. After winning the 2nd ever Elementary class I entered I decided it was time to affiliate, and here I am now.
My first affiliated dressage test. I had decided to enter at Prelim and chose Prelim 14 as it looked to be a nice test. Sunday arrived and I was so excited. I hadn't had chance to ride Ceaser for 7 days, and he hadn't been out all week so I wasn't expecting much. I just wanted to go in and see how I did. To test the waters as such. As I was warming up he felt amazing. Its not often I say this but I could feel I just had him in the warm up. Usually he gets a bit fizzy in the warm up, but today he felt fantastic. He was listening, he was responsive and he wasn't at all fizzy. We had our new Barnsby Bridle which was a present from my Boyfriend Mark and Ceaser just looked like he fitted in. Like he belonged in the affiliated world. He was lengthening when I asked, and wasn't rushing into transitions.

As we were called up for our test I could feel myself beginning to panic. When I panic I tend to push Ceaser to much and usually that is when we both stiffen and tense up. So I just thought what the hell, what did I have to loose, and the rest I can't remember. The test went so fast (but in a good way!) I barely had time to breath. As I halted between X and G and saluted I just beamed. It actually felt like it had gone well, I was pleased, whatever our scores.

We went to Elms farm in Caythorpe, and for those who have been will understand what I'm on about, but they have this really old school bus that you collect your score sheets from and has a Cafe on board. Its amazing.
Anyway, we took Ceaser back to the lorry, put him on with his haynet and went back to the bus to await the scores. I was amazed when I got there to find I had came 2nd in the unaffiliated test, with 65% and had qualified for the 2nd rounds at Trailblazers. Then the affiliated results came down, and to my amazement I read we had got 67.08%!!! I could have cried, and have since then been on cloud nine. I never even expected to get anywhere within the 60's, let alone 67%!

Right now I am just so pleased to be able to look back and see just how far me and Ceaser have came. From a horse described as having behavior problems, to one getting 67% in his first affiliated dressage test. I am so proud of him, of us both. 13 years ago I would have never imagined to be where we are now, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. Onwards and upwards, and I sure as hell can't wait to live the rest of 2012!

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