Some might say I was absolutely mad to change my music the week before I was due to compete and others might call me crazy for not taking him for a test-run at Bishop Burton before going to such an atmospheric competition. For those who haven't ever been to a BD regionals; it's big, they 'dress' the arena with lots of spooky atire and the venues are always huge, albeit it's always a fantastic show!
In the weeks leading up to the competition my instructor and I focused a lot on keeping Ceaser supple, through and using that hind end more to gain more marks. In my last lesson before regionals we worked on riding an accurate test, counter canter and getting him much more off my aids. She told me to stop letting my fear of warming up with bigger and (not necessarily) better horses. We all had a right to be in that warm up arena and were entitled to warm up the same. A encouraging text the night before worked a treat and I feel I warmed up the best I ever have.
It helped that the arenas at Bishop Burton are HUGE, very spacious and simply lovely. But for the first time in my life, having now seen the results when I slow things down a lot, I kept cool and calm. Inside I wasn't neither, but on the outside I think I look generally okay. Ceaser felt great, infact he couldn't have felt better. He was lovely and forward and felt interested and up for what he was about to do. It was to be our first competition of the season and in roughly 3/4 months so I was rather excited too. Putting us together, we just seemed to be having one of those days where we clicked and were definitely on the same page.
To warm up I focused on keeping a plan in my head. Work on lots of transitions, keeping steady and asking for flexion a both left and right on both reins. I wanted to ensure I rode a shoulder-fore slightly to keep that hind end engaged but not enough that the judge would see, but more for me. With the canter I made sure I pushed it more forward than what I usually do, allowing him to have more ground cover.
Soon enough Mark had gone to take his position in the indoor arena and my name was being called. This was it, come on CP!
Entering the big indoor arena I realised just how many people were watching. Quite honestly? I did a rather large gulp but tried to focus on Ceaser and enjoying our moment of glory in the ring. He felt so keen I wanted to relish and enjoy every second of the forwardness I was getting and the spring he seemed to have in his step.
He had a little look at the judges table and the audience but nothing much. I had heard from various friends the big indoor audience and vibes were spooking a lot of horses and separating the class quite a lot. Honestly? I hadn't worried about that, Ceaser is never usually one for getting distracted and has always focussed on his job.
I tried to remain slow, but ensuring that I was still engaging the hind end so keeping the impulsion, but without the speed we usually get. He felt great entering the arena going up the centreline, so much so that I actually remembered to breathe for once and had a huge grin on my face. My instructor had installed into me that I needed to remember to riding an accurate test as that's where I could pick up any points where we might not be 100% in something.
Everything was going great, it felt like I had Ceaser right where I want him and couldn't have asked for more and then it all went wrong. Well, no, not wrong, but then he spotted the audience. I was coming across the diagonal and at H I had to walk. As we then turned along the short side Ceaser had chance to cast his eyes up and what did he see...? A rather large audience! That was it, I really struggled to get his attention back and because it was in the walk there was nothing I could do. Thankfully I then turn two half 10 metre circles to change the rein so managed to get him back a little but then I ask for a free walk across the diagonal to F and then canter. It was in the free walk that he just lost all concentration completely and almost tripped up through turning his neck to stare at the audience. I felt like he was going to freeze but in fact it did the polar opposite and suddenly he grew 5hands and wanted to get a move on. We had a nice walk to canter transition but it wasn't as connected as it had been prior to the walk, so unfortunately we then got several comments about being tense.
There was nothing I could do but smile and in all honesty the grin on my face showed I was having a fantastic time and enjoying this new and forward Ceaser that seemed to be loving what he was doing! We finished to a rather large round of applause and I couldn't have been any more happy or pleased with his efforts. To say we hadn't been out competing in a good few months I think he handled the situation well and in hindsight maybe I should have done what everyone else seemed to be doing like going for test runs etc, but I didn't think I needed to.
The plan now is go out and try to get some decent scores at novice that I'll be able to put forward for the senior inter-regionals team selections. I have everything crossed for getting on to the team again and then I'm off to South-Africa for a much needed holiday.
Thank you everyone for reading and to all those who supported me throughout the run up to Regionals and throughout the weekend. Whilst it wasn't meant to be for us that weekend, I still had a fantastic experience and came home with a happy and healthy pony, which is all that matters at the end of it all.
I tried to remain slow, but ensuring that I was still engaging the hind end so keeping the impulsion, but without the speed we usually get. He felt great entering the arena going up the centreline, so much so that I actually remembered to breathe for once and had a huge grin on my face. My instructor had installed into me that I needed to remember to riding an accurate test as that's where I could pick up any points where we might not be 100% in something.
Everything was going great, it felt like I had Ceaser right where I want him and couldn't have asked for more and then it all went wrong. Well, no, not wrong, but then he spotted the audience. I was coming across the diagonal and at H I had to walk. As we then turned along the short side Ceaser had chance to cast his eyes up and what did he see...? A rather large audience! That was it, I really struggled to get his attention back and because it was in the walk there was nothing I could do. Thankfully I then turn two half 10 metre circles to change the rein so managed to get him back a little but then I ask for a free walk across the diagonal to F and then canter. It was in the free walk that he just lost all concentration completely and almost tripped up through turning his neck to stare at the audience. I felt like he was going to freeze but in fact it did the polar opposite and suddenly he grew 5hands and wanted to get a move on. We had a nice walk to canter transition but it wasn't as connected as it had been prior to the walk, so unfortunately we then got several comments about being tense.
There was nothing I could do but smile and in all honesty the grin on my face showed I was having a fantastic time and enjoying this new and forward Ceaser that seemed to be loving what he was doing! We finished to a rather large round of applause and I couldn't have been any more happy or pleased with his efforts. To say we hadn't been out competing in a good few months I think he handled the situation well and in hindsight maybe I should have done what everyone else seemed to be doing like going for test runs etc, but I didn't think I needed to. The plan now is go out and try to get some decent scores at novice that I'll be able to put forward for the senior inter-regionals team selections. I have everything crossed for getting on to the team again and then I'm off to South-Africa for a much needed holiday.
Thank you everyone for reading and to all those who supported me throughout the run up to Regionals and throughout the weekend. Whilst it wasn't meant to be for us that weekend, I still had a fantastic experience and came home with a happy and healthy pony, which is all that matters at the end of it all.
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