Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Region 9 Championships: Day 3

I really didn't want to post this, because it's so bad. I feel like a year's worth of work went into this test, and I completely blew it.

A 57.6.

Second to last, out of 30.

I blew my figures (wtf circle?), I blew my coefficient movements, and of course, Paddy took his bolting down the long side to new levels.

It's really not the way you want ANY test to go, much less your championship ride.


However... HOWEVER... there are things I really like about this test... so all hope is not lost.

We tried a whole new warmup routine, where my goal at first was simply to get him forward and in front of my leg, and not care about what he was doing with his head (for the record, he was a giraffe). I could probably have used a bit more warmup just to be able to channel that energy more productively, but what I had in the arena was a much slower, more engaged trot. You can also see that his mouth is much quieter, because I didn't spend the entire warmup fighting with his face. Our canter/trot transition (which was supposed to be a X but wasn't) was really good - for the first time, he sat down and stepped up and under himself, instead of me dragging him down into the transition. And except for the very last centerline where he got bargey, he really didn't curl. Those things are important to me, even if the overall test was pretty craptastic.

After the test, I went back to the warmup and worked for another 15 minutes. Somehow my trainer managed to talk me into actually doing something with my outside leg, instead of having in hang there like a dead fish, and suddenly we were doing balanced 15 m canter circles. His trot got rounder and even more engaged, and our transitions got better and better. We ended on a really good note, and while I'm still not happy with our actual test, I feel like we've unlocked some new pieces that will really make a difference going forward.

I'm actually excited for our next show in two weeks, and I basically can't wait to ride my horse after work every day. Because instead of that crappy ride beating me down, it's just made me more determined than ever to get our stuff together and get out there and DO it. I know we can, and I know HE can. Now I just have to make it happen!

18 comments:

  1. He still looks like an energizer bunny, but his mouth does look quieter. I have to compliment you on sitting that trot. It looks super bouncy, but you look great and your leg looks nice and solid. Good luck going forward.

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    1. He will probably always look like the energizer bunny, since his gaits are pretty short and quick. And his trot is actually really easy to sit since he has no suspension at all, lol!

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  2. You have a lovely leg and position. It looks like Paddy was giving you a bit of a hard time, but you handled it very tactfully. There was definitely a lot of good in that test, so I can see why it would make you more determined instead of discouraged.

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    1. Thank you for the lovely compliment. I simply didn't ride him the way I am capable of doing, although he wasn't cutting me any slack either. Still, we'll get better and we've got a lot of good things going for us. :)

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  3. I love your attitude--looking back, this might be the moment that made you. Or at the very least, the thing that makes you laugh.

    Because I will always <3 Paddybear.

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    1. Hopefully it will be, because I don't want a repeat of THAT, lol!

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  4. awesome that you had so many nice *important* moments in the test, even if the rest of the picture wasn't what you wanted. i guess we always hope those little breakthroughs will happen in schooling rather than during a big show... but there's always another opportunity to look forward to - and super convenient that your next show is so soon!!!

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    1. Yes, the timing for everything definitely could have been better, but horses don't play by our human-imposed timelines. Oh well, there's always next time!

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  5. I still think it's exciting you made it to the championship! Focus on the good moments - next year will be better!

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    1. Yes, the fact that we were there was huge. And we'll be there next year too!

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  6. This is how to stay focused on the important things! *hug* Good luck and have fun. :)

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  7. Dang...But love what you took away from that ride and your attitude moving forward - way to go!

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    1. Well, we can choose how we react to what happens. There's no point in beating myself up about it, except to look carefully at the videos and pics and judge's comments and understand exactly what's going wrong and what I need to work on to be better. It's ALL a learning process, and I sure did learn a lot - now I just need to apply it!

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  8. I am moving through the levels quite slowly which means I've been able to do championships or regional shows at the SAME level for several years in a row. For Training Level at the AA Regional Show. We finished dead last with a score in the high 50s, but the very next year, we WON the AA Regional Show with scores in the 70s. This year, we were again DEAD LAST at the AA Regional Show, this time at First Level. I am feeling pretty good about my chances for next year. LOL!!!

    Your attitude is great. Just keep keeping on and work hard. Showing can be so frustrating because you can go from brilliant to sucky back to brilliant in the course of a weekend. I just keep my eye on the brilliant moments and try to repeat those. :0)

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    1. Karen, thanks! I keep reminding myself that this is only our fourth rated show and that we've got all the time in the world, but I also just wish I had ridden better. Still, as you said, it's important to keep your eyes on the good moments and go for more of those!

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  9. it is important to see the good things even when things do not go according to plan....and I think that this test was not your worst one! and there will be another championship next year for sure - one more year to train :)

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    1. So true! We'll be better next week, next month, next year... :)

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