Dressage Saturday

This weekend we were back in Longmont for the dressage show at Triple Creek.  We had six horse and rider pairs from Bit of Honey competing!  These shows are a great way to get experience in the competition scene in a friendly and welcoming environment.  There were some great rides, some mediocre rides, and some rides that needed improvement, but everyone went home with plans for what they were going to work on in anticipation of the next dressage show. 

I have to say that personally I was very proud of my barn, especially the way everyone supports one another.  I do enjoy coaching, but I also love going to a show knowing that all my riders will pitch in and help each other and I don't need to hover over horses or riders.  I'm of course right there if something were to go terribly awry, but for the most part I enjoyed a great day riding Highboy without needing to advise anyone because this group is independent and they all help each other.  It's a great crew we have from Bit of Honey, and I feel successful because no one needed me! 

Highboy and I had later ride times, so we hung out and cheered through the morning since he was bored at the horse trailer and wanted to watch the action.

Rosie had a lovely creme colored dressage saddle pad which set off her gleaming dapples very nicely.

Sara and Carol visiting while Dewey snacked.

Alice and I discussed the arena changes for making it larger in order to ride the higher level tests.
 

Sally and Lynn celebrating Rosie's well done first dressage test.

Linda giving my boots one last shine as I down Kim Hale's water.  I wouldn't look nearly as put together if it weren't for Linda's attention to detail.

Sara must be gesturing her dressage test - and she does it with a smile!

Highboy felt much more at home when one of the resident barn dogs decided to take a nap in the middle of the arena just like Mahzi does at home.  I'm always telling my riders that if they can ride their dressage test at home among the noisy "dogstacle" course, they can ride a dressage test anywhere.

Everyone had an interesting time in the indoor arena with the barn swallows.  Kim H. even caught one on camera in full flight, set against the backdrop of Highboy's legs trotting in white polo wraps.

Joyce was the first of us to ride.  She did western dressage on her gelding, Billy, and they made a good showing.  They got both leads and some nice comments from the dressage judge!

Shambhu and Carol were next.  They also did well in their walk/trot dressage test and of course photogenic Shambhu looked amazing after Jasi had given him a bath the day before to make his white mane and tail just sparkle.

Dewey did pretty well, but we're suspicious he needs another dental since he was tossing his head.  He's on the every four month schedule for dental work.  If ever there was an equine candidate for braces, Dewey would be it!  We're hopeful that keeping on top of his teeth now while he's young will make it so we can go much longer between dentals once he has all his adult teeth lined up right.

Sally and Rosie had a great first test, but Rosie was a little tired from the heat for her second test.  They did some walking around in the cross country field between tests and looked very much at home out in the open.  The highlight of their day was scoring a 9 on their free walk!

Beauty and Alice made a great showing for their first dressage show together.  Beauty is a little bit of a speed demon, but they are making good progress and went home with some good plans for what to work on next in lessons.

Highboy and I had the last rides of the day.  We rode the same tests as last time we were there, plus tried out First Level test 1.  Highboy had a really distracted warmup, but fortunately only had minimal bucking.  At one point I sent him into a good hand gallop to see if I could get him to think "forward" instead of slow and silly.

Highboy and I rode the 2'6" Prix Caprilli test again this week, and he scored 7s on all his jumping efforts.  Clearly the horse knows what he likes to do.  He did ride much better in his tests than he did in the warmup, and better in these tests than he ever has before.  We keep aiming for him to ride and behave at the show the way he does at home, and little by little we are getting there.  Lynn, who owns Triple Creek, made the comment that "Sooner or later you're going to get that horse broke, as much as you've been riding him this year!"  I hope she's right!

It was a great day for bays!  This is Rosie and Highboy touching noses, just moments before she squealed because he was being too forward. 

Highboy even was rocking his new browband that we got at the horse trial two weeks ago from Chameleon Browbands.

Big thank you as always to Kimberly Hale Photography for documenting our day, and to Jasi, Linda, Josie, and Barb for being rock star grooms and keeping everyone hydrated!