Competition Time (finally)!

It’s been so long since we’ve been out so I thought I’d grab the bull by the horns and enter a competition at the last minute. It was at a very lovely venue, close to the yard and had a relatively easy elementary test on the schedule so it seemed like a no-brainer. Plus, half the yard were going so I didn’t want to miss out on the party! It had been nine months since Romy and I were out, I actually could hardly believe that myself when I counted. I was used to going out at least once a month and the gap meant I was more nervous than I ever was (not difficult, given I’m normally pretty chilled at competitions).

It was like I was going competing for the first time. His white bandages were bleached within an inch of their shiny white lives. I got a new saddle cloth for the occasion. He was trimmed and prepped and painted as if it were nationals. Plaits sewn in. Hooves blackened. Tack soaked and oiled. Game on.

 

 

 

My first mistake of the day was leaving the yard about 17 hours before my test. I’m all for giving yourself plenty of time but Romy is still new to this competing lark and I’m still learning things about him. That day, I learnt that he doesn’t wee when he’s out. I’m sure the grooms at my yard will vouch for me (with anger it their hearts) when I say that Romy drinks water like a fish and pisses like a racehorse so it was a long time to go without wee’ing.




Checking out the 'monsters'

Second mistake of the day came by way of a pair of spurs. I hadn’t been wearing spurs because I need to work on getting him forward and when he feels the spur he bunches up. And he had been going well without the spurs. So why oh why in baby jesus’ name I decided to put them on and dig him in his overflowing bladder is beyond me. Such a rookie mistake, and I don’t consider myself a rookie so there’s no excuse at all.

 

Third mistake of the day happened just as we were about to go in to do our test....I heard 'VICTORIAAAAAAAAA' and looked to see my instructor Sandra doing a billy-go-lightly across the arena. 'YOUR BANDAGES ARE STILL ON'....cue four people frantically pulling at my horses legs and a red faced Victoria sat on board like a ripened tomato.

But to rewind; with a little persuasion from Mr. Leadrope, Romy loaded fine and travelled like a dream. In fact, he behaved impeccably all day. He was a little nervous going into the warmup, but that’s understandable given he hasn’t been out in so long. And actually for only his fourth ever competition I couldn’t be happier. We had a nice bit of communication going on, he was definitely distracted from time to time but eventually got down to it.

 

Me: Good boy Romy, you’re getting to grips with all this dressage stuff.

Romy: Yeah, totes I am…..wait….SQUIRRELL……where was I…oh yeah, I’m enjoying being around all these other…..SQUIRREL

Me: Romy, lets stop looking at the trailblazers classes…I know you don’t know what a pony is, or a small child for that matter, but they’re not that interesting, promise.

Romy: OK, ok, lets try this half pass thing we’ve been working on……how’d ya like them apples?

Me: Yeah, good boy! You’re definitely getting to grips with….oh, what was that…a flying change? Oh, no worries, I think it was clean so lets keep going.

Romy: Yeah, that was good eh? How about THIS one…. (changes, clean, again).

Me: Hmmmm, yeah, that will be good in about two levels higher than this one, lets try the other rein.

Romy: I CAN DO MY TRICK ON THE OTHER REIN TOO…..YEEEAAAAHHHH MEEEEEEEEEEE.

  

Game Face

 

So I gave him a bit of a breather but in hindsight I should have whipped off the spurs. He went into the arena a little tense because of the monster children and monster ponies (actually the cutest things I’ve ever seen) and was tense up the top of the arena. I wasn’t asking too much of him because it had been so long out, I just wanted us both to enjoy it so I wasn’t really riding for 10s. But the second I touched him to go forward into the medium canter he changed about 75 million times along the long side. I eventually got him walking and then back on the correct lead but doing the give and retake across the centre line was also a struggle as I could feel his back legs start bouncing around like tigger behind me. I can’t be angry, can I?!!!!

 

 

 

We got a few 8’s for his collected canter and some 7.5s for him medium trot and the medium canter where he DIDN'T look like a bouncing ball of (not very forwards) energy. In the collectives he only got a costly 6 for his submission and a 6.5 for his impulsion (as Matt put it ‘Romy is like a stallion, he gives you a reaction but not always the one you want!’) but 7.5 for his paces and 7 for my riding. Because of the couple of 3’s for his unwanted fancy moves we ended up on 65.8%. One of my favourite comments ever received by a judge ‘Super big horse, full of power. Just needs to let you ride him’…..that definitely would help matters!

I just did the one test as he’s still coming back from time off but I will try him out again in a couple of weeks if he’s feeling up to it. Apples for pony, wine for moi, lots of lessons learnt and things to remember for next time.

V x

BOOOOIIIING!!