And we're back!

Today was the final day of the Gold Rush show. I am not sure i could have lasted another day, so not sure how people who came the day before us did it! Thank goodness Rob was able and willing to help me with afternoon and evening chores this weekend!

Dexter showed at 9, so I made sure to get up early enough to do morning chores so i could be at Amberlea for 7ish as I wanted to lunge and take him for grass before our class. Lunging seems to allow him to get his nervous energy out better than having me on him, and it let him warm up easily and stretch his legs. I got on him about 40 minutes before his class, and had a fun warm up. We did lots of long trot and it is cool to feel him start to have more and more suspension. I am starting to get more confidence in our ability to have a strong medium trot by next show season.

I decided to focus today on helping him relax and get more confidence. I wanted to work him on a circle as that is how I usually warm up, but dressage warm up is difficult. The warm up ring is HUGE, and more than enough room for lots of horses, but dressage riders are different. You will have a few riders circling near their coach, which is easy to avoid, then you have riders touring the outside, again easy to avoid, but you also have people in the middle trying to work on more difficult moves such as pirouettes and lateral moves. Many of these riders are listening to their coaches on wireless headsets or just intensely focused and not always looking up (shocker...a dressage rider that looks down!), so trying to find a circle or work anywhere but the outside was tricky. At least in a jumping warm up horses tend to be doing one of two things: touring the outside or aiming at a jump. In dressage, they could be going forward, back, sideways, or spinning! So much harder to anticipate avoid and stay out of the way! Nobody was snooty or rude, I just felt bad when I felt I got in the way of someone trying to school a complicated maneuver!

My classes today were both in the indoor, so my main focus was getting him to be more relaxed in there, so I decided to be more moderate in my riding, and not ask for such big lengthens or as much collection. My first class went well. He was strong again in the canter, but much better and not so tense. We placed 2nd.

I had time to take him back to his stall for a brief break before his final class. I wanted to school the counter canter and lengthen canter but when we got in the ring, there were a lot of higher level riders school such things as pirouettes, and Dexter seemed quite nervous about them, particularly of the sound of the dressage whip. He then started to become very leery of a Friesian in the ring. He had been in the ring with that same horse all week, but all of a sudden anytime it came near he would tense and either try to turn away, or turn his haunches into him. It occurred to me that trying to warm up when he was clearly intimidated by the other horses was not going to be fruitful, so we didn't do much warm up. The class still went well, but as I decided to take it easy in the ring (it was the same test he had a tantrum in yesterday), our score was mostly 5's so no placing. Still, I think he left with more confidence in the indoor ring, and I was quite happy with him.

And with that we were done. It was 10:30...and Amanda didn't ride until 2:55. The weather had gotten quite cool, so I was glad for the jacket I had been presented with by Tudor Tack the day before (Dexter also appreciated the cooler Tudor had for him!)

So I watched some classes, picked up my tests, toured the tack shops, and chatted until it was time for Amanda to ride. Amanda got on, started to warm up, and realized she forgot her number. Ellen was kind enough to offer me her bike to ride back to get it. I haven't ridden a bike in years and I was extremely tired. It was apparently quite humorous to watch me try to ride her bike, and the paramedic stood at the ready.

Ri looked great in his warm up with lots of forward motion. While watching her school I was enlisted to hold a very large warmblood gelding. This horse stood quietly while his owner went to pee. I think this is a skill my horse needs to learn. Perhaps I will start holding him once and a while when I teach so he learns to just stand.

Although really, I am not sure why expect Dexter to be anything other than what he is. After all his grandma was the hottest horse I have ever met or worked with, and Tango is super opinionated, so no wonder Dexter is hot and opinionated...

Back to Ri...

Ri's test was in the nice outdoor ring. He was moving great, and I got some nice photos which I will have to post tomorrow. He lacked some focus as there was a fair bit of activity going on with trailers leaving, and lots of people walking to the show office to check out. I was very happy with that as his final test. I think he was in the 50's for all his tests which is great for his first year of showing, and his first time at training level.

At last it was time to pack up and leave. I was worried about the clouds and that it may rain as we loaded, but the weather held, and we loaded in good time. I was eager to get home, so I left Amanda behind to get her test and I headed out...but as I was trying to leave, I came across a loaded trailer parked at the exit behind the angle parking. No one was in the trailer, and I wasn't sure I could fit! Seeing my dilemma the Paramedic came over to offer assistance; he measured the distance and decided I could make it, but I wasn't so sure and imagined the sound of steal scraping against steel...so he got in and drove through for me thank goodness!

Dexter was pretty happy and obnoxious to be home. He always does a victory trot around the paddock after a show.

Overall, the show was good. A bit of a wake up call for me though, and I realize I need to make Dexter more of a priority if I want to get to the next level, and help him be more fit. It is great to start feeling some true extensions and lofty trots now!

Although in many ways the show was more tense, and more serious, most people were still very friendly, helpful, and quick to return a smile or a good morning.

The best people of the show were the stewards and the paramedics: helping with pretty much anything and offering words of encouragement. They did double duty as gate masters and stewards and did a fabulous job! The show office also did wonderfully, and kept everything running smoothly and so well organized. Amberlea Meadows also really stepped up to the plate to make the grounds top notch for the higher level show!

Special thanks to: Tudor Tack Shoppe for the cooler, jacket, and saddle pad, and to Horse Life for the saddle pad.

Pictures to come tomorrow!

Karen