Izzy Show update

As many of you know, Izzy and I were showing this weekend at the first annual Sparkles and Spurs dressage show at Maple Leaf Meadows. It was a Gold rated show, meaning horses needed passports, owners needed to feel the need to spend $$$ to dress in silly outfits and be told what they are doing wrong, and the judges were rated to judge at a National/International level.

This was Izzy's first "real" show, having done two schooling shows (one last year, and one this spring), and one 3" hunter show...the 3" hunter show went well, but at her previous dressage shows we had some pretty big issues with nerves and Izzy's fear of people coughing or dropping pencils...

I chose this show as it allowed us to haul back and forth...something unheard of at other Gold rated dressage shows. I figured as we live at the same location, easier to just haul her back and forth than to worry about her dinner and breakfast feedings.

Schooling was Friday, and I had planned to leave early to give us lots of time to see the rings and such, but blue truck was not cooperating, and Rob had to take me later with white truck. Got there to see a few trailers there already, and one horse being ridden one of the dressage rings. Took Izzy for a walk to find her stall (day stall) and was relieved to find we weren't in one of the portable stalls in the (scary) coverall, but rather we were in the Princess Extra Large stall right beside the porta potty and warm up ring! Score!

Got on to hack, and stuck to the plan of walking until she relaxed, and then schooled her in both show rings (set up side by side in the sand ring). They had it decorated with flowers, and Izzy was being good. They didn't have the judges booths set up yet though, so I was a little worried about that causing some grief, but as it was the only things she really spooked at was the garbage bag covered speakers...particularly when the suddenly boomed noise as we walked by!

I was on her for about an hour...long enough for both of us to be sweaty and feeling prepared and done for the day...meanwhile the bay horse that was schooling in the ring when we first pulled up was STILL SCHOOLING. Pretty sure if you can't get it done in an hour and a half the day before a show, it isn't going to happen. But who knows, maybe they kicked my butt all weekend...

Hauled home, Rob got Blue truck working. Headed back to show after teaching on Saturday. Notice that the parking lot is crammed full. Fortunately the first person I see is Diana the steward and we discuss my parking behind the indoor arena...super close to my stall, the warm up and to shade! Score!

Also notice that the judges booths are trucks. They just aimed trucks at C. I had not thought to school riding straight at trucks. Fortunately it seems that horses in genera, and Izzy included, are not afraid of trucks and these were non-traumatizing a compared to the fancy booths at most shows! Not sure how they would be to judge/scribe in though...I would assume hot?

Went to the nice indoor to school for first class. Izzy is terrified of that ring. I think it is the windows to the kitchen area that bother her the most. They are positioned such that the people behind them are just bodies...neither legs nor heads are visible...just torsos. Not really the most attractive part of most humans when missing the context of limbs and head....

I figured I needed to work past this silliness and work on her submission so we did lots of shapes, transitions and laterals. She continued to eye the one person in the stands with great suspicion. I think he had been yelled at enough by his dressage girl friend that he did NOT MOVE A MUSCLE the entire time...which possibly made Izzy even more suspicious. My big worry is that we would crash into one of the many fancy warmbloods, however that embarrassment was avoided.

Time for our class (first level test 2) so we head over to the ring. It is a bit of a walk, and I can feel her relaxing the further we get from the indoor arena. This seems like a good thing. Until we get into the show ring. And suddenly Izzy is completely deflated and in need of a nap. And so am I. We are supposed to halt, salute, then go across the diagonal in lengthened trot but I have nothing...all the forward I had was left in the warm up ring running from disembodied torsos. Her leg yields were good though, and her walk on a long rein, and we managed a 60 point something which was good enough for third. (I debated checking my score before my second class just in case it disheartened me, but in the end curiosity won out and I did. I did not get my test though until after I was done my second test...but only because I had to go up stairs to do so)

Two hours before my next test. (Second level  test 2). Our first attempt at Second Level. Really, I shouldn't be showing second as I am still schooling it, but I wanted judge's feedback to know I was on the right track. The $50 entry per class is less than the $100 lesson fee it seems local dressage coaches charge, so it made sense to me...we will see if Rob agrees after he reads this....anyway... this time I thought I would warm up less as she was tired, so we just did some jogging around the ring to try to relax her. This was ok until I was left alone in the ring and poor Izzy was very aware that if the devil at the end of the ring was going to eat something it was likely her and she really wanted out.

So we headed to the ring...and halt salute...and whinny. And Whinny. Poor Izzy was not happy. Horses in the parking lot and coverall arena shared her sorrow by calling back. I just could not get her to relax. I think she was at the point of being over tired to the point of silliness. Anyone who has been at, or around a tween girl sleepover knows how that goes. Score for that test: 51%. The odd thing was that our movements scored low, but our collective marks (overall impressions) were ok. Normally it is the opposite. So I figure the judge saw some rays of hope. Done for the day so I put her in her giant stall to cool off while I got ready to take us home...and she proceeded to prance laps in her stall.

Sunday I rode earlier: 10:30 ride time, so I left for the show right after chores, then made up a new style of braid as the buttons I had done for Saturday were apparently the most itchy things EVER, and I hate how running braids pucker...so I evented an ugly but functional running scallop braid combo. Izzy approved. She apparently has as little fashion sense as I do.

First test was again the First Level test 2. I tried a new tactic in warm up by avoiding the scary end, and I think this really helped her be able to not get tense as she felt more relaxed in the bridle. She was however about as tired as I was for the class, so there were a few requests that required a second ask with the help of spurs. Ended up with a very slightly higher score, under a slightly harsher judge, and so placed second! She also got a 7 for her gaits which made me pretty happy.

Two and a half hour wait until our Second level test. Time felt like it was standing still. I watched some upper level rides, had lunch, mooched watermelon, had a discussion on AQHA's recent court case regarding cloning, discussed when whips were allowed in classes,  argued if there was breed prejudice in dressage, had a nap, cleaned all my tack...and still had over an hour to go. Short warm up, with the goal for this class to be less rushed as that had been a recurring theme in the comments from the day before. We definitely were less rushed, but also tired and our first canter/walk transition ended up being a canter/halt transition, and our second walk/canter transition ended up being a go sideways and then LEAP into the canter. Still, I felt it was better, and the score reflected improvement with a 56+% percent and a fourth. We also got a 7 for our first Renvers.

Apparently our turn on the haunches need a lot of work though, as do our transitions down from the Medium or lengthened gaits. It is just taking too many strides. I also really need to work on making her back round (When I told her I wanted her to be rounder she thought I meant in the belly which she has been working on as much as possible...). It also seems that when tired I get crooked without knowing it. I had no comments on being crooked on Saturday, but today both judges commented on it. I need to work on that!

Overall pretty happy with Izzy and thought the show itself was really well run, with fabulous volunteers which of course are who makes the show a success or failure! Best part? Prize money! Ok, not a lot of prize money, but the $35 Izzy won at this show means my total life time winnings in dressage are $40 and a saddle pad...dressage shows just aren't known for prize money. And it gives me something to put in her passport!

Previously I have show warmbloods in dressage, and there is some benefit to having a lofty moving warmblood. The way movements are scored, you get a 5 if the judge can recognise what you are trying to do, and you score more for doing it well. On a good moving horse, the judge kind of starts you off as a 7 or 8, and if can go up or down from there based on how well you do the movement. On a poor moving horse you are starting at a 5 or 6 and moving up or down from there. This is fair and not breed prejudice, as dressage was made for the warmblood type horse...if it was made for Arabians it would include a lot of hand galloping and hollow backed movements.... My reason for having a little Arabian is that I find her gaits easier to manage and she makes me feel safer even when I can't feel my legs. And she doesn't pull. And her neck is shorter so less braiding needed. Overall, Izzy scored three 6s and one 7 for movement, so I think we are on our way to being able to get decent scores and moving up the levels if I can stay on the right track with her.

Next show for her? I am hoping Harvest in September if I can get her less fearful of sounds!

Karen