Pachesham BD, lesson and Area Festivals

First off evening BD at Pachesham on the 13th August - chance to have a go at E45 (the Area Festival test) for first time and a second go at E59 (the Regionals test).  Apart from seeing a monster at A which spoilt our rein back it was a nice enough test although we are far from mastering the give and retake inside rein on first half of 10m circle, especially on the left rein when he just tilted his head majorly to the outside.  We scored 64.82%, 6.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 - "Obedient and accurately ridden test. Now needs to work with better eng and imp to encourage better activity and more uphill tendency" We were 4th out of 9 Restricted, 9th out of 18 Overall.

E59 was pleased with - it's a very busy test and takes a bit of practice.  We got 65.31% and were 2nd out of 5 Restricted, 6th out of 12 Overall.  Definitely felt it was a more polished performance than our first attempt at Frensham back in April.  Managed a 7.5 for our halt and 7 for rein back.  Jane Kendall not usually the most generous with us - I think I'm doing well if I get anything over 65% with her.

Thursday evening we went for a lesson with Sara-Jane Lanning at her yard to try and work out some last minute choreography for my freestyle and sort out the leg yields and 10m canter circles.  Got a good floorplan sorted.  Worked out the way to go with the 10m circles was to flex him to the inside first then G&R the rein as soon as start the 10m circle - big improvement.  Do need to watch he's not hanging on my left rein in canter though - he will often tilt his head to the outside if I give the inside rein so need to keep an eye on that.  Leg yields actually went really nicely - have to watch the quarters don't try and lead going left and that he doesn't fall out through his shoulder going right.  Keeping control of that right shoulder is key in everything with him.

Friday we went back to Pachesham to do E53 and the Elementary Freestyle to Music.  First up E53,  Third time doing this test and each time we have improved.  63 to 64 and this time 65.73%.  Again Jane Kendall so happy with that score.  Everything between 6.0 and 7.0 though.  Need to work out a way of getting in some 7.5's and getting rid of the 6.0's to up our scores.  Stupidly I didn't look at how many rein back steps were required and thought it was 2-5 steps so lost a mark for only doing 4.5 steps. She doesn't like his walk for some reason so only 6's for that. 6.0's for his medium trot which is expected at the moment and otherwise just a 6.0 for his leg yield left which needed better fluency - not too bad.  7.0, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 "Very willing and obedient, but needs more suppleness and to develop better ground cover in medium trot"  We actually came last although there were only 3 in Rest and 3 in Open and we were only a mark behind 2nd.

Next up the Freestyle - first proper run through in test situation.  Really enjoyed myself riding to my music that I'd put together and thought he went really nicely.  Score wasn't amazing (67.3%) but was enough to win the class (both Restricted and Overall by 2%) and qualify us for Winter Regionals.  It was quite a big class and she seemed to be marking quite hard comparing other people's scores to their usual ones.  Chuffed I don't have to go chasing freestyle qualifiers for the rest of the year and looking forwards to having another go at it next week at Wellington.   He got 7's for all his canter work except the simple change R-L which got 6.5 as he just braced against me.  7.0 for leg yield right, 6.5 for LY left, 6.5 medium walk, 7.0 FWLR, 6.5 circle L 10m, 6.0 circle R 10m, 6.0 medium trot, 7.0 halts.  6.5, 6.5, 7.0, 7.0 artistic marks.  "Could stay more up to bridle in early trot.  Suitable music for the horse and pattern"  Judge was Sue Rowlands - not had her before but she was also down to judge Area Festival so paid close attention to comments!

I used the Micklem for schooling last week, my lesson and competing as an experiment.  It's interesting as he seems more settled in the mouth and doesn't poke his tongue out the side but I do find he is stiffer and more reluctant to flex to the inside which was commented on a few times in E53.

Went back to Pachesham again yesterday for the E45 Area Festival.  He warmed up really really nicely, back in his usual bridle, soft and swinging, did lots of lateral work, just keeping it within his comfort limits

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Did stupidly forget to practice any rein back though so think it caught him a bit by surprise in the test and he just resisted me back.  Otherwise it was a really sweet test and I really couldn't have asked any more of him - really chuffed.

We ended up scoring 66.29% which is one of our best scores at Elementary (67% from judge at M, bit less from judge at C).  Winner was on 69 but it was really close between 3rd and 9th which is the place we were given on the day.  Bizarrely the website says we came 10th so not sure what happened there.  5.5 more marks from the test split between 2 judges and we'd have been 4th and qualified for Hartpury - so close and definitely things we can do better with more practice which is encouraging.  There were 29 in the class so really happy to have made it into the top ten and best of all the mounted prize giving.  Monts of course stood like a pro in the line up.  Then we had a little debate as to who of us might be brave enough to jump the hedge in the middle of the field they use for prize giving.  It's a weird Pachesham tradition - they were egging us on in the line-up ad 2 of us decided to go for it.  In a dressage saddle with dressage length stirrups it seemed like a good idea in the line-up.  As I came cantering towards this not small hedge I did question my sanity but we saw a good one, Monts didn't question me at all and just popped over easy peasy.

Decided it was enough fun that we would have a go at pairs jumping but sadly the other girl saw a more backwards stride than me so didn't make it over side by side - still I got another great jump and had a big grin when I landed - what a superstar horse - dressage one minute, hedges the next - we haven't even jumped one for a few years!

Posing after hedge jumping:

Looking at the sheets, from Sue Rowlands at C we only got 6.0's for his 2nd medium trot, trot circle right 10m, medium walks, extended walk and only a 5.5 for the rein back.  7.0's for the entry, trot circle left 10m, canter-trot-canter, medium canter, collected canter, circle L 10m with G&R, 20m stretchy canter circle and final halt.  Collectives: 7.0, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 "Well presented test. Some tightness issues"  Judge at M was Sally Andres and she gave him 6.0's for both medium trots, trot circle right 10m, rein back, circle right 10m canter with G&R.  She liked his walk and gave him 7's and all 7's to finish.  7.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.0 "Some very pleasing work - but now needs to develop more self-carriage and engagement for the higher marks"

Really pleased with how uphill his canter looks here (just about to go into Medium) and our first pro pic of him going sideways :)  Growing up into a proper dressage pony now!