British Dressage Winter Championships 13-04-14

Keep having to pinch myself that we really did just go to the Winter Championships.  Never in a million years did I think I'd ever manage to get Monty's dressage to the level where he could even qualify let alone turn up and do a damn good job.   He was utterly awesome for the entire day.  I really couldn't have asked for more from him.

It took us about 3.5hours to get there on Friday afternoon due to rather a lot of traffic after we left the M4.  Finally arrived around 5pm and priority was to get Monty worked and settled in as the gala evening started at 7pm!  Dragged the poor boy off the lorry and straight into one of the warmup arenas.  Considering the long journey he worked brilliantly.  Really pleased with him.  Tucked him up in his stable, grabbed some food and settled down to watch the gala evening which was great fun and took some good tips away from the Anna Ross Davies demo, especially about training the medium trot - half halts before and after the corner then not letting them run all the way across the diagonal, ask with convinction, get a response, rebalance then ask again.  Checked in on Monty and he'd been a good boy, had a drink and eaten his dinner.  He was in the nice airy, permanent barn stables and seemed settled.

Up bright and early at 5.30am - I was first in the barn at 6am!  Gave Monts some brekkie then did the first stage of plaiting before hopping on for the arena walk.  Spent a good half hour wandering round the indoor arena as this had the biggest atmosphere for him to adjust to.  Buzzing with other horses but mostly everyone was well behaved.  Monts did have a bit of a rearing and going backwards effort when a tablecloth dared to flap at him.  Large queue quickly formed behind us - very embarassing!  Other than that he coped ok.  We were allowed inside the arena which was great as I could practice walking down the centre line and turning right to replicate the view he'd get in the test!  Then headed off to the outdoor arena to have a wander round the Petplan arena but this wasn't very spooky so he was pretty chilled so we didn't spend long there.

Got off him and had just under an hour to tart him up for our first test - P17, the Prelim Winter Championships.  Managed to forget to put his massage pad on which was a bit silly but was so nervous!  Didn't do much in the warmup with him as really didn't want to overcook things knowing he potentially had to do 3 tests that day.  Probably didn't get him as supple as I could have done.  Doing three Championship tests in a day is not how I'd like to do it.  Much better to do a full warmup and have him firing on all cylinders for each test but had to do our best.  Went down to the holding area before the main arena and had another trot and canter round then in we went - through the tunnel and into the main arena - wow!  Had a trot and a canter round and then the bell went and off we went.  I thought he did a brilliant test.  He was calm and relaxed, he did every transition where I asked, he was soft and obedient and I could not have asked him to do any more for me.  Came out and couldn't help shedding a few tears on him.  We've been on quite a journey the last few years.  For him to come to the Winter Champs and trust me enough to perform at his best in such an atmosphere means an awful lot to me.

We ended up scoring 65.96% which left us in 15th place out of 20 but 1% more and we'd have been in 8th place so it was very tight in the middle of the class.  Sadly we had followed the winner into the arena and Monty was always going to struggle in comparison.  Trainer helped me warmup and watched the test and felt he was a bit harshly marked but this was the Nationals and they were just expecting that bit more and he's hardly a natural dressage horse.  He gave it his best shot and that's all I could have hoped for and I'm over the moon with him.  The sheets are interesting - judge at E gave him straight 7's except for his walk where tension finally got to us and I didn't feel I could ride him forwards to show the amazing walk he really has.  Judge at C hammered him for lack of suppleness and judge at M had him on the same mark as the one at C.

Popped him back in his stable for a chill out before concentrating on the next stage of events!  9am by this point.  Next test at 11.15am so a little bit of time to kill - wandered around, watched some of the other people in my class and before long it was time to get back on for the N38 - Area Festival Championships.  Fabulous trainer was there again to help us warm up and he was really going for it.  Discovered a medium trot that I didn't know he had - not a bad time to find it!  Went into the outdoor arena and he was mr.chilled - such a good boy.  He did a stonking test.  Again, I couldn't have hoped for more - every transition bang on the marker, no mistakes and he even had a damn good go at a medium trot.  Judges were marking hard.  Didn't think my score of 66.37% sounded that good but it left us in 5th place in the first round, just half a mark behind 3rd place and comfortably through to the second rounds in the afternoon.

That left us with an awful lot more time to kill!  Finally the nerves had subsided enough for me to eat something, wandered around the shops, chatted to various people, watched some gorgeous horses in the Advanced Medium Open and then off we went again.  Poor Monty!  At 3.30pm, for the fourth time that day I got back on him (having finally remembered to put his massage pad on!) and toddled off back to the Petplan arena.  I expected him to feel tired but his eventing fitness played to our advantage and he still felt full of go.  Here is a little video of him warming up:

He went back into the arena and pulled yet another fantastic test out of the bag for me.  I think we were both a little tired but those watching said it looked like his best test of the day.  Whatever the result at this point I was just absolutely chuffed with how hard he had tried all day in such a big atmosphere.  The marks ended up dead close again.  Those watching felt our mark of 65.97% was a bit harsh.  Sadly I knew the judge at C wasn't our biggest fan after she judged us at the Regionals.  She had us down in 21st place.  Judge at E had us in 9th.  We ended up in 13th place out of the final 30.  I had really hoped he would make top 10 but 13th is still a massive achievement for my little man and for him to not make a single mistake all day is amazing.  He was foot perfect and went as well as our level of work at the moment would allow for which is all I could ever have wished for.  He also won an award for best Senior horse in the Area Festival.  I forget that he is now 15 and counts as a Veteran!

Posing:

Chatting with trainer just before final test:

"If I shut my eyes maybe she isn't really going to make me do a third test!"

Some video stills:

Chris Burton SJ lesson 09-04-14

Started with the canter work.  Cluck and kick - one aid, big response then sit and hold him in the canter with core.  Mustn't rely on my legs to keep him going every stride.  When I stop riding he thinks he needs to walk.  Needs to maintain himself better.  On the left rein must keep him straight into the outside rein.  He needs to sit in the canter, keep the power and hold himself.  Then send the canter forwards, then bring it back.  The more adjustable his canter is, the more likely we are to meet our fences in the right place.

We did the x-pole to oxer exercise and he was really powering over it - he kept nearly jumping me off!  The idea was to change the rein after each jump so open the new inside rein but without fail he landed on the left lead so this is something we really need to work on at home.  He lands on the right lead when we jump fences on a diagonal and it's obvious we're going right afterwards but if there's any chance we might be going left he favours the left lead.  This is why we then end up going disunited when we turn right so must get him listening to that opening of the inside rein more so we can stop the disunitedness as this is what leads to him having fences down.

Moved onto a course which had a vertical off the corner which Chris warned some of his had found difficult to get right then 4 open strides to a parallel then round the corner and back across a x-pole oxer before going up the long side over a 2 stride double of verticals.  He did the firs bit fine and didn't struggle with the line off the corner but then did exactly what I did at Portman and tried to fire him into the first vertical, he chipped in and somehow cleared it.  Must wait for the fence to come to me.  However, there is a fine line between doing this and hooking him back into a nothingy canter.  Or there is in my brain!  Must learn to just sit and ride the powerful canter and let him back off and put the extra stride in if there is room, not chase him for non-existant ones!

Then did another course with a difficult line off the corner to the vertical then 4 big strides to the oxer.  He made the turn to the vertical nicely but did find the 4 strides long in the small arena.  He trusted me and went on it though.  Course was around 1.05m-1.10m and that looks normal to me now which is such a nice feeling.

Little video:

Have asked next time if we can jump on grass as be good to work on getting the balance in the bigger canter.

Catch-up on various things - competing, lessons, XC schooling

Sara-Jane Lanning lesson - Merrist Wood 04-04-14
We worked on developing his medium trot more - really pushing the medium out of him rather than erring on the side of caution - need to push him on round the entire arena and encourage him to really open up.

Need to make sure he doesn't overbend towards the inside in his canter transitions, thereby popping out through the outside shoulder and propping with his neck so not coming through from behind.

We ran through bits of N38 which all went well and he finished with a lovely square halt with his bottom nicely underneath him.  His halts are definitely improving.  Just need to make sure to use my legs into the halt, make sure he doesn't halt too abruptly and make sure the front legs step up equally.

Also did some super straight medium canters up the long side, but need to watch the quarters don't swing in when collecting again and he does need to come back to me a bit quicker so we make a more obvious transition.

Chris Burton SJ - 26-03-14
Did the canter poles exercise to start with and now his canter is so much softer and he's much stronger he made it easy.  Started with 5 strides and increased it to 8 strides one at a time.

Then moved onto an oxer on the centre line and changing which direction we went afterwards, making sure he landed on the correct lead by opening my inside hand which worked well as long as I remembered which way we were going!  He wasn't really going forwards though, poncing around in a dressagey canter after doing the canter poles so Chris made us get going a bit round a small course (I say small but it was a good 1m high - that just seems small these days!)

In the course we had a 5 stride related distance from an oxer to an upright and he jumped in boldly over the oxer and then just ploughed on through the vertical.  I said to Chris this was exactly what he did at Munstead and he said no excuse as he wasn't on a bad take off point so should have picked up.  He whacked up the vertical and then the oxer to make him try a bit harder and we proceeded to mess it up in about every way possible,  Mainly because we weren't getting a good stride to the first oxer because I wasn't managing to keep the power coming through and control his quarters going through the turn so he was then landing short or long from the oxer and messing up the striding to the vertical.  The vertical was skinny and I managed to catch the wing once and knock the whole thing flying!  It must have been 1m20 though and he wasn't finding the height a problem.  Had another couple of 1m10 fences in the course and he was making them feel easy and I'm feeling so much more confident coming to fences this size now.  Did get told I was putting one too many strides in each time to the big brown vertical - I still haven't mastered how forwards the ideal SJ canter is and it doesn't do me any favours to do collection exercises first as then I get stuck in a dressagey canter.  I think it happens at events too - we both get stuck in dressage mode!  We did get it right eventually but by god it took some work - one day I will crack this SJ!

XC schooling - Boomerang - 18-03-14
First XC session of the year.  Did lots of work with the water including jumping fences on the edge so landing in the water and steps in and out plus just cantering through lots to build up his confidence with water.  He did all this well and no probs with the ditch or steps.  We did a combo of steps down, through water, over brush, sunken road and 5 strides to a Novice corner which he made feel easy.

Then 2 Novice triple brushes on a curve which he made feel so easy.  

I did try a shaped skinny brush with a very narrow part to jump and just totally messed up getting him back after a long gallop, held him and held him for a stride, he tried to go right to make more room, was confronted with the much higher bit of the brush from a nothing canter and so ducked left and I did a lovely somersault over the top of the jump.  Bang - first time for air jacket going off!  Was good though as I didn't hurt at all afterwards!

Finished with the big, Novice sized trakehner and he flew it - useful session.

Other videos:

BD - Priory - 16-03-14
N34 in the small outdoor first - idiot moment when we went in about having to go near a hedge - doh!  After we got over that it was quite a nice test but definitely a bit tense down the hedge side of the arena.  Scored 66.875% and won the Restricted section so that was nice.

It was quite a hot day and he totally went off the boil by the second test which was N38, the Area Festival Championship test.  He wasn't forwards and therefore wasn't connected enough and the outline crept out longer.  Scored 64% - grrr, just short of a qualifying score and only came 3rd.  Need to somehow learn not to let him get away with doing that to me!

Carl Belson SJ clinic - Merrist Wood - 12-03-14
Canter poles to start with which he did nicely and then built that into a little grid which again he popped through well.  Built up to a course including two 1m10 spreads on a 4 stride distance which may well have terrified the life out of me a while back but was off a nice gently corner and we just popped through easily.  Had a really tight turn to do at the end of the course and managed to get him back and round it and over the next fence all in one piece.  Our SJ is definitely improving lots.  Just a shame we still seem to be knocking a pole in most rounds - bit frustrating.

Ginny Howe Arena XC clinic - Farley Hall - 09-03-14
Useful clinic working on skinnies, angles turns etc.  No real changes to our technique at all other than trying to remember to open hand after jump to indicate direction of travel.  Just really useful to challenge him with lots of accuracy questions.

Afterwards we then stopped off at the gallops and did some fitness work. Three lots of 5min canters with the middle one at Novice speed.  Think he enjoyed himself!

BD - Fairoak Grange - 05-04-14

N28 first in the indoor.  It improved as it went on - he started off a bit stuffy which always results in him not truly accepting the contact equally but after the first canter I felt it improved although strangely judge gave 2nd serpentine half a mark less than first one and his left canter less than the first one on the right rein.  What do I know?!  Only got 6.5 for his walk work which is a shame as he's capable of much more - she wanted to see it more active.  I need to work on being braver in the walk as he's got a fabulous walk but I tend to be a bit conservative in case he jogs.  7, 6.5, 6.5, 7 collectives - "much to like. Needs to be a little more supple and through over the back for more engagement and lightness".  Judge was Pat Watts.  Score 67.08% for 3rd in the Rest, 5th overall in a big class.

Had a 45mins breather then back on for second test.  Got on his case a bit more in the warmup to try and get him to give me more of what he was doing in my lesson the night before.  He didn't like it much but he is a lazy sod sometimes and always want to put in minimum effort!  Up to the big outdoor arena for N38.  I thought he wobbled a bit down the centre line but we got a 7.5 with comment of "straight and active".  Then an 8 for his first trot-walk-trot.  Sadly numpty rider forgot it was a half 15m canter circle, not 20m so lost a couple of marks there.  Mostly 7's for rest of test. 7.5 for 2nd trot-walk-trot and for his free walk and an 8 for his final halt.  6's for his medium trot - rushing, not medium - one day we might crack the medium!  Straight 7's for collectives.  Judge wrote "A joy to watch. Such a consistent test. When you have developed his medium trot his marks will be higher"  Judge was Angela Cardiff.  2nd Rest and Overall on 69.52% in another big class.  He would have won the Open section on that score. Frustratingly would have got over 70% without my mistake and bagged another point towards Regionals but still, 9 points in one outing isn't bad.  Got 13 altogether now so just need another 6.

Portman BE100 02-04-14

Feels like only yesterday we were at Munstead for first event of the season.  Nice to do a couple in a row to get going.  So yesterday we toddled off to a new event for us - Portman is down in Dorset, south of Salisbury so a bit of a trek for us but the alternative was Larkhill which we've done several times at BE90 and done the BE100 in a hunter trials so fancied something different.  The forecast wasn't good but apart from a couple of light showers it was quite a nice day for eventing - Monty is much better when it's cool.

Bit of a trek down to the dressage arenas past the XC warmup so his eyes were out on stalks and his ears up my nose!  He is such a good boy now though - as soon as we got to the warmup he knuckled down and was soft and obedient.  Worked on lots of transitions to get him listening.  The arena was chewed up round the track and he really isn't a fan of that kind of ground so was pleased that he listened to me and apart from falling from trot to walk and a silly spook in the free walk at a different coloured patch of ground he did a lovely test.  Judge gave me a crazy big grin at the end which I figured must be a good sign!  Clearly it was as we scored 31 which is not as good as our usual scores recently but was good enough for 5th place after dressage and we got a few 8's too :)

Onto the SJ.  I walked the course and it seemed ok.  There was a 5 stride related distance, a 4 stride related distance oxer to upright which is our worst, a 2 stride double and a 1 stride double plus some planks going uphill and it was causing utter carnage.  Loads of cricket scores, hardly any clears.  The ground had cut up and was riding quite deep but otherwise couldn't see why it was proving so tricky.  He didn't much like the ground in the warmup and wasn't really in a big enough canter so was diving over the fences a bit.  Got him a bit more forwards before we went in and he tried really hard.  I let him down but not thinking about landing on the correct leads so he landed wrong after the 4 stride distance, got disunited round the corner and was then wrong into the 2 stride double, got in deep and had the first part down - gutted as otherwise such a nice round and he deserved a nice clear as he really is a careful jumper.

Onto the XC - didn't fancy an hour's wait, especially with rain forecast so got changed and over we went which worked well as only a few others in the warmup.  Popped a few warmup fences, got him going forwards and all was well until it came down to going over to the start box.  Silly pony.  Had to be led around but once over there he wasn't too bad.  The course was quite technical.  Definitely the toughest BE100 we've done.  There were a few things I was worried about.  A big tyre jump, 2 strides to a ditch then right handed turn to a chair that I took my time to get my line too.

Then after a double of tyre jumps we had a big house, right handed turn to a left corner.  I have always hated corners and his default is to run out to the left, let alone coming off a right hand turn where his default is to fall out through his left shoulder.  I walked this a few times and planned my route carefully.  I actually thought the Novice was an easier option with taking the house on an angle and then straight line to a right corner!

Then we had a big picnic table followed by the water with the exit fence on an angle with an easy run out route to the left

Then 2 fences 2 strides apart on the angle, again with the second one with the easy route to the left. They were numbered separately but had no intention of taking a long route.  All good tests for him.

Having been bang on the too fast time limit at Munstead I thought I'd have plenty of time in hand to set up for the combinations so made sure to kick on between fences but wasn't overly concerned about the time.  Made sure I really set up for everything and he was brilliant.  Saw a long one to the house before the corner, he was 2 strides straight on for the gap before I sat up and pointed him right at the corner and then kicked on and he flew it on a perfect stride.  So so pleased with him.  He can be really cheeky with his left runouts so really impressed he listened and answered the question.  Had a bit of a misunderstanding about striding to the fence out of the water which was our only iffy moment - otherwise he flew.

Gutted to find out we had 1.2 time pens XC. There are loads of places we could have made up 3 seconds but I thought I had loads of time and forgot to take into account the holding ground and how much time the more technical nature of the course would take up compared to Munstead when I just kicked on and we flew round.  Still, I'm glad I spent the time to set up for the combinations and we both learnt lots from that course so I'm glad I chose to go and try somewhere different.  Lovely, friendly, well run event - would definitely recommend a visit.  Great old hunting type turf for the XC and good, meaty well built jumps.

So, we ended up in 9th place, just missing out on a Badminton Regionals qualifiying spot rather frustratingly.  Without the time pens we'd have been 6th or without the SJ fence we'd have been 2nd.  So near yet so far!  When I've finished kicking myself for my own mistakes I'm still pleased with the day and especially with how he went and I must remember I've never evented at this level before and you can't expect to win everything from the word go!

Final scores:

Dressage Winter Champs next week then Hambleden BE100 the following week which will be another good challenge and I will remember to kick on!

Full course pics here: