Post by pboy on Apr 28, 2013 12:08:46 GMT
Sorry, this is a very long one...
Today was the penultimate show of our season here in Hong Kong. Our final show will be on Wednesday (a holiday here, yay!!) and it's the dressage Horse of the Year Show. We won't be doing the jumping HOYS as it starts at over 1m - maybe next year?!?!
Today was the third time I'd attempted to take Classy to a dressage competition at Beas River (big fancy country club and equestrian centre). The first ended in a withdrawal when Classy was so tense that I couldn't ride him at all - leg on resulted in explosions and the forward gear was pretty much unknown. His airs above the ground were fantastic though
At the second show, we managed to complete the test with a dismal 47.5% and a 'calmly ridden' comment 
So my aim today was to have a calm, relaxed test and any other improvement would be a bonus!
Thankfully Classy was lovely and calm today. He had one or two leaps and squeals in the warm-up but he knuckled down. Quite a few horses were spooking in the arena but not Classy - he stayed mostly quite focused though stupid rider got an error of course. It was my first test in a long arena and I did a diagonal from R instead of from B (I think! I learn tests by pattern not numbers) and realised my mistake about 5 metres in, which was too late to adjust. We got 4th place with 59.55% - the top three were all on 60.something so we weren't far off and thankfully the error didn't have an impact! We got some 7s too. There were two judges and the judge at A is a listed FEI judge and judges the top level for para-dressage so she knows her stuff, so I was very chuffed with our score. The comments were mostly about his contact and curling up in stretchy-trot and free walk. His default is to go along behind the bit as though he's in draw-reins so the latter was expected, I need to check the video to work out the contact comment. I was just so chuffed that he was rideable and relaxed that I don't remember any problems with contact!
After the dressage a friend asked if I fancy a hack to cool off. Beas River is next to Hong Kong golf course where the 2008 Olympic cross country was held and they are lucky enough to have some nice hacking tracks. It was such a treat to get a hack and Classy was a star! Hopefully he'll be my happy hacker one day My friend's horse went loopy when we turned for home but Classy just walked along with his ears pricked and not an ounce of tension, it was a real surprise and a very good one at that.
We had a few hours off for lunch and chilling, then the 60cm jumping. We managed a clear round but it was a bit sticky in places - the course was very windy with a lot of doubling-back so I focused on getting good corners more than a forwards canter and it showed! We had one down in the jump-off when Classy backed off the colourful double and chipped in but he was a good boy and we managed the odd turn between the double and the next oxer. Then I tagged along with some other riders from our yard who were cooling off with a ride around the cross-country field and Classy impressed again - he completely ignored the dogs who charged at the horses & the kids on tricycles yelling at us from the family area next door, happily popped over a tiny log and calmly cantered up a mound when we got left behind. Poor boy was exhausted by the time we got back to the stable (as was I!). I think we'll both sleep well tonight
If you managed to get through all that, here's the interesting bit:
Video of our SJ:
Pics of our hack around the golf course (apologies for the mini-mohican - he's growing out a bridle trim and the hairgel wasn't enough to stick it down!!):
Today was the penultimate show of our season here in Hong Kong. Our final show will be on Wednesday (a holiday here, yay!!) and it's the dressage Horse of the Year Show. We won't be doing the jumping HOYS as it starts at over 1m - maybe next year?!?!
Today was the third time I'd attempted to take Classy to a dressage competition at Beas River (big fancy country club and equestrian centre). The first ended in a withdrawal when Classy was so tense that I couldn't ride him at all - leg on resulted in explosions and the forward gear was pretty much unknown. His airs above the ground were fantastic though
At the second show, we managed to complete the test with a dismal 47.5% and a 'calmly ridden' comment 
So my aim today was to have a calm, relaxed test and any other improvement would be a bonus!Thankfully Classy was lovely and calm today. He had one or two leaps and squeals in the warm-up but he knuckled down. Quite a few horses were spooking in the arena but not Classy - he stayed mostly quite focused though stupid rider got an error of course. It was my first test in a long arena and I did a diagonal from R instead of from B (I think! I learn tests by pattern not numbers) and realised my mistake about 5 metres in, which was too late to adjust. We got 4th place with 59.55% - the top three were all on 60.something so we weren't far off and thankfully the error didn't have an impact! We got some 7s too. There were two judges and the judge at A is a listed FEI judge and judges the top level for para-dressage so she knows her stuff, so I was very chuffed with our score. The comments were mostly about his contact and curling up in stretchy-trot and free walk. His default is to go along behind the bit as though he's in draw-reins so the latter was expected, I need to check the video to work out the contact comment. I was just so chuffed that he was rideable and relaxed that I don't remember any problems with contact!
After the dressage a friend asked if I fancy a hack to cool off. Beas River is next to Hong Kong golf course where the 2008 Olympic cross country was held and they are lucky enough to have some nice hacking tracks. It was such a treat to get a hack and Classy was a star! Hopefully he'll be my happy hacker one day
My friend's horse went loopy when we turned for home but Classy just walked along with his ears pricked and not an ounce of tension, it was a real surprise and a very good one at that.We had a few hours off for lunch and chilling, then the 60cm jumping. We managed a clear round but it was a bit sticky in places - the course was very windy with a lot of doubling-back so I focused on getting good corners more than a forwards canter and it showed! We had one down in the jump-off when Classy backed off the colourful double and chipped in but he was a good boy and we managed the odd turn between the double and the next oxer. Then I tagged along with some other riders from our yard who were cooling off with a ride around the cross-country field and Classy impressed again - he completely ignored the dogs who charged at the horses & the kids on tricycles yelling at us from the family area next door, happily popped over a tiny log and calmly cantered up a mound when we got left behind. Poor boy was exhausted by the time we got back to the stable (as was I!). I think we'll both sleep well tonight
If you managed to get through all that, here's the interesting bit:
Video of our SJ:
Pics of our hack around the golf course (apologies for the mini-mohican - he's growing out a bridle trim and the hairgel wasn't enough to stick it down!!):
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
Weldone Classy and weldone you 
