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Post by fimacg on Jan 7, 2009 15:54:56 GMT
Just got my times for my dressage tests on Saturday. I am the 1st one of the day (not sure if that is good or bad  ) at 8am for the 1st class (prelim 1) and then at 9.40 for my second class. The competition venue is a 40 minute drive from here (longer if icy) and I will need 20 mins to warm up, I I gues I am leaving the house with Brave at 6.40am ish...  remind me again why we do this |
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Post by duckles on Jan 7, 2009 16:27:27 GMT
Those times are fine for summer but January!!! In Scotland!! What sadists run this??? WIll it be bright at 8am?? Its not very light here yet at that time.
I think you great to be doing this and as you will be home nice and early after that early start (unless you stay to collect your rosettes!) you can post all the juicy details and pictures and have them ready for our afternoon coffee!!
Seriously, have a great day saturday, good luck and enjoy it. I am sure Brave will be brilliant
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Post by ronansmum on Jan 9, 2009 9:33:44 GMT
LOL @ Duckles. ;D ;D ;D Well said!! But, to answer your question NO it will be barely lught at 8am and pitchblack at 6.40!! Good luck Fi, have a great outing and all the very best!!!!  |
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Post by kitcat on Jan 9, 2009 14:22:03 GMT
Good luck Fi. You will be great . Will it be too dark for pics???
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 9, 2009 22:51:58 GMT
Good luck Fi tomorrow, hope the roads etc are not too frosty - You and Brave go Knock um dead  |
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haffyfan
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 10, 2009 13:11:29 GMT
oops a bit late for good lucks but hope it went well and the arena wasn't frozen over
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 10, 2009 17:17:05 GMT
How did you both get on? The weather here today is awful, hope you had it better!!
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Post by brigadier on Jan 10, 2009 17:25:30 GMT
Sorry Fi missed this but please tell all- cant wait to hear! And yes- with those times Id need reminding too!
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Post by fimacg on Jan 11, 2009 14:54:55 GMT
I am very pleased considering it was our 1st ever outing, and 1st time I have ever taken him into an indoor arena, so I really didn't know what to expect.
Brave pretty much behaved himself, was a bit spooky initially in the car park and warm up arena, he then settled and started going well. then into the main arena. They had put all the jumps up against the back walls with the poles vertical in the corner, and flowerpots of big fake flowers along both long sides. well we planted and couldn't move initially. Then every flower pot held a monster which we had to stop snort at go into reverse before he decided that the were not going to eat him.
The judge was really kind and gave me about 5 minutes to get him used to the sights. but in my efforts to get him going I managed to forget the test (plus I had visualised it with the car at the other end) so I rode the whole test backwards. Again they were really kind and just gave me 1 error so we scored 54.7% in that test.
he then stood really quitely in the trailer with his hay net until it was time to come out and warm up again. This time I really felt like he was needing a pee, and the monkey will only pee on grass... was there any in sight... not a chance...
He was a lot more settled second time around (and I remembered the test) and whilst he kept backing off (cos he wanted to pee) I had to keep puching him forwards to get the quality of trot I know he could produce, which meant I was not that worried about where his head was.
we scored 57% in the second test (the 1st one combined with the affiliated horses), consistent comments across both were "showing nice steps" and "could be rounder". and the standard of competition was really high because the unaffiliated class was a qualifer for a big comptetiton later in the year and affliated classes were combined with the unaffiliated, so the judge was marking both together and then the results were allocated to the affiliated and unaffiliated classes.
All told I am chuffed to bits with the boy. I do have a video of the 1st test which should be emailed to me by H, who came along to help, but after the fiasco of riding it backwards she called the second test for me so no video or photos of that.
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 11, 2009 15:38:31 GMT
You must be thrilled Fi, so happy for you. Brave was such a good boy Can't wait to see the vid! |
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Post by fleabitten on Jan 11, 2009 18:04:27 GMT
Glad youre pleased overall. There has to be a first time for everything!  You could try hiring out an indoor every now and then to get him used to it and just mucking about, if you wanted. Cant wait to see the video as well  |
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Post by duckles on Jan 11, 2009 18:54:02 GMT
excellent scores for first time - you must be so chuffed. You handled everything so well, especially those horrible flower pots and those dreadful forgetting the test moments. I hope you will be doing more
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Post by fimacg on Jan 12, 2009 11:04:44 GMT
I have popped a short video of our warm up in the video section and will try to get the actual test posted as well, file sizes proving very big at the moment.
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Post by racaille on Jan 12, 2009 12:13:21 GMT
Absolutely brilliant. What stars you both are to tackle killer flower pots and nerves with the added difficulty of riding the test backwards ;D Well done both of you!
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Post by brigadier on Jan 12, 2009 19:51:28 GMT
Absolutely brilliant. What stars you both are to tackle killer flower pots and nerves with the added difficulty of riding the test backwards ;D Well done both of you! that was some test Fi, Id have died if my first test was accompanied by flowerpots! Not suprised you forgot the test! Onwards and upwards! |
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Post by ronansmum2 on Jan 14, 2009 10:20:49 GMT
Well done Fi.... I say that will double bells on ;D ;D because the others will not be aware of the disgusting, awful, foul conditions you had to drive, warm up and ride in (even if it was indoors)...  It was gale force winds here and I am a bit further south than you so it must have been hellish. Anyway, congratulations, :)that is the first one under your belt. I echo Brig, Onwards and Upwards.. modified to add a smiley and correct a typo. Nothing changes... |
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) at 8am for the 1st class (prelim 1) and then at 9.40 for my second class.
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
