Post by racaille on Oct 12, 2011 2:43:00 GMT
Sunday saw our fourth competition in a row (I say OUR, since I'm the mug who drives the trailer!) and the teenager was very tired - she gets up at 5.30am to get to school most days too.
We arrived in the dark and Jana was first on in the dressage and frankly the teenager didn't have enough time to warm her up properly. They did a pretty poor test, Jana was very stiff and tense. But she was great in the XC and did her best to get the teenager out of trouble in the SJ and were going clear until the very last jump, when the teenager just stopped working a fraction too soon and Jana could not manage it on her own and brought the bar down. She finished 9th out of 12. Not so good, but not eliminated so it's all good experience.
Rackers was on form. He did a decent dressage test and was magnificent on the XC - they came in one second within the optimum time and surprised everyone by thundering through the arrival line just in time! After those two parts he was lying 5th out of 17 and I think I made a mistake by telling the teenager that which put too much pressure on her.
I don't know what went wrong in the SJ, unless she was just tired, because she rode him all wrong. She brought him back too much between jumps and he does not have the power or experience to do that, he needs to keep up a steady rhythm. He started to bring down bars and the pair of them got cross with each other - he threw a tantrum because he could not understand what she wanted and she got crosser with him for throwing a hissy fit .. and so it went on and more bars came down until she left him alone and he managed the last half without problems. But 20 penalties!
The YO then had a long chat with her about the difference between the two ponies and how she has to really concentrate on how each one works. I was proud that the teenager took it in good part, not sulking or throwing a tantrum (like some of the misses!!!!!).
We now have three weeks off - YAY! ;D
We arrived in the dark and Jana was first on in the dressage and frankly the teenager didn't have enough time to warm her up properly. They did a pretty poor test, Jana was very stiff and tense. But she was great in the XC and did her best to get the teenager out of trouble in the SJ and were going clear until the very last jump, when the teenager just stopped working a fraction too soon and Jana could not manage it on her own and brought the bar down. She finished 9th out of 12. Not so good, but not eliminated so it's all good experience.
Rackers was on form. He did a decent dressage test and was magnificent on the XC - they came in one second within the optimum time and surprised everyone by thundering through the arrival line just in time! After those two parts he was lying 5th out of 17 and I think I made a mistake by telling the teenager that which put too much pressure on her.
I don't know what went wrong in the SJ, unless she was just tired, because she rode him all wrong. She brought him back too much between jumps and he does not have the power or experience to do that, he needs to keep up a steady rhythm. He started to bring down bars and the pair of them got cross with each other - he threw a tantrum because he could not understand what she wanted and she got crosser with him for throwing a hissy fit .. and so it went on and more bars came down until she left him alone and he managed the last half without problems. But 20 penalties!
The YO then had a long chat with her about the difference between the two ponies and how she has to really concentrate on how each one works. I was proud that the teenager took it in good part, not sulking or throwing a tantrum (like some of the misses!!!!!).
We now have three weeks off - YAY! ;D
. It will be even more interesting to see what happens when the teenager figures out how to ride them to their full potential. 
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
