After my test, my husband’s ring was running behind so I had time to get untack Levi and put him away between our two tests. In hind site, it might have been better to keep Levi over at the ring as their separation anxiety was both unnecessary and annoying. I got back to the trailer to untack Levi, took the bridle off with the reins over his head and he tried to make a break for it. I had to wrestle him down with just the reins while he screamed for his long lost love. I really did not want to be “that” person whose horse gallops through the horse park screaming all the way. Luckily, I was able to hold him down with the reins and get the halter on before he could embarrass me.
Unfortunately, the two of them continued to scream to each other the entire time my husband was trying to warm up and a bit during his test. At other events we’ve been to the stabling and arenas are far enough away that even if they get antsy, they can’t hear each other and usually settle down to work. At Camelot, they could feed off of each other. Eugene also got the arena furthest from the warm up and that sense of loneliness probably contributed to his attitude. He wasn’t bad, just distracted and screaming a little bit as he carried along.
1. A: Enter working trot, C: Track left
Judge’s Comments: “Bit braced in neck. Needs bend through corner. Active.”
Score: 7.0
Such a pretty backdrop
2. E: Circle left 20 meters, working trot
Judge’s Comments: “Bit losing energy. Needs bend. Some irregular steps”
Score: 6.0
3. A-C: Serpentine of two loops working trot
Judge’s Comments: “Head twist instead of right bend. Bit braced in neck.”
Score: 6.5
Serpentines are hard mmm’kay
4. B: Circle right, 20 meters working trot
Judge’s Comments: “Better this side. Bit braced in neck.”
Score: 7.0
dusty
5. Between F and A: Medium walk
Judge’s Comments: “Energetic walk, but slightly lateral”
Score: 6.5
This is tricky for Eugene. The more forward he goes at the walk, the more his gaitedness comes out. It’s not his fault he’s gaited.
6. K-X-M: Free walk
Judge’s Comments: “Needs stretch over topline and longer strides”
Score: 6.0
He really just does not stretch out in free walk
7. Approaching M: Develop medium walk, M-C: Medium walk
Judge’s Comments: “slightly lateral”
Score: 6.5
he’s still playing with avoid the bit by going BTV
8. C: Working trot
Judge’s Comments: “Needs bend through corner. Counter flexed.”
Score: 6.0
9. E-B: Half circle left 20 meters working trot, Between center line & B: Working canter left lead
Judge’s Comments: “Above bit to canter”
Score: 6.0
indeed
10. B: Circle left 20 meters
Judge’s Comments: “Quite unbalanced. Counterflexed at times.”
Score: 5.5
At least they got the left lead on the first try
11. Between B and M: Working trot
Judge’s Comments: “Needs balance to trot. Neck pulled Right. Irregular steps.”
Score: 5.5
(I got no picture of this)
12. H-X-F: Change rein, working trot
Judge’s Comments: “Needs bend through corner. Energetic”
Score: 6.5
Always needs bend
13. E-B: Half circle right 20 meters, Between center line & B: working trot Working canter right lead
Judge’s Comments: “Above bit and reluctant”
Score: 6.0
This was actually a really generous score and comment for this depart. He did a half depart closer to centerline, awkward trantered a few steps, and then resumed cantering like a second before passing B.
14. B: Circle right 20 meters
Judge’s Comments: “Bit better this side. Needs self carriage.”
Score: 6.0
6.5 is still pretty good for them in canter work
15. Between B and F: Working trot
Judge’s Comments: “Prep transition. Above bit. Needs balance.
Score: 6.0
looks like above the bit even from here
16. A: Down center line
Judge’s Comments: no comment
Score: 7.0
He can’t bend, but he can do straight.
17. X: Halt, salute
Judge’s Comments: no comment
Score: 7.5
Gosh he’s good at halting.
Gaits: 6.5
Impulsion: 6.0
Submission: 6.0
Rider: 6.0
Final comment: I cannot read the judge’s handwriting. There’s something about lateral and then: “show better bend, self carriage and balance.”
Final Score: 37.1
In typical fashion, my husband left the test saying it went terribly and we were all (Kate, Nicole, Me, the Judge) like no, it was pretty good. It was in fact, their best dressage score at a rated event – even compared to their BN scores. My husband was also in an open division – and their division was pretty competitive – but they still managed to be 15th out of 22.
Eugene is looking so fancy! Who needs all that bending all the time anyway?
He looks so good!