It’s all over bar the prize giving ceremony. I watched the dressage and he was fabulous for about half the test then got a bit on his forehand after the right turn on the haunches and then he got a little crooked in his neck on the left rein canter and slowed right down. Selena was giving it her all but she couldn’t get him to speed up again in the canter causing a couple of bounds in the serpentine with the changes in it where he was lacking impulsion. However…there was lots to like. It was better than his Bromont test and she is going to adjust her warm up times accordingly for her next time competing in heat. The more tests you do under pressure, in heat, in the rain, after travelling, in the cold/wind, the more you know about your horse and thus you can factor all those things into consideration when you are planning your next warm up. She was disappointed in the low score but still encouraged that his training is progressing and he is beginning to understand collection and self balance even if it is not always easy to maintain. When he came to us his dressage was certainly his weakest point, however, since then he has shown flashes of brilliance.
The show jumping was late in the day. He has been going clear or with one rail all year, mostly clear so we were disappointed again. I think Karen O’Connor might have hit the nail on the head when she considered whether the last two horses were being affected by the quickly lengthening shadows in front and back of the jumps. It certainly was very late to show jump at a venue that is not lit to prevent just that very thing from happening as the sun lowers. Anyway, no excuses, he has to do better than that and I know Selena will be addressing that before his next outing.
Finally Cross Country and by now I am a nervous wreck. I have watched both dressage and stadium and although not disasters in any way shape or form, they were not what we hoped for. By now I am a basket case and I have a hard time watching Selena at ‘outings that matter’. She is SO hard on herself (I guess you have to be) when she makes an error. She bests herself up and dwells on it until she gets the chance to go into the ring and correct it. I think that top level riders and competitors are probably all of that ilk. It’s one thing to do it at home in good weather, take as long/short as you like to warm up, no pressure – and another thing altogether to pull it off in the ring, whatever weather happens to hit you, at the prescribed time whether you are ready or not….definitely under pressure. You have to practice ‘doing it’ under the constraints and pressures of competition. I think that is why multiple competition horses is an important factor for the future of Canadian riders at the international levels. We need Canadian owners to step forward and form syndicates the way the Americans have done. Their syndication program has been very successful.
Cross Country was clear with 2.8 time. Woody redeemed himself with a fast accurate flowing round which left everyone feeling good and looking forward to his next outing. He also clinched second place for the Canadian Team in the first Nations Cup held in North America. I saw the beginning and the end of his round but I was too nervous to watch the middle…I hear it went very well LOL
1st USA
2nd Canada
3rd UK
From front to back, Gina, Maple, Peanuts and Gatsby hacking with the working students on Saturday
Here at Balsam Hall we have had our three new students move in. So far so good…..
