Anne Marie puts the finishing touches to Woody.
Today was dressage day for all three boys. Derg Boru went first in the two star and Selena phoned me right after the test to give me the low down. She said he was lazy and he had broken in the counter canter, but that the test was better than the last one. At the end of today all the two star scores were up and he is sitting in a very respectable tenth place after dressage. It’s a big two star division so we are very proud of him.
Next in was Woody. He was a good boy, but didn’t make his extensions extended enough. Medium and extended trot and the extended walk are the movements he finds most difficult. The flying changes used to be his bugbear but he has worked those out and for the most part he is getting them right. The extensions are still a struggle for him, he is a big long horse and getting his hind end under him enough, quickly enough at the moment of the transition is still a struggle. Dressage is always a work in progress. There are a lot to go in his division tomorrow.
Last but not least was Zephyr who did his very best. At the end of the ride the judge at C stuck her head out and said it was the nicest ride she had seen that day. However, he didn’t stay ‘nicest’ for long. Sarah Kozumplik Murphy crept ahead of him and then that darn Liz Halliday Sharp did a stunning dressage test to lead the division overnight. Selena and Zephyr are in third place overnight with a lot of horses still to go.
All three of Selena’s horses went within three hours this morning and she doesn’t have anyone to ride in the competition tomorrow. I imagine she will be course walking, course walking and then course walking. Three FEI horses all in different divisions with each course to be walked three to four times each. A lot of miles.
