BMDCTA Dressage Schooling Show 2009


				Lewis Lane Ranch BMDCTA Dressage Schooling Show 2009



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Some stars were born!!

Leading over the bridge

My first class was Dressage Trail. Turns out it isn't anything like trail class at other shows. It's set up like a Dressage test with a long list of movements and criteria and everything. Melissa read it for me.

We had to walk in, halt, trot over ground poles twice, trot through weave poles twice, move a bucket from the top of one jump standard to another, turn on the forehand twice, halt, dismount, lead the horse over a bridge, mount again, and halt.

I messed up in a couple places. I found out after the class I was supposed to dismount to the mounting block, then run the stirrups up. Then I was supposed to mount from the other mounting block. So, I got marked down for that. Then at the end, I was concentrating too hard and missed which letter to halt at and whether to get there walking or trotting. We ended up with 4th place, so not bad. We got a 75.8%. I was quite pleased since I had never done anything like that before.

Trotting over ground poles

Weaving through trot poles

Trotting in Intro B

Halt for the salute in Training 1

Bayberry and Melissa trot a circle

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Melissa nailed Intro B to the point she is banned from showing it again. She scored the hi-point for the day with a 79%; no one came close to beating her. She got the blue for Intro B, and took home the beautiful Hi-Point award; a Dressage saddle pad embroidered with the BMDCTA initials on one side and a trotting dressage horse and rider on the other (curtesy of Paula Post). She was thrilled! They worked so hard this last year, everyone was thrilled for her and demanded she get brave and start schooling canter!

Turn on the forehand

Free-walk on long-rein

My second class was Intro B, a walk/trot. I was SO nervous. I took in a whip just in case she really slugged down on me, but I didn't really need it. As I headed into my first trot circle I realized I was earlier and the letter I was supposed to do my circle at was still ahead! I had already gone a couple steps off the wall, so I covered my mistake by just straightening out so it looked like we faded off track instead of completing screwing up. It worked pretty well, no one in the audience knew what I'd tried to do until I told them how I had started my E-B circle at S.

I had worked hard to get a good long-rein, free-walk on two diagonals and we got a pretty good score on that. I was really proud of her. I think she even snorted in a relaxed manner. We ended up with a 69.5% and 2nd place! I cried. That was a lot of hard work!

Cantering in Training 1

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Our last class was Training 1. I was so nervous I was starting to feel light-headed. I did okay on out entrance, nailed the halt, it's beautiful, look at that picture! We got through our first trot circle, our left lead canter, and did another nice long-rein, free-walk. We did our second trot circle and headed into our right lead canter circle. I was really worried about this transition because it took place in the wet, deep end of the arena and she had slowed down there in the other two tests. I asked for the canter and got it, then looked down and was sure she was on the wrong lead, it felt like it! I dropped to trot a few strides and asked again. This time, it felt perfect and we finished up the canter and made a nice turn onto centerline, made a decent halt/salute and I tried to breathe normally exiting. I was shaking I was so nervous, even a few minutes after I was done and dismounted.

When I got off my horse Melissa informed me I had gotten the right lead first try and didn't have to break gait! So, our biggest fault in the class was because of ME! I feel bad for screwing it up for Dazzle and from the pictures, she looks pissed; like she knew I was messing up her chance to shine, but I was still proud of us for making it through.

We ended the day with a 57.4% for Training 1 and beat adults to get 4th place. It is a great starting place to work from for next year. I was just so proud of Dazzle for behaving like an angel ALL day. I was so happy with our scores and our ribbons and how nice Dazzle's mane turned out. It was awesome.

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