Upcoming Conrad Schumacher clinic!

In a couple of weeks I have a 3 day clinic with Conrad Schumacher in Gig Harbor, WA, at the lovely Starr Valley Farms. At this point I haven't decided which horse to ride, it is a toss-up between the 3 FEI horses: Escorial, Victor, and Charismatique. At this point I am leaning towards Charismatique, since he is the one who would really benefit from some outside input. Conrad has seen Escorial and Victor, but he hasn't seen Charismatique. I've always had some stiffness issues with Majek, particularly in the canter, and Conrad is great at working through suppleness problems. Also Mom has always wanted Majek in the clinic, and now I finally feel that we have a solid enough communication to take the extra pressure.
The clinic is not for another week or so, so I have plenty of time to procrastinate on my decision.
Fall is here all of the sudden, I swear it showed up in a day or two. One day it was 90 degrees, the next the high was 45 or 50 and it was raining. Ick! I want summer back.

Successful Regional Championships wraps up show year!!

NO RAIN at Regionals this year!! Summer hung around for the USDF Region 6 Championships, held in late September this year in our backyard (Nampa, ID). Temperatures even topped 90 degrees. Thank goodness, this show is notorious for crappy weather no matter where it is held.
The show itself went very well for all of us. Everyone had a great show and we came home with multiple championships and reserves. Of special note student Paige Haas was Reserve Champion NW Third level Jr/YR and rode both Junior tests for practice, scoring mid-60s! Student Beth Harris won the NW Third level Adult Amateur Championship, and a Reserve and Championship in the Third level Musical Freestyle. Congrats!!
Of my own horses, Charismatique and Victor, battled it out in each class they were entered (the open PSG), and depending on the day, one or the other emerged victorious. The fabulous Victor is finally back on top form after his long lay-up, the first two days he was untouchable with 69+% and 71+% in his two PSG classes. Super expression and flair, combined with precise execution, however, his pirouettes still need work and the engagement needs to be more solid for next year. The bratty younger brother, Charismatique, an 8 year old in his first year at PSG, put in 3 very solid tests, scoring from 65 to 68%. What Victor has in flair and expression when he's on, Majek makes up in consistency and energy. By day 3, Victor was tired and his test showed it, whereas Majek was still just as active and energetic as the first day.
After all was said and done, Victor won the Northwest Open PSG Championship and Majek won the GAIG/USDF Open PSG Championship!
Escorial sat this one out, and is working hard at home to learn the I-2/GP movements. The one-tempis are solid (we can even do them on curved lines and sometimes in a really big canter), but the piaffe/passage still needs work.
Lots to do for next year! Time to rest and then train for the upcoming season.

"Look at the trees beyond the fence!"

I was watching a jumper lesson the other day and an amateur was having some fear issues with the fences. On the approach, she would look down at the jump and worry about the fence itself, and subsequently the horse would either run-out or stop. The instructor had her look up at the trees beyond and ride the line, focusing on keeping the horse straight and keeping her leg on. This simple instruction had the effect of getting the rider to keep the horse on the aids and in front of the leg, rather than allowing the horse to suck back or deviate laterally. Rather than focusing on what she wasn't sure she could do (get over the scary fence), it made the rider think about what she could do (keep the horse straight and forward).

No Woodside CDI :(

Due to the recent outbreak of EHV-1, I decided against attending the Woodside CDI*. I first heard of the outbreak Sunday afternoon, and I was supposed to leave for CA on Tuesday...talk about tight timing! After talking with my vets and doing extensive research online, I decided it would be prudent to stay home and sit this one out.
This show was to be Victor's first CDI, and I was really looking forward to showing both boys (Victor and Escorial) under Hilda and the rest of the CDI judging panel...the standards really are different at the CDI level. But there are always other shows.
At this point it looks like the Central Oregon Classic in Bend, OR, is my next show (where, ironically enough, Hilda is also judging). I have all 3 (!) FEI horses entered. I am debating about attending another CDI but haven't made any final decisions yet.
At least it stopped snowing here!!

ID Festival Re-cap

Last weekend was our area's first big dressage show of the year (one of the few). Victor make his successful come-back after a year long layup to score 64+% in the PSG on Saturday and 65.7% in the Developing Horse class on Sunday. The PSG was much better balanced and organized than the Developing Horse test (which was a bit more messy and had several mistakes), but the judges saw him a little differently.
The big surprise to everyone (not necessarily me) was that Majek beat Victor in both classes! Majek (at 8 years old, and only did Third level last year) won the (fairly large) PSG class with 66.7% on Saturday and scored another 66+% on Sunday in the Developing Horse test. He learned alot about the PSG level in California this year, although we didn't show very well down there I was able to work through his issues and figure out how to best prepare and put together a solid PSG ride. So although Victor has more flamboyance, elasticity, and scope, Majek was able to beat him on consistency, balance and better use of the hind legs.
The young horse Bolero is also becoming a solid show horse, this weekend I warmed up without lunging and he was quite settled and focused. We had some spooking (particularly on Friday and in my first test), but the preparation work I did at home really paid off. He scored 65, 66 and 68+ in his three outings at Training level. This week he learned how to do canter-walk transitions, they were amazingly easy when I got that HUGE canter balanced.
The clients also had a good show, it had its ups and downs (per usual). Some really good rides that exceeded expectations, and some difficult rides that make you want to take up knitting. :) The show was LONG, however, and really exhausting. Nothing like riding at 8:30pm and then getting up at 4:30am the following morning for your 7am ride. Ick!

Victor returns to the show ring in a week!

• Victor has been back in action since November of last year, if you've been following his saga he has been laid up from a quarter crack for over a year. It was a really difficult decision to make, he was going fantastic (when he was sound)...even broke 70% as a 7 year old in the PSG. But in the end I had to let him rest and heal, overall his long-term soundness was more important than getting another show in.


• So his first show back is our Idaho Festival Dressage show May 7-8, he will be showing PSG and the Developing Horse tests (since he's 9 now, he's still eligible). He's ironically enough competing against Majek, who has just jumped forward in his abilities since the CA shows. Both are competing in the same tests, will be interesting to see who comes out on top...obnoxious (Majek) versus showman (Victor)?? Flashy but out of practice (Victor) versus flashy but green (Majek)?? Monkey will be sitting this one out, resting up for later shows. I also have a bunch of great clients going to this show, so I will be busy!!


• I have also signed up for the Woodside CDI* in mid May. Call me a glutton for punishment, I decided I really wanted to do another LONG drive to CA this year (13 hours via mapquest). I will be taking Monkey again (do the PSG/I-1 one more time in the CDI) as well as Victor (PSG in CDI, to get out, and Developing Horse) and Bolero (get that young horse out and about some more!). I used to live about 10 minutes from the Horse Park at Woodside (on Stanford campus), so I guess I can reminisce on my college years (or not). ;)


• I hope to keep the blog updated while I'm in CA.

Back home after Rancho Murieta CDI

• I had some trouble during my time at the Rancho Murieta CDI last week getting network access, so I was unable to update my blog during that time. The weather was a little less exciting at Rancho Murieta for a few days; I'm NEVER happy to go to California and have it be freezing cold. I went from 100+ degrees at Burbank the week earlier to 32 at night one night in Rancho Murieta. Brrr!! I was walking around in my down coat complaining to anyone who would listen.


• Escorial was again super at this show, I had a bit of a slow start in the PSG with only 63.8. He decided to show off his one-time changes, which have become really easy for him. So he did them in the 4s and even the right pirouette (I mean, really, how do you do that???). Expensive mistakes that really dropped my score. One judge, however, loved him and had him at 66% even with those mistakes, including an 8 on gaits and several 8s in the trot tour. The I-1 was much better, very clean and precise ride to score 65.8 and end up 6th in that huge I-1 class (28? or so horses). The classes were competitive, with many good combinations, but no real standouts (no one scored into the 70s in the CDI all weekend).


• The I-1 freestyle went very well again, I was less nervous this time around, so I felt like I rode much better. I had some mistakes in the 3s, but otherwise a very clean ride to score 67.5 and place 3rd. Two judges had me at 68, one at 69, but the two side judges were less impressed which dropped my score down.


• Charismatique was really solid this show, and starting to get over his relative inexperience at the PSG level. In both open PSG classes he scored 63% with a couple little mistakes. He was absolutely fantastic in the Developing Horse class in terms of his self-carriage and power, but had several big mistakes (missed a change between the pirouettes and I couldn't get it, so had to walk and regroup, cantered down centerline after the first halt, several mistakes in the 3s, then like an idiot I went off course). But still very happy with 61.5 from the CDI judges and 1st in the class (only 3 in it). The trot work was almost straight 7s from the CDI panel.


• Bolero's first test was another spooky mess, then I got an error for doing a transition too early. So another disappointing 61. I finally got pissed about only getting 61s on this talented horse, so warmed up with much more determination for the next test. He was much more settled and on the aids that time around, and even when he did look, came right back. So he finally lived up to his ability, scoring 70.8 and winning the open Training level test 3.


• The trip home was long (as usual) but very uneventful. Mom again drove home with me (thanks Mom!!). So I'm back home in Boise. Now a (very) short break before I start gearing up for the next show, a High Performance qualifier the first weekend in May here in the Boise area. I have several students going to this show, and Victor will be making his return to the show arena at PSG/Developing Horse level. Charismatique will also be attending (showing the same level), Escorial gets a much deserved break before he starts working on the I-2 again.