A Game of Two Halves...

The Nationals are over and what a weekend it was.

Des was once again a rock star, having a very full weekend competing in the Young Dressage Horse classes and also the Level 2 Accumulator Final and Championship classes. He was second in the 5yo YDH class to the eventual Champion of Champions winner, second in the Accumulator Final, which was enough for him to take out the overall title for the South Island season and third in the two Championship classes to come third overall. He was beautifully behaved all weekend and gained many new admirers. I fully rate this horse and know he has earned a couple of weeks in the paddock. Actually he'll hate being left out - it'll only be a matter of days before he starts pacing although Bruno over the fence will hopefully keep him company.

Gosh, on the other hand, had a disaster of a weekend in the ring. A minor change I had made to his tack at the South Island Champs lead to a complete meltdown in the week leading up to Nationals. I changed the bit position back on the second day but his lack of confidence was apparent and lead to virtually non-existent piaffe all weekend. This was very disappointing as the piaffe is his strength – the one he did do scored very highly, but in these tests with the scoring weighted to 30% being piaffe/passage and the transitions between, this was extremely costly. Of course I am kicking myself, especially as he had been training so well (in a different bridle) in the lead up to Nationals. All I can do now is continue to do all I can to restore his confidence between now and HOY and cross my fingers we get a performance I know we are capable of. I am extremely heartened by a great schooling session today – I hope we are over the hump!

If you are at HOY, have a great show. If you see me, come and say hi - although not right before a class or you may not get such a gracious reception!! I'll be hanging around the food stands - hopefully the whitebait man is back...
Chat soon!

It's a long way to go to come second...

Sorry! An old family saying...

In truth we met or exceded all the goals I had prior to going to Gore for the South Island Champs. Both boys performed exceptionally well and travelled well. Des won the 5yo class, was just second in the first Level 2 test and won the challenge test on the second day. I had made the choice not to put studs in for the show, reasoning it wasn't that important a show and an unecessary cost. Des spent the first two days slipping and sliding all over the place but being honest with it, however but the third day he flipped me the metaphorical bird and wouldn't go forward. Made the test a little tricky to ride and when we made a couple of mistakes we ended up down the ranks in sixth place. This was enough to cost us the Championship title and even the reserve - although that was very close - we were just pipped on countback! Not the reason we went down to Gore anyway but it was hard for me not to be disappointed in not bringing the big ribbon home.

Gosh on the other hand coped well with the conditions. He went out every day and improved in some way. Three consistent, if not startling tests were enough for the Reserve Championship at Grand Prix level. This was well beyond my expectations going into the show - at this stage we are still after that happy experience in the ring - I need to get him comfortable with that intensity of work & questions before we ask what we are truly capable of.

I'm sorry there are no pictures - there was an official photographer there so I didn't get the slave to bring mine out which I should have done. Can you believe that after 3 days and 4 tests there were none of Des at all? None of the Inter II either - after that I lost interest in going over and searching for non-existant shots!

Gore and the Southland Dressage group put on an outstanding show, one I'd gladly travel to again. Now if we can just get them to work on the weather...

My new favourite photo

Definitely not perfect, but I love this one. From our Musical Freestyle at the Grand National.

Just had the most amazing weekend training on both the boys with Bill Noble. That man is genius and so are both my horses! Looking forward to the trip to Gore this week. Wish us happy travels and if you're there, do come up and say hi.

The Grand National Show

And what a show! I think the Grand National Show has to be my favourite of the season. It is well organised, friendly with fantasti facilities and the glitz and glamour that is so often missing. The entertainment is outstanding and it is a great chance to mix and socialise with the 'showies' that we see so little of throughout the season.

The boys were awesome. I took Des along just to expose him to the atmosphere. He was entered in the showing classes - he doesn't need to do anymore Novice tests. It did take a class or two for him to get used to the distractions - we were indoors with a large public gallery and there were lights and flags and mirrors and stages. He is NOT a show horse but still managed to come home with a fistful of ribbons and a whole new legion of admirers. I was especially excited to get placed in the Rebecca Peters Memorial class. This is a kind of 'Supreme' for the Novice horses and in memory of a very special person who was a show rider and jockey and who died in a trackwork accident 18 months ago. Her mum was there to present the award.

In the Novice Saddle Hunter title class

The Rebecca Peters Memorial

First Year Under Saddle Hunter Hack

Gosh was there to compete in the Grand Prix and the GP Musical Freestyle or 'Kur'. He did some good work in the GP but some unexpected mistakes - for some reason he wasn't keen to piaffe in the ring, he decided not to change in the pirouette line, I completely missed the count in our twos and of course our ones are still a work in progress. He also unblanace in his extension, which is unusual for him. However his lateral work was brilliant - we nailed the zigzag, which has been quite a difficult movement to come to terms with. And as usual his passage drew much favourable attention.

Yesterday in the Kur we really had some fun. He was still fragile in the piaffe, we had even less success with the ones and the twos were swinging but some still absolutely brilliant work, especially the half passes, the pirouettes and the passage. We ended up with an overall score of 62% which I'm thrilled with. We were 4th out of 4 but the highest score was just 65% so we are all very close.

So from here it is just mileage and training on. I need to work out how to keep him relaxed in the piaffe in test situations, we need to continue to work on consolidating the changes and just generally work on our arena craft. Des is almost on cruise until after the National Champs when we will start to push on with his training.

Next stop: Gore on the 13th-15th February for the South Island Champs.

Hi honey! We're Home!

2 days, four stages, 14 hours driving, one ferry and 1000 kms later...

Phew! It's a long way. The boys behaved perfectly and arrived home in great condition, thanks in no small part to the helpfulness and hospitality of Gayle, Carolyn and Angie on the way and the great company of Victoria. We were all very glad to be home and have slotted back in to the routine of riding and everyday life. It's only two weeks today until the Grand National Show and we have plenty to do!

The family holiday was fantastic - we played tourist and visited family & friends and generally enjoyed beng together. We saw glowworms and caves and kiwi and sharks and waterfalls and climbed mountains and swam in the surf and rode hydroslides and water-skied and enjoyed the hot pools and ate good food (including New Zealands best ice-creams at Pokeno) and drank good wine and fished and saw the New Year in in the rain under a leaking awning at the Raglan campgrounds (the rain stopped long enough for some incredible fireworks) and it was brilliant!

Some pictures from our holiday:

The kids enjoying a cart ride with Steve & Crystal from Brooklands.

Harper & Clive on the beach at the Raglan estuary.

Bridal Veil Falls, Raglan.

A shark eyeing me up off Motiti in the Bay of Plenty. No swimming off the boat for us that day!

The best ice-cream in New Zealand - Pokeno of course!

And while all this was going on I managed to ride the boys and had lessons most days. The training was awesome. The difference when there are knowledgeable eyes on the ground day in and day out is incredible. I am so excited by the future for both of them and just hope I can keep the momentum going now we are home. Bill is down next weekend again for two days which will help. There weren't many photos taken and none of Da Vinci, but you might enjoy these of Gosh.

Warming up in working trot.Some piaffe steps.Working Canter.

And just to prove that the hard work is universal, here I am training the pirouettes - with no stirrups!

And because I know you'll all enjoy this - I managed to fall off Gosh for the first time ever! Just a silly spook that caught me unawares, the only thing hurt was my pride. If you're unaware just how talented Gosh is at this unrequired movement, you may want to check out this old video.

I will leave you with that, I still have a horse to ride and boxes to muck and with two kids at home to entertain that's an afternoon full!

AMDG photos

A couple of photos of Gosh doing his first ever GP Kur at the AMDG Champs. Thanks to the photographic skills of Judith!

And a very cute shot Judith took of us waiting for the prizegiving. On the left is Victoria Wall and her lovely 4yo Astek Gymnast and I'm on the right on Da Vinci. Victoria was Reserve Champion Level 1 while we were Reserve Champion Level 2. The bridesmaids!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Only two more sleeps and the kids are positively bursting with excitement. I am, too, but more because on Saturday we are going to the north island and I will be reunited with my boys. They have both been enjoying some R&R at Brooklands Park, supposedly taking time out in the paddock but I have a sneaking suspicion that Bill won't have been able to keep his hands off Gosh...

We rounded out the spring with a couple of good solid shows. At Ashburton Des performed well for good percentages and proved again to have a great competition temperament. He was placed in both tests and was winning the SI Accumulator series last time I checked. Gosh did some rather fabulous work but scored disappointingly after deciding there were gremlins in the end goal lines of the rugby feild we were competing on. The grounds for the Ashburton Champs are always a bit dodgy with the A&P show a couple of weeks before and a SJ in the interim and both boys were feeling it in the end. However a well run show and lovely people to deal with.

I do have one comment to make regarding the prize givings, though... Please, those that are calling the results out - do NOT say 'first and only competitor...' It does take something away from the riders performance and they have worked very hard to get there. At Ashburton it happened for both the Inter II and also for the Para rider. In both cases, if the announcer wants to give either of us competition, then they are more than welcome in that arena with us!

After Ashburton it was time to plan and pack before heading up to the North Island. My (much) older sister was very inconveniently having her 50th Birthday Party in Hamilton the same weekend as Canterbury Champs so I packed the boys in the truck and took them with me. Some of you who cross over to the dark side and event might know my sister - Sally Millar from the Eventing Board... we had an awesome weekend with extended family and friends. I don't want to go soppy but I do have the greatest family; funny, intelligent, fun and about as diverse as they come. This is Sally (on the right) and her partner, Wendy.

From there it was over to the magical Brooklands Park in Waingaro, run by Carolyn McCree and Steve Gould and the base of Bill Noble. We had a couple of good days training before heading up to Auckland Manukau Festival of Dressage at Clevedon.

Da Vinci was incredible. For a 5yo at his first away show, first two day show and third ever dressage start - not to mention the days of travel to get there - it is hard to imagine how he could have gone better. He won two classes (including the challenge test by 4%) was second in a test by 0.5% where he litterally fell over after slipping on the glass like ground conditions and fourth in the first test when his rider was in a bit of a dream world and he broke in one lengthening. His temperament was rock steady throughout. In the end he was just pipped for the Championship by Ashleigh William's divine Papanui Don Juan. Don Juan (or 'Jedi') is a stunning individual, in his second year of competition with a very successful prelim year under his belt last season. Interestingly he is also by De Niro and is, in my view, a horse to watch for the future. Anyway, we were delighted to end up 'bridesmaid' with our first wide dressage ribbon.

Unfortunately the 'artwork' from the weekend wasn't the best but I do have two that mum took of Da Vinci at the truck and again at the prizegiving.

From there is was on to the Grand Prix and I have to say it was a change in mindset that I failed to make well. Gosh and I did do some good work but a lack of consistency and cohesion was apparent. I rode a little like a 'pony clubber', attempting to 'hack through' the tests which is not possible at this level and our scores were very low as a result. In saying that it was not all bad - some movements were outstanding, his temperament was brilliant and we got some good feedback from some knowledgable people who all said we look like we belong in the GP ring. It was a case of being brought back to earth with a thud for me personally. What I take away from it is the knowledge that we CAN do this, that both Gosh and I have the talent and that my trainer and others have faith in us.

From here it is onward - the next show will be the Grand National Championship Show. Da Vinci will be a show hack for the weekend while Gosh will contest the Grand Prix and the Kur and before that I have two weeks solid training with Bill. Cannot wait!

I wish you all the best for the holidays - take the time to enjoy your family and your horses and I hope you get to enjoy a true 'Kiwi Christmas'.