It seems I apologize every post for all the updates I have missed and the amount of lapsed time between posts, but the past 6 months has covered so much, I can’t help but say sorry again!
After leaving off the last post with the Magnolia show, I have so much to share! I’ll start from the top and bring everyone up to speed…
The DDC Lemonade Daze show can be summed up in three words: HOT HOT HOT. I went down the centerline both days when the thermometer read over 100 degrees! Sport was body clipped, of course, but hydration and shade were big concerns the entire weekend. Since we were already qualified at 3rd level, Sport and I did two freestyle tests! We rode to a Van Halen compilation mix, which got everyone in the audience rockin’. The first test wasn’t the greatest as the sound system was in the process of exploding above us, but day 2 was very, very fun and my friends and family all came out to support. It was my first but certainly not last experience with riding a freestyle! Travis again came out to take pictures, Mary Beth was there as my mentor and groom, and the entire crew from Lyndon Rife’s farm was nice enough to let me stable with them and feed in the mornings!
In early August Sport and I made the long haul back up to Fulton, Missouri to William Woods. Everyone was very impressed with his improvement. With only 6 weeks until the Regional Championship, we used the time to work on details and improve his collection. We attended a clinic with WWU alum Erin Ackley, which gave us great insight to freer changes and more supple lateral work. In all, we made a lot of improvement and started working in the double with much success.
I started working with Leah Strid’s Topaz de la Plata, a 3yo Andalusian mare, sporadically during the semester. This mare is going to be something extra-special, let me tell you. After only a few sessions of working on the ground, I casually swung up onto her back one day and she looked at me like “so, what’s next?” She’s got the sharpest mind I’ve ever seen on a horse this young. Sadly, we cannot anticipate injury, and right as we put a schooling show on the calendar, she was sidelined when a dog spooked her through a fence. Myles (Leah’s husband) did a great job of working with her when I was busy with school and shows! Topaz and Tres are the latest of their herd at MyLeah Andalusians in Calwood, just outside of Fulton.
Midway through the semester the opportunity presented itself to switch hats for minute. A good friend of mine Kate Vanbenthuysen rides competitive western events with her all-around horse My Patriot's Hightime. Her young horse, Jade needed experience at a schooling show, leaving Patriot free for the weekend, and when Kate offered to let me have the ride, I jumped right on it! What a fun experience to ride a very successful, produced western horse and be able to feel and understand the similarities and differences between the two disciplines. Patriot was a wonderful, patient teacher as I learned the ropes of western pleasure and showmanship. I wore more bling than I'd ever seen at a beauty pageant, and we wound up taking Western High Point of the show much to the credit of a wonderful coach and horse!
Early October, I took a trip with one of my best friends to the WEG in Lexington, KY. The entire week was the first time I’d been able to see that caliber of dressage at a big event. Between the new world records, the shopping, and the weather, it was only to get back on my horse that I wanted to return to Missouri! But, only a week away from our big show, I used that extra energy to motivate us for the Region 4 Championships!
Heading to Lake St. Louis for the regionals was a very great experience. After months of work with Sport, I felt we were very prepared. Unfortunately, in packing for the show, I managed to throw out my neck when I tried to lift something heavy off of a tall shelf. Two emergency chiropractor appointments weren’t enough to get me aligned just right, however, and I wound up barely hacking the first day and scratching my first test of the weekend. After lots of rest and TLC, I rode my freestyle test on Saturday in order to get in the ring before my Championship ride on Sunday. I was very excited, as we were also riding to new music. Mary Beth flew in from Dallas to visit and see our freestyle, too! While Sport had been fabulous for our hack, the ring became very intimidating to him when it was filled with bustling people at the A end. Once I lost the suppleness to a big spook, it was incredibly hard to regain his trust. His tension became cause for extra changes, and we lost our counter canter early in his attempt to avoid the scary corner. I was also extremely sore, so the thought of coming unseated was of extra concern! By the end, I was optimistically happy about how we had at least stayed on the general path of the freestyle… but needles to say I was now concerned and sore heading into the final and most important day of the regional show.
With my amazing mentor Mary Beth and unflappable groom Ericka Schaefer, we took the night to crash early and relax. Sunday, I felt much better about the next chance in the ring; my neck was looser, Sport was calm, and everyone was very supportive.
With a smooth warmup, a calm lap around, and a conservative, relaxed frame, by the end of the test, I couldn’t keep the grin off my face! It was a very clean test, and I was super happy with how it compared to his previous performance in the ring. The test earned us 7th place with our final average. Sport and I rode in the ribbon ceremony sporting our big purple ribbon. Between Karen letting me borrow her Escape when my truck died, Ericka tacking up because I couldn’t lift the saddle, and Mary Beth reminding me that I could be successful despite the adversity, I felt I did the easy part of the weekend!
After the regional show, we both took some downtime to let the pressure off for a while. A few weeks after regionals, we picked back up and set our sights on 4th level for an on-campus schooling show. We garnered scores of 62.5 and 68.6! I was incredibly proud of him and very excited for all the work we’d done from the beginning of the summer. Because Topaz was sidelined, I took Leah’s other mare Tres in the Intro classes to help her get some added exposure to the show environment. It was a very educational experience for all involved, and I was very happy with Tres’ effort and improvement. The rest of the semester, Sport and I worked towards the canter pirouettes and improved tempi changes.
However, “as soon as possible”, has to wait until I get through one more semester at William Woods. Finishing up my senior year is top priority at the moment, and I return now to this miserably cold weather in anticipation of what is to come in the next year. I have big plans for this semester and beyond, and I have made a resolution to update more frequently! Sport and I are looking to head into the show ring at 4th level around April, and I’ll be putting more time into developing Topaz, as well! Lots to do and not enough time to do it!
Warm wishes to everyone this winter, and bad alliterations to the rest of you!
Lauren
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