BUT. This show, to me, felt like an important milestone. Jenny Camp had been slated on my idealistic events calendar as Charlie's "move up event" since my earliest ruminations on the horse's debut event season.
A: Enter Fabulous |
Let me explain: Charlie rode the Beginner Novice Test A for dressage, a full w-t-c test that we will likely be riding for some time to come. He jumped a full stadium course at 2'3 - the full height at which we ought to be competing at present (rather than anything lower). And the real pièce de résistance, cross country, was a full 1,800m track of appropriately sized jumps with all three xc hallmarks (ditch / bank / water) in what honestly amounted to a watered down BN track.
hey look, it's a trot! |
wow, it's a canter too! |
It's frustrating, but again - I'm ok with it. I knew basically what I was gonna have going into show day and focused on just riding that horse. Our test lacked any of the glimmers and beginnings of give or softness or suppleness that we saw at Fair Hill, and our circles are still too small and misshapen (gah, Emma, c'mon!). But all the transitions happened more or less correctly and in the right places. Small victories, y'all.
I unfortunately misplaced my test so couldn't add the scores and comments to the video - but this test won me my "straight 6's across the board" Bingo! square haha. Every single movement, including the collectives, was either a 6 or 6.5. Comments and feedback were right in line with what we're already working on. So. Ya know. Just gotta keep working.
matching expressions ftw |
And for right now, we're showing our greenness in the dressage ring in a big way. It's cool tho - Isabel taught me a pretty deep appreciation for dressage (even the low level 'boring' stuff) and Charlie's had enough good moments of finding a 'nice' feel that I think we'll eventually get him to a better place. It might just... take a while lol.
off to a smashing start (puns lol) |
And then? When we go to put the tack back on? He knows that means JUMP TIME too :D
we like the left side, ok? |
Charlie didn't care tho. We found ways to keep mostly to ourselves on the flat - then kept the jump warm up super simple: trot the X, trot the vertical. Canter the vertical, canter the oxer. Use both leads as appropriate. Then be done. Good 'nuff.
wish my head wasn't cut off, but i'm still pleased with the fact that i'm carrying my hands more forward |
The first three were on an S-bend downhill, then a roll back uphill to 4 before another S-bend downhill from 5-6-7-8, then finishing up with the only "long run" back uphill to 9.
big horse over tiny fences!!! |
I didn't really bother much with leads bc there was such little space and I didn't want to disturb his rhythm, but he either held the counter canter or made a full change himself when needed. Fine by me!
what can i say but that he's a good boy?? |
In some ways, this might have actually felt like our "easiest" stadium course to date at an event. Maybe the trickier ground worked in my favor? Whatever the case, I was quite pleased with him. The rail was silly and careless, but also totally forgivable at this point IMO. It's actually maybe a bit of a miracle that we hadn't yet had any rails in previous outings, honestly.
So. Two phases down in a competition where each phase was testing Charlie to the fullest measure of his current level of training. And next up? His biggest baddest xc course yet.
62.7 is not a bad dressage score (not here anyway) for a dressage show. I love how he's using his hind leg in that trot. He's really stepping under. And look at his muscling.
ReplyDeleteThanks he is really filling out!! I'm pleased with that score too tho it is quite generous and likely would not hold up under scrutiny lol
DeleteShawan Downs is such a nice place, I'm really surprised they never put a "real" dressage and jumping ring in somewhere. Of course I don't think there's a truly flat spot on the entire property.
ReplyDeleteMan I just love it there too! My understanding (which could be wrong) is that the property owner is pretty protective of the grounds so that might explain why they never built arenas. In the four years I've gone to Jenny camp, dressage has been in two different locations and stadium has been in four lol. They apparently chose this year's location by looking for ground that was the least torn up from the recent recognized event. Which I get.... But it still felt like an odd choice of ground lol.
DeleteYou guys look like you are improving each outing and are having fun. Two big things.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely - we are having a blast!!
DeleteGo Charlie!!!
ReplyDelete:D
DeleteNAILED IT!! I just love seeing this partnership improve and grow every time out! I'll never get tired of the announcement of all Charlie's 'firsts' - they are so exciting!
ReplyDeleteaw thanks girl - i'm pretty excited by it all too :)
DeleteYou weren't kidding about that stadium video being "super quick"! Haha (in terms of time, not speed obvs). Charlie looks like a happy camper out there doing something he enjoys. So glad you had another solid experience for him!!
ReplyDeleteha thanks - and yea that stadium course ran way faster than they expected, i think - to the point that the xc start box area got really jammed up and behind with too many ppl coming over from stadium before the xc course (which ran suuuuuper long) could take another rider.
DeleteSuper woohoo for Charlie and you! I love hearing about Charlie's "first," he's such a cool dude. And SJ looked totally weird, you weren't exaggerating at all. But you guys nailed it.
ReplyDeleteyea it was definitely weird. like, the layout of the course itself (as in, the orientation of the jumps relative to each other) was more or less ok, tho it was all in VERY close proximity to each other. but add in the terrain and... just weird. very weird. charlie did it tho, good boy!
Deleteyou need more colors in your xc outfit.
ReplyDeletebut in all seriousness, so proud and the most fun about babies is all the "babys first sneeze!!!" getting documented. be proud of all of them, because they're all difficult milestones that you worked your ass off for.
thanks :D i'm stupidly proud of this big guy. we've been working hard, and will have to keep on working hard for a long time, i think. but he just keeps getting better and better <3
Deleteand as for colors - lol, maybe you're right but idk. i kinda like the muted neutrals-n-navy look haha
I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing about Charlie rockin' through milestone after milestone. Paper aside, it sounds like a very positive, exciting show!
ReplyDeletedefinitely very positive, thanks!
DeleteHaha I live vicariously through your updates. Also full marks on outfit.
ReplyDeletelol thanks - i may or may not have spent the last year reliving my past successful outings by rereading all my old posts with isabel... just hoping that charlie would be interested in following a similar path. and now that he is, it makes me so happy!
DeleteI love how your pride in Charlie shines brighter and brighter with all of his successes <3 He's such a good freaking horse. I'm so happy he ended up with you and a job he really seems to enjoy.
ReplyDeletethanks - he really is so freaking good. so good. it's crazy. i don't know how i got so lucky with him, and can only hope that he keeps loving the job and getting better and better!
DeleteGreat job, very successful both Stadium and Dressage. Shoot I have a 14 year old gelding who isnt as willing as Charlie is in Dressage :) So happy he keeps improving. YES more color for CC thanks :) I want to be able to pick you out!!
ReplyDeleteha you mean the giant lumbering thundering TB isn't enough of a stand out?!? ;P
Deletethanks tho - i'm really pleased that he keeps on improving too!
Earth to Emma, there are a lot of giant lubmering thundering TBs out there. If you ride a short, squat Buckskin QH then you stand out :)
Deletelol fair enough, it's true i suppose that isabel was easier to pick out of a crowd than charlie too
DeleteCongratulations! I have a mare who is just a little further along in her training, so I totally get the "first time" milestones. What might seem small to someone else is huge for the greenie! I will also say you are super lucky to have so much media, as I usually show alone! (And weird question, why is it called Jenny Camp? Is there a camp component? Makes me want to go to summer horse camp LOL!)
ReplyDeletei'm so lucky and grateful for all the media - truly and honestly! i have a lot of friends who are really generous in literally running across the fields to snag video, and i try to do the same for them in return. plus we are often lucky enough to have young riders hanging out who are always happy to help with the horses and absorb as much as possible. tho before this year i often showed alone too, and am pretty familiar with the sad circumstances of no pictures :( which.... is why i bought a helmet cam haha. stay tuned bc that video will be tomorrow!
Deleteand re: Jenny Camp, she was actually a famous horse in the 20s and 30s who rose to olympic glory despite her small size and unlikely build. you can read a fun article about her here (http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/legendary-horses-jenny-camp), and a representative blurb is copied below:
"Jenny Camp retired from competition after the 1936 Games and lived out the remainder of her life as a broodmare. However, her legacy lived on in the 1960s, when the introductory division at horse trials was named the Jenny Camp division. Today, the Jenny Camp Horse Trials, hosted by the Maryland Combined Training Association, is held every September."
I always wondered this too, and never asked. What a cool story :)
Deleteha it's a cool story, right? i actually didn't know any of the details but went ahead and did some quick cursory searches to answer clover ledge's question, and now i'm glad i did!
DeleteThank you for sharing that! What a cool story and cool horse! Though I still want to go to overnight horse camp now, but I will settle for learning something new! :-) Hahaha!
DeleteShow recaps are my favorite! Go to more shows!
ReplyDeletego to alllllll ze shows!!!!
DeleteIt's all about those brains, right? Sounds like Charlie is an old soul.
ReplyDeleteomg this horse was born an old man, i swear haha
DeleteWhen you put in the work on a green bean, you get to celebrate each and every "first" you want!! You are both looking so much more together and confident!
ReplyDeletethanks! it honestly feels like in the last two or so weeks that i've been able to turn some corners emotionally with how i ride and experience this horse. it's a good thing!
DeleteI love hearing about all of Charlie's "firsts"! You gotta document the super green parts because they change so so fast! And it's awesome that Charlie just keeps changing for the better and seems to really like this whole jumping stuff!
ReplyDeleteoh man it's insane how much he's changed even from january. insane!
DeleteI love everything about this. Go team!
ReplyDeleteaw thanks :D
DeleteSmall victories! Although admittedly I think that test is difficult because the 20 meter circle is in the middle of the ring and really requires you to ride every step. I do like that Charlie was trying to stretch during the free walk. :)
ReplyDeleteyea 20m circles are shockingly difficult for us right now bc the horse is falling in (unless he's falling out. ya know). we don't have true inside bend and he falls away from my outside aids instead of really filling them up. this is a standard feature of literally every single test we've ridden so far and i'm starting to lose a little patience with myself for not making meaningful progress on addressing it yet lol.
Deletere: the free walk, i was happy with it too! trainer C identified it as something that needed fixing from our Fair Hill test when she watched the video during my last dressage lesson. her answer was to not let the reins out quite so far so that he couldn't just start rooting. it worked out pretty ok for us this time!
Love this so much!!
ReplyDeleteHe is such a wonderful, mellow fellow!
thanks - he's been so great for me to work with!
DeleteAaaah he looks like he is really getting it! Listening, looking for the next fence, but not being a dick about it. I LOVE him!
ReplyDeleteStill so much progress and it's so cool how chill he is about everything. I really really like that (what a good brain you have Charlie)
ReplyDelete