Puissance, Dressage, and S.W.A.T.!

Friday night a friend and I went to the Washington International Horse Show at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. We made it in time to watch the Puissance competition, which went for only about 45 minutes because they only made it 2 rounds to 6'1". Afterwards we ate at Fado's outside of Chinatown, which was an amazing meal since we were both pretty hungry! It was a pretty fun night!



Saturday took Wanda to Morven Park in Leesburg, VA for the Morven Park Benefit Dressage Schooling Show. I had originally entered this show to ride the Training eventing tests in preparation for moving up to Training, but due to recent refusals at Seneca and Middleburg and an elimination at Waredaca, plans changed. So, I used it as a schooling just to see where we were in our dressage work. I had entered in Novice B (as a warm up), Training A, and Training B, but scratched from Training B because I didn't want to over face her with all the lengthening and such. The judge was Evelyn Susol, a widely known dressage judge in the Virginia area. For the Novice B test, we got a 36.5%, best movements being 7's on my trot and canter circles, and lowest movements being 5's on my turns and medium walks. We tend to swing wide and lose momentum from her hind legs. For the Training test A, we got a 39%, which isn't terrible for our first time riding this test! We got an 8 on our stretch-down trot circle, and a few 5's on a 15meter canter circle and a trot lengthening. All-in-all I thought it was a pretty successful day, and I was really proud of how relaxed she was being there. I was even asked if she was for sale, and told by someone that they wished they had a horse that was "easy to ride". (I said, "me too!")


Saturday night I got together with my friends (dressed as a banana, disgusting feminine pad, chicken, and a kissing booth), and we jumped on the Vienna metro to the Clarendon Bar & Grill in Clarendon, VA. I pulled together a home-made S.W.A.T. team member outfit, and it worked out perfect. Unfortunately, I hadn't eaten beforehand, so my night was spent thinking about how I could sneak away from my friends to get some food! We left D.C. around 12am and hit up Taco Bell on the way home. It was pretty hilarious sitting in the metro looking across the tracks to see a bull & matador, mario & luigi, chilean miner, fisherman, gumbi, orphan Annie, and numerous other oddities. There were about a billion people dressed up as miners. I'd say that was the most common costume this year. Gotta start working on next year's costume!!

The Unfortunate Waredaca Horse Trials

So Wanda and I have been having hiccups at our events lately. It's frustrating because we started off in the Spring winning everything, and lately we haven't been able to complete an event without a run-out.

This past weekend was pretty busy for us. On Friday I trailered Wanda to Millwood and had an extremely productive jump lesson with Cathy. Saturday morning Christie rode with me to Waredaca to walk my xcountry course, then I competed Wanda at the Sandstone Farms Schooling Show in the Novice division to ride through a dressage test. With Lucy Eddins as our judge, we placed 1st in our class with a 26.9%, which is really good. We didn't do the jumping portion (I didn't want to jump her 3 days in a row), so we ended with a no-score finish. I was really proud of her though.

On Sunday, I competed Novice at the Waredaca Farms Horse Trials in Laytonsville, MD. My parents refuse to attend this event, because I have always had a rough time there. I'm pretty sure I've been eliminated or had major penalties every time I've been there in the past. Unfortunately, this time was no different. Our dressage test was unfortunate, because it was on grass footing on a slope, and Wanda was feeling kind of stubborn. We ended with a 39.5% putting us in 11th. Our worst score ever. ShowJumping went ok, but we were fairly unbalanced through a lot of the turns and I was lucky she was being good with her feet. We went double clear. Once we got to the xcountry, I was feeling pretty nervous about things and I guess she was, too. It felt like we were drifting left the entire first couple fences, and then we had a dirty run-out at a drop bank fence. I was able to circle and trot her down, and we kept going until we reached another drop bank two strides to water, and she stubbornly ran out left 3 times, eliminating us. I almost ran over the jump judge during the first run out because I was trying to avoid falling off, but she was extremely nice about it and even let us try again after we had been eliminated, just for schooling purposes. Unfortunately, Wanda wasn't having it. Stubborn mare!

When we left Waredaca, I called mom and we decided to take her to Frying Pan Park to school some banks so she didn't get it in her head that she could get away with not completing them. She balked a few times, but eventually went on, and then it seemed like they were no problem at all. I wouldn't normally go schooling after an event, but I felt it was necessary for the both of us, so it didn't turn in to a confidence problem. We just walked down the banks a few times, then packed up and went home. It was a very long weekend.

This weekend we are competing in 3 dressage tests at the Morven Park Benefit Dressage Show. Hopefully we can get our dressage sorted out, because the next weekend is our final event for the season, Rubicon. I'm also going to start her on a mare supplement to see if I can get some of her moodiness out. Stupid woman hormones!! We'll see how it goes :)

UPDATE!!!

Here's what we missed:

August:

• Drove to Canandaigua, NY with mom and dad, stayed at the Acorn Inn Bed & Breakfast, and passed my United States Pony Club 'H-A' Rating!!!
• Totaled my 2004 Mazda 3 "Craig" (ouch)
• Went to the DC Improv with a horsey friend, then ended up running in to Jennie Brannigan who just happened to be in DC for the night
• Started a new job as a public affairs intern at Weber Merritt, LLC
• Went to the motorcycle races at Summit Point, WV to watch a friend race.. bonus was when he won one!

September:

• Bought a 2011 Mazda 3 "Charlie"
• Competed novice at the Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials with Wanda and had a refusal at the very first jump xcountry
• Went to a Toby Keith concert with a friend and ran in to a friend I haven't seen since high school
• Took a friend horseback riding for the first time at the Marriott Ranch for his birthday
• Went dancing in D.C. with my best girl friend
• Attended a Mary Schwentker xcountry clinic at Wingreen Farm with Wanda
• Family from England, Marion & Terry came to visit
• Aunt Bev & Uncle Reinhardt spent the night one night
• Competed novice at the Middleburg Horse Trials and had a refusal stadium. Ended 10th.

October:

• Jump-judged at Morven Park Horse Trials and got to see Sully run Prelim with Melissa Hunsberger
• Went to a birthday party at Marvins in D.C. and ended up at U Street Music Hall dancing the night away with Tristan's friends!
• Finished my Television Broadcasting class and got my diploma from the Columbia School of Broadcasting
• Dublin was having lameness issues, so we took him to the vet and found out he had worn the cartilage out from between his pastern joints, so we decided on a regional profusion of Tildren to see what would happen
• Went to the Virginia Gold Cup Steeplechase Races with Tristan, his gf, and my parents

So hopefully we're all caught up now :) I'll try to be better at updating!!