It’s been a lot quieter recently on the competing front for me - at least! I did, however, have to make the long drive up to Sheepgate Equestrian Centre to take Amy and Vaz to the Under 25 Championships. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great, but everyone remained cheerful and the show was run very smoothly. Vaz spent the first couple of days dancing on his toes, as his stable overlooked the warm up arena and was in close proximity to the killer flapping tents and flags. I knew it was going to be such good experience for him and he did handle it all well in the end and eventually quietened down. On the last day he spent a large amount of time sleeping, bless him!
He always produced the goods once he was in the arena and although the scores didn’t reflect Amy’s progress (just due to silly little mistakes) she really improved each day and the whole picture looked so much more supple and relaxed by the end of the week. So not a high scoring week, but an invaluable education for both horse and rider. It was also good for me to catch up with many of the BYRDS riders I’ve helped over the years, and I ended up quite busy by the side of the arena assisting them all with the warm up.
Four days without riding did nearly send me loopy though. I’d brought my bike so I could do some exercise and burn off excess energy, but the tyres were flat, we couldn’t find a pump and then it just rained and rained! However, I finally got a burst of exercise at the disco on the Friday night! Darryl Thickett, myself and a couple of other of us ‘older generation’ showed those teenagers how to boogie on the dance floor!
Back home I was dancing again as my sister (with the help of a couple of my future bridesmaids) threw a surprise engagement party for me. The theme was Alice in Wonderland, or Mad Hatter’s tea party. There was a giant chess board and very embarrassing photos of Tim and I stuck on the walls. But the surprise speeches were hilarious and I think everyone had a fantastic time. For reasons I can’t quite remember, we decided we needed to teach fellow Horse Hero blogger, Maria Eilberg, how to walk in heels. I have to say she is a natural and I don’t know why she has been avoiding stilettos all these years!
Back to training, and Weltzin and I have been to Emile’s again for a boost before the Nationals. I’ve been doing some serious thinking while at home about what Emile explained to me last time about the reactions to the leg. Not just getting a reaction, but what the horse actually does with his body in the reaction. I realised that Weltzin had been reacting negatively and pushing against me instead of bringing the hind legs more where I would like them. Once I’d sorted that out and changed his bits again (fussy bugger that he is!) he was like a different horse. It’s such an amazing feeling when you and the horse are on the same page, not having to explain or correct all the time. It’s just me and him against the world, not against each other. Meanwhile, Torri has gained a wildcard for the Elementary, so I will be up at Stoneleigh with my two wonderful stallions.
My photographer friend has sent me a couple more photos from the shoot I did. I love the collage of my dog Taz!!