Waitemata Dressage Champs

WOW is my first impression. The fields are the strongest I have seen. Full of very very fancy Imports and well bred imports. Finn looked like a rugby prop in a feild of Ballerinas. But donot estimate the rugby prop. He beat a heap of those fancy pants horses. First test was the Challenge. He did the best test I think hes ever done. Right up until the last few horses we were 3rd. We ended up in 7th and the best of the non warmbloods. In fact there was only 3 non warmbloods in the class of 30 so not a bad result. Saturday was not so great. I had a German Helper here who was the laziest thing known to mankind. I had an early start so had to hop to it to get ready. I was bathed in sweat and had drips running down my face by the time we loaded. She stood watching me looking completely blank. I was seething and once we were in the car I told her off. Of course that did nothing for my calm prep for 2 dressage tests. Finn was a bit lazy today and as I was tense I did not ride well. We finished just above mid feild. Sunday my helper stayed at home. I did not want her around me at all. I could do the job quicker and was far more relaxed without her hanging over me and making me angry. It paid off and we once again did a really good test. Not quite as good as Friday but still good. We ended up 3rd overall in the Amateur Division and if there had been a prize for the best non warmblood Finn would have won it. The Saturday result cost me reserve Champion. Blast it.Just goes to show it does not pay to have someone around you that makes you really tense if you want to do well at a show!

Pumpkin Sold

2 weeks late with updating our blog. My darling son used up all our monthly allocation of Broadband and so its been so slow tyring to load pics and update.
Pumpkin has been sold to Para Squad Rider Rachel Stock. He will join her team for her quest for 2012 Olympic Qualification. No Pumpkin won't be going! Para riders generally use pool horses. So off he went in a big flash truck to his new home and condo. Rachel sent me these pics to show me how much he really missed us. NOT!

Steve Brady Clinic

This week Henry and I have been at a Steve Brady clinic which we enjoyed immensely. Well I did and I am not so sure Henry enjoyed it quite so much. By the end of the clinic he was so pooped he could hardly raise a trot. Steve did 2x 3 day back to back classes and we were booked for the second one. Henry went early on the first day of the first clinic to chill out and watch what went on with all the comings and goings. He got very vocal when we arrived and got very worked up being put in a box next to a mare. He threw himself around his box and broke the waterer off the wall. Ka ching! $$$ I was not amused. Steve worked him that evening so I was very priveleged. Sadly I did not get to see it.He was worked by Phil on the Sunday and Monday nights too so by the time I arrived for the clinic on the Tuesday morning Henry was already looking subdued. For the first groundwork session we worked outside of the arena (just in case) He was very good so for the second session we joined in with the other horses. Then it was time to get on. Thank god for Anna who I asked to give me a leg on. No sooner was I on board that he yelled out and reared. Annas quick thinking and reactions averted any further action as she flew at his hindquarters like a speeding bullet and disengaged him. He came down somewhat chastised. She hung onto his lead for a while at my request (yes I wimped!) and then when he had finally settled we were all go. Once he had settled he was a doddle and we worked outside of the arena away from the other horses. Day two we went straight into the arena for ground work and he was a good boy. No trouble today under saddle.
I was very happy with him. By the second ridden session he was pooping out and I was struggling to even get more than 5 or 6 strides of canter. I was loving a tired boy.
Day 3 was all good as well but he was feeling a bit brain dead and was switching off and not paying attention. He was so knackered he could not be bothered trying too hard. I could feel him just shutting off. He did some decent ridden work but was pretty dead and listless. All in all it was a fantastic experience for him and just what we needed to get him socialised. Bring on the next clinic!