Woodhill Sands Dressage Day One

Today was the first day of the Woodhill Sands Winter Tournament. It was Finns Debut as a registered horse and Pumpkins second Elementary start. It was the most crappy rainy horrible day but we trucked on regardless expecting to get soaked. Finns tests were first and it absolutely pelted down during our warmup but stayed bright for both of our tests and amazingly stayed fine for the rest of the day. After Finns exciting day jumping yesterday I found the brakes were rather faulty. Non existant in fact! I dispaired of finding them at all but when it was my time to do my test I just thought Oh well here we go. We entered the arena and the Finn Star came to the fore. Ok he said No jumps involved. I know what to do and the Brakes miracuously reappeared. He was still however a tad stronger than he should have been. He did two pretty outstanding tests and won his second test and was 3rd in the first one. Great percentages too of 68.2 and 65.2. There is nothing more satisfying than starting a fresh new registration book and being able to add 12 of the possible 14 points available and $60.00 prizemoney! A great start for his career as a dressage horse. Pumpkin decided to be Mr Cranky Pants half way through his warmup. He was squiggly and resistant. He did two very ordinary tests and I found out when I got back to the float why he was so cranky. He was busting to Pee! Stupid boy. He got 3rd in both tests by default of the fact that most of the good Elementary horses decided to stay tucked up in bed away from the rain!

Finn and Zoe @ the Vaughan Jeffries Clinic

Photos thanks to Michelle Horan.

Tara and Rachel @ the Vaughan Jeffries clinic

Today Rachel and Tara attended a clinic with Vaughan Jeffries. Photos by Michelle Horan

This Week

Wednesday we had another beach ride. This was a club day so I took Finn. It is nice when I get to ride him as Pumpkin is so competitive in a crowd and not much fun. We had a lovely ride and a shared lunch at the end.
Thursday evening was Club Prizegiving and it was a bit of an embarrasement of Riches.
Both Finn and Pumpkin have been great this season and we came home with 4 trophies,2 dress rugs,2 bottles of shampoo,and a pooper scooper. And to just continue on in the jamminess I won the raffle. A first for me but I was determined that it was going to be mine.! So I am also now the proud owner of a BJ Merino swallow tail dressage pad. I don't know how I am going to better that season!
Friday I had a lesson on Pumpkin and we seem to be getting to grips with our walk pirouettes. Trot Half pass is now good so next step is to progress to Canter half pass and flying changes. The first of the Woodhill Sands winter series is in 2 weeks so its onwards and upwards.

This Week

I have been very sick all this week so not much activity on the horses front. But Tara has a new lease home. Chloe was finding it difficult with 7th Form and winter so had to reluctantly let Tara go. Huge Thanks to Michelle Horan who emailed me within half an hour of me putting out the word that Tara needed a new home. Her friend Rachel is now Taras new mother and a fine pair I think they make too. Rachel has already booked in for Vaughans next clinic and has great plans for Tara. It will be great to see her out competing again.

This week

Finally I got around to clipping Finn and Pumpkin. To celebrate I took them both to the beach on Wednesday. I like to take them for a good gallop at least once a month or more if I can. Life at home is rather boring and they love their blasts at the beach.

We set out early and the racehorses were still galloping on the beach. Two went out about 5 mins before us and Pumpkin could see them in the distance. Being his usual ultra competitive self he was reefing and jigging and generally acting like a prat.
Finn of course was his sane Irish self. We trotted off for about a km with Pumpkin doing his best extended trot and Finn struggling to keep up. When I saw the racehorses ahead slow to a canter and turn to trot back towards us I thought it was a good time to open them up for blast. We were doing a pretty good half pace when I spotted Linda on a racehorse coming up behind us at a full gallop. I yelled out to Kati on Finn to be aware she was coming up in case she got startled as she had never galloped on the beach before. Linda flew past us at a rate of knots and Pumpkin decided it was too much to bear. He did an almighty spook sideways which caused me to lose a stirrup and next thing we were bolting flat out after the racehorse. He decided it was about time he showed me just how fast a Great Grandson of Sir Tristram could really go. :) Stupid me in a dressage saddle and with stirrups way too long and now with only one stirrup found out the hard way that it is not easy to stop a bolting horse when you are not firmly secured in a solid position.
Because hes very scared of the surf I turned him slightly towards the water but that just made him swerve and sway all the more and I thought there was no way I wanted to part company at that speed. After what seemed like an eternity I managed to get some control and pull him to a trot. I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest it was pounding so hard. Finn had decided in his much more sedate 'Irish way' to join in the race too and Kati took a bit to pull him up as well. Pumpkin and I have galloped pretty fast on the beach before but this was a whole new gear. I did not think he had that much speed in him! Next time I will make sure I am in a jumping saddle so I have better security and might just take Linda on. :)

We all got home very tired and invigorated and Sebastian had his first ride in 2 weeks after his chiro treatment with Tommy Berhns. WOW WOW WOW. He'd been so stiff after his fall and he was back to the lovely loose loopy huge trot. It took a while to wipe the smile of my face after that. I am so thrilled at how laid back and quiet he is. A 4 yr old Warmblood and hes absolutely bombproof even after 2 weeks off. He never ceases to amaze me.

This weekend is Showhunter at Woodhill Sands for Finn.

Taras Diamond (Tara)

Tara is an 8 yr old Irish Sport horse mare by Kingsway Diamond out of Showdancer and is a full sister to Finn. She did just 4 registered Dressage competitions in 06 and got 40 points. She has been leased since and is currently doing Pony Club work with a Young Rider. She will be coming back at some time as a broodmare but until then she is enjoying life as a riding horse.