I've been busy.
So we went to a couple of away shows and had some big wins and some setbacks which is pretty much par for the course. On the highlights, I'm qualified for regionals at Second and got the score I needed for my freestyle. We got as high as 65% from an S judge and went as low as a 58%. Theo is so polarizing. But every single test he marched down centerline and went to work like the school master he is. Good, bad, or indifferent scores, he looked confident and happy every single test. Even when I had an epic anxiety attack fueled meltdown in the warm up for no discernable reason. Sure couldn't tell I thought I was going to puke when we hit centerline.
Let's also talk about how much I love my new burgundy coat. I bought it on a whim at the NEDA Spring show because I kept walking past it and staring at it. I've never worn a cut away coat and kept thinking it would look terrible on me. Eventually I bought it and I have zero regrets. I had the perfect matching browband in Theo's jewelry box and felt like a million bucks when we went down centerline. I also ordered my very first pair of custom boots, hopefully they'll be here in time for regionals. My shopping at NEDA was kind of insane but I was embracing my horse show life.
This is the grin of someone feeling completely safe because she's about to ride in with her bff
I debuted my Darth Vader freestyle at GMHA! Theo definitely embraced the dark side in this test: "There is no peace, there is only passion". He walked into the white ring where we have shown many times, took one look at the large audience that was perfectly silent, and tried to nope out. First he jumped straight up a couple feet at the in gate and then froze. Huh, that was a surprise. Then he pulled his infamous left spin to try to vacate as I tried to walk around the ring past the audience. The audience was so polite, not even moving as he spooked. Unfortunately, this made it so much worse as he never registered them as people. Fortunately I walked in as soon as the rider ahead of me saluted so I was able to wait and let him decide it was okay. I never trotted, just walked and pet him as he tippy toed past the audience. They rang the bell and I immediately put my hand up for my music.
Theo was Theo and became a complete professional as soon as we hit center line. He pulled a flying change in the counter canter heading toward the audience in both directions in the exact same spot (yay, symmetry?) which killed one of our best movement scores but we still got a qualifying score for regionals. When he was good, he was very good and the judges liked the music and choreography. I knew if I got him on centerline we would be fine because Theo does love his job. And I know my choreography well enough to make up for issues when he's reluctant to go on one side of the ring.
We did have some issues with him going above the bit due to his distraction and me feeling like I was holding the whole thing together by the skin of my teeth but I was very proud of him for doing a technically challenging Second level freestyle while keeping an anxious eye on the audience. There was a lot that the judges liked. He better get used to audiences because freestyle really seems to be our strongest test.
I had a really good run at Third on the last day of GMHA but my tired pony didn't have enough in the trot work to save my one botched turn on the haunches and a drop change which each got 4s, we got a 59.7. SIGH. So close. Painfully, torturously close to that score. High score for the AA riders in that class but not quite there. Theo had stressed his left hind during his ridiculous spook the day before so my left turn on the haunches was big by plan. My right to left change got me a 6 and was totally boring (WIN). My left to right was on the aids, organized, no drama, but a drop change for the 4. His tired topline meant a gait score of 6 so I had zero room for errors. But what a nice, civilized, organized test. It was a big step forward for us.
It was an awesome last test for us, I was so proud. I managed to hit the 'big boy dressage' button in warm up and rather than kicking, I was suddenly hanging on for dear life. His last extended trot in that test was absolutely the best we have ever done in competition, Trainer Z was so proud. The judge was not buying Theo's gaits but I know that was every single molecule of trot Theo is physically capable of giving and I was delighted with him. Every movement was on the aids and planned. It was day four which is so hard for both of us but we laid down a trip that looked completely appropriate for the level. I don't think we had the right judge for us as Theo doesn't move like other dressage horses and some judges are more willing to reward a horse doing the best they can in their body but I also have to acknowledge that if I'm going to ride this horse, there will be challenges. As Pam said in our clinic, with Theo, I have to be perfect. I don't have big fancy gaits to fall back on. We have to be technically perfect and leave no points behind. Botching both a change and a turn on the haunches just isn't good enough.
I've definitely knocked off the horse show rust at this point. Hopefully that means there will be no more warm up ring meltdowns, that sucked. I've also rebuilt my collection of coats (blue, black, and burgundy) and matching stock ties/browbands. Hopefully I'll have new boots soon (I got an update that they've been cut out!). Theo has a new tub of show supplies and I've got a system for all of my gear again. I have learned that four days is my absolute maximum and I must take extra steps to hold up that long. For NEDA Spring, I lost feeling in my left hand on the fourth day as the impacts caught up with me and my inflammation got out of control. That kind of affected my riding, especially on a tired horse, and got me a 58%. At GMHA I was aggressive with the NSAIDs and icing my neck so I had all of my limbs functioning going into day 4.
Seriously, could not feel my left hand at this point
I'm showing again next weekend to try to get the last score I need to do my freestyle at regionals. I never show in July but I'm making an exception to do a day trip and try for that last score. I would enjoy doing my Darth Vader freestyle at regionals if the fates align. After that its a quick trip for Kiki to a breed show, then I'm on break. I am off to Chicago for an academic conference while Theo is taking his leaser to D4K for her first big dressage show. He gets to be an absolute packer at Training level for that weekend and I truly think this is going to be a great experience for his leaser. Theo can be an absolute PITA but when he hits centerline he puts on a show.
I'm so, so tired after serious riding 2/3 times a week for a couple months but one more show before I get to take my break. Taking Kiki to a breed show will be a relief after this campaign. Not that we've been completely slacking on her.
But we'll talk about her next time.
