The whole neighbourhood lost its phone lines on Tuesday and we have had no broadband since then. So I am on my tablet in MacDonalds to post! Sorry Claire but I mistakenly deleted an email you kindly sent me and don't now have your email address to reply. At home I am on a link so slow that blogging is impractical and email tortuous to say the least.
I schooled Ace yesterday and he really lived up to his name. He did not spook at the barrels at all, not even on his first canter. And he is getting the hang of E53 and its tight and close movements and appears to be enjoying himself doing it. His medium trot is almost solid at home now. Only rarely does he rush it, tip onto his forehand or break to canter. And it's an extraordinary feeling to ride a horse with such a huge expressive medium.
I can' t compete this Wednesday in case the lorry fails its MOT on Tuesday, but the next week has the same test so that's what we'll be heading for. That one is a regional qualifier and the qualifier hunters will be out so we will probably not be well placed, but I am only interested in the score. Even if he qualified I wouldn't go, it's too far to travel for a dressage competition.
It actually beats me what the qualifier hunters get out of it. They often ride horses that are perfectly capable of a medium test, but they compete at novice so that they can be sure to qualify for regional competitions. It's not the way I'm wired at all, I'd rather test myself on higher level tests than do stuff that is routine (and boring because of it!).
Ah well, good job we are not all wired the same way.
C
qualifier hunters? not heard that expression before! what's all that about?
ReplyDeleteWhat did we all do before broadband....
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the pot hunters either, hope you get a reasonable judge.
You have to win two, I think, qualifier competitions to get an entry to the Regionals, and be placed at the Regionals to compete at the Nationals, Claire. So people do two things - compete at a lower level than the horse is really working at, and/or travel longer distances to compete at centres with fewer entries, like the one I go to. I heard of a girl recently who was intending to travel from Leicestershire to my centre in Northwest Staffs, a hell of a journery.
ReplyDeleteLack of broadband is driving me mad Lynda!
C
Hi Caroline, the qualifier rules changed a couple of years ago, you now have to get a certain number of points above a certain percentage ( depending on which level and which section) in qualifiers and non qualifiers to get through to the regionals. So essentially everyone in the class who gets over the required percentage can put their points towards regional qualification. So winning the class is not necessary. Hope that makes sense, although I may have made it more confusing than its meant to be!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear about your positive outing with Ace!