Just a quick post, as Evie has woken up with mum's cold, and I feel like I'm rapidly going downhill too!
Antoinette took part in the Nelson Park Dressage yesterday and WON!!!! She was up against children and adults of various ages in the Walk and Trot Class, and managed a great score of 86% and First Place!!! Yay!! Talk about proud mum moment!!
It was all the more sweet, as she was convinced she'd done really badly. When the time came for her to have her warm-up ride, there were some children having their loan rides as well as other dressage competitiors in the big outdoor school. Unfortunately one of the loaners was being particularly unpredictable and, quite honestly, annoying most of the dressage people. She lacks control of the loan horse most of the time quite frankly, but yesterday was particularly bad. Instead of cantering round ON the track (which is protocol - if you're not cantering you stay off the track once someone decides to canter), she was just letting the animal go where it chose - well, that's the charitable opinion! It was either that or she was choosing to canter round waaaaaay off the track and in amongst the competitors! So there was no chance of actually practising any of the dressage test in warm-up time, nor even to get up a good, regular trot, as this girl just seemed to be aiming her animal for Antoinette!! Honestly, wherever Antoinette rode, almost as soon as she got a nice trot established, this girl would appear right in front of her!
To make matters worse, the horse this girl was on is known for kicking anything that gets too close, so, with Molly still getting used to being back amongst other horses, Antoinette had to be esp. careful. By the end of the warm-up session, she was in tears and wanting to not even take part! It was sheer frustration though - I knew how she felt! The girl's dad was watching her and didn't even tell her to watch where she was going or stay on the track, or stay off the track so others could use it. Honestly, this child was chaos on 4 legs!!!
Then the dad had the gall to tell DH that the competitiors had to get used to other horses being around as when you go to shows elsewhere there are hundreds of animals around! This from the man whose daughter never does the dressage comps, occasionally takes part in the jumping comps but then, even on bottom hole, walks her horse round and steps it over the jumps! Now I've nothing against that...everyone has to learn and gain experince. But to stand there as if they are expert riders, lol, when his daughter is clearly not behaving as she should amongst other horses just took the biscuit!
I had to walk away in the end, as the girl was telling all the dresasge competitiors to 'watch out guys' just because she had stopped in the middle and her horse was standing still!!!!! Honestly, it just beggared belief! I did speak to a member of staff who agreed that she was completely in the wrong and was going to go off and speak to her.
Still, all's well that ends well! Antoinette got first place, and her little cousin, Megan-Elise, who brought her loan pony along from Queensdown (just up the road) got 5th place - and it was her FIRST EVER Dressage comp.!!
So, all in all, a great day for your family! Evie was a little STAR all day! She went up to the stables at 9.30am with DH and Antoinette and helped with Molly, brushed the 'yard' bit where Molly is (she's in a stable away from most of the other horses atm), read to Molly while Antoinette was plaiting and grooming her, ran for hay and taking messages. Honestly, she didn't stop all day really - and it was cold and windy up at the stables all day too. Not once did she get fed up or moan about having to be there or do any job! Someone's growing up!!
Right! Had better get moving! This turned out longer than I was expecting, LOL, as Evie's off school today with this cold, we don't need to rush as much. I wanted to try and do yesterday's JYC LO, but just don't feel like it at all unfortunately. Maybe this evening.
I took some photos yesterday and am hoping that there will be something suitable for the CJ 12 Days of Christmas class so I can catch up with that again!!
Hope to be back later!
Bernie x
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