| Date: | 25/07/2023 | Affiliation: | BD SUMMER REGIONALS |
| Venue: | Bury Farm EC | Section: | Silver |
| Test: | Prelim 17a | Overall Score: | 68.91% |
| Judge (C) | Lotte Olsen | Score: | 69.48% |
| Judge (E) | Annette Scott | Score: | 67.41% |
| Judge (M) | Sandra Smith | Score: | 69.82% |
| Placing: | 5th |
An early start to make sure we arrived in time for the arena walk at 08.10… Nash was very well behaved, but was scared of the TV cameras (H&C were there); the cameraman was very kind and chatted away to him! We weaved in and out of the flowers around the arena and then back onto the trailer to get brushed and plaited up ready for our test. He was desperate for a wee, but wouldn’t go – I walked him around and whistled to him, but no luck!
Nash warmed up well, I remembered the main points from my lesson with Jane yesterday and worked on suppling exercises: turn about the forehand, leg yield, shoulder in and some (rather ragged) half pass, lots of transitions and remembering to squeeze with my knees to balance him for downward transitions canter to trot.
The test was obedient, and I was pleased with him. I rode more accurately (not losing too many marks for odd shaped circles and not using the arena properly)! But he was a little ‘behind the leg’…. He had a big pat and we left the arena (the rider after me commented on his great walk, which one judge gave us an 8 for). Once he got back onto the lorry park he stopped and for the first time EVER he had a wee while I was still on him – he must have been holding gallons as he weed for about 5 minutes, the ladies in the lorry park were laughing at him “he’s still going… he’s still going”! Must have been really desperate, poor boy!
All in all a good day – with some great marks: lots of 7’s, some 7.5s and an 8. With no major mistakes or big spooks! Super at this level. And to top it all off, he won £20 prize money! But sadly missed out on an automatic qualification to the Nationals (first 4 went through – we were 5th)!! So hoping for a Wild Card!
Judge’s comments – Lotte Olsen (C): “Obedient horse, could just be a little more supple over the back, through to your contact at times today.”
Judge’s comments – Annette Scott (E): “A pleasing partnership – needs to develop balance and throughness in transitions and maintain the lightness by working more through from behind.”
Judge’s comments – Sandra Smith (M): “A lovely partnership showing lots of promising work, now I’d like to see further suppleness developed to aid the straightness and fluency in transitions.”
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