Champagne Tour 2024

With that tailcoat so close I can taste it, longsuffering hubby has consented to spending many weekends this winter watching me go around in slightly fancier circles than before. He is doing incredibly well lately---praise God!---and so it was no big deal to enter a show last Saturday and go pick up a few grading points.

We have provincial championships around the corner and so I took the opportunity to get Arwen ready for our mutual first freestyle. I'm not sure how I've managed to do this sport for nearly ten years without ever riding a single freestyle, but here we are. I had somebody (Dressage Freestyles by Anrike) do the music for me and I 100000% recommend her, she was incredible throughout the process and so inexpensive. Our freestyles are all the same as America's now and (like most South Africans) her English is very fluent, so if anyone across the pond wants great music for their freestyle for like $25, hit me up for her details.

The idea of doing our first freestyle made me nervous. I rode through it a dozen times in the week leading up to the show, trying to make sure I hit all the musical cues, but I was worried that it wouldn't work out in a show arena. Our arena is 20mx60m but has a fence around it for riding school kiddies and feral youngsters, so sometimes it feels smaller than a show arena. I was worried it would ride smaller too and that I'd be left without enough music for my movements at the show.

Usually, I try not to ride Arwen's tests too much because she learns them by the second run-through and anticipates more than ever. Spoiler alert: I should definitely not have ridden my freestyle this many times.

We managed to fit in a lesson the day before the show, which was fantastic. J helped us to find a much smoother flying change that was far more through. Because she's hot I often think she's responsive when she's actually just reactive, so we worked on getting her truly off my leg laterally, and the pieces really started to come together. Part of this involved playing with her first three-tempis, which she figured out instantly because she's considerably smarter than I am, and she hugely enjoyed them. Maybe a little too much.

Thunder's prep went really well, too. I devoted a lot of time over the past two weeks to get him a bit stronger laterally, so we did plenty of canter travers on a circle and steep half-passes in all three gaits, as well as J's favorite TOH exercise---walk half-pass on the short diagonal, walk pirouette 360 degrees on the centerline, continue in walk half-pass to the wall. 

When J came for our lesson, our lateral work was much more easy and consistent off my leg. We did beautiful, near-perfect walk pirouettes in our lesson and worked on increasing activity and cadence in the collected canter without increasing speed. It became of primary importance that my inside leg in collected canter says activity and the outside leg says push. This is far too delicate for my tiny brain, but Thunder figured it out fast. We had several of those moments when you taste pure magic and your horse's feet don't quite seem to touch the ground.

Our ride times were spread out but leisurely this time. We loaded up in nice sunshine and with no fuss whatsoever, and DH, groom M, and I set off for the show venue. I was trying not to be nervous for the freestyle and failing a bit.

shout-out to my gorgeous new QHP Sashas for breaking in super easily

Both horses were chill once we unloaded, though Arwen's neck and shoulders were quite sweaty. She needs to be clipped again and it was pretty hot, so I wasn't surprised. They settled down to tuck into their haynets at once despite this being a new venue to Thunder (Arwen had been there once about four years ago). I got most of the dirt off Arwen---it was way too cold to bath her beforehand---and fussed around a bit. I had too much time and it was not a good thing.

As an aside, it was really cool to see Shy Boy and his lovely new owner at this show. They parked next to us and Shy Boy had his freestyle right after Arwen. He came second and looked amazing and kind as ever.

Finally, I hopped on Arwen and headed for the warmup. M followed with Thunder, who was good again and happy to hang out at the warmup. Arwen paid him no attention at all. She marched into the warmup like she owned it and maintained more attitude than necessary. From the moment we picked up our first canter, this girl had those three-tempis on her mind. She tossed changes in everywhere, bucked through her walk to canter, and forcibly insisted that changes in the middle of her half-passes were a great idea.

You wanted this yesterday, woman, she snorted when I chided her. You're getting them today, too. Deal with it.

I was too busy worrying about the newness of riding a freestyle to effectively correct this, though I genuinely did try, albeit I tried by riding the movement as it appears in the test instead of doing a bunch of counter-canter like I usually do when she gets like this. In hindsight, that would have been an amazing idea.

My worry mounted as the time ticked past. I knew there was a rider before me, but her ride time came and went. My ride time approached. I waited for her, but eventually went looking for her in the warmups and realized she wasn't around. Nor was there any sign whatsoever of a gate marshall. Nor did anyone make any kind of announcements. Ten minutes after my ride time, I headed to the judge, who proceeded to yell at me for being late. This was fair---I should have simply shown up on my ride time. A gate marshall or even just an efficient announcer would have been really great, though, and my people pleaser side badly wanted my brains to melt out of my ears and dribble onto the floor.

A year ago, I would have gotten stuck right there and become a mess. Instead, I reminded myself that this was not the end of the universe, but I did have to make a conscious effort not to let the judge's words replay absurdly in my head the way us people-pleasing overthinkers would like to do. I didn't panic but I had to make an effort not to, which left fewer brain cells free for dressage.

another shout-out to both horses for being absolute superstars about standing tied to the box

Arwen reacted as she always does. Aw girlfriend, you're only bringing 50% today? Don't worry. I got this. So she brought about 600%, which was much more than we really needed for a Third Level freestyle, and when she heard her music things did not get better. She grabbed the bit and told me to hang on and let her do her thing.

This is my jam, sweetheart. Stay out of my way, she ordered.

The resultant freestyle had many hurried moments, almost removed my arms from their sockets, and contained several interpretive dance moves. I'd kept the choreography simple in a bid to make it manageable. We had 6.0s for our shoulder-ins and the trot half-pass left, but 6.5 for the trot half-pass right, which was nice because that's been our harder direction. Her extended trot was as fabulous as ever for 7.0. Despite her dragoning, her walk was really relaxed and rhythmic, and we got 6.0 for it with comment "more ground cover" for the extended walk.

The canter work was where the wheels fell off the bus a bit. She knew exactly when the music was going to change for her canter and bounced wildly through the transition to celebrate, and our extended canter was heavy in front for 4.0, "resisting, on forehand." We moved straight into her canter half-pass left for 6.0, but she changed messily from left to right as we got to the wall instead of waiting on my aid for 5.0, "not straight." It was through, though, so that's a huge win for us after working so hard on it. 

Our next canter half-pass was another 6.0 with another squiggly change for 5.0, "jumped together behind". We repeated the dodgy left to right change and, on the video, it was actually the most through it's ever been---less close behind than at the last show, but definitely still a bit close. 

Our final halt was absolutely straight and square but she moved a step after I saluted for 6.5, "moved in halt."

photo by Denford Studios

The collectives were the part that really nailed us: 5.5 for rhythm "(hurried)", 5.8 for harmony ("on rider's hand"), 6.0 for choreography, 5.8 for degree of difficulty, 6.0 for music, and 5.5 for interpretation ("hurried"). Our final comment was "Horse needs to show more self carriage and a more ground-covering stride." That gave us a bummer of a final mark, 57.975%.

The mark was disappointing, but it was mostly my own fault for being late. Arwen only rushed because I rushed. The main thing is that our beautiful music from Moana worked unbelievably well. In terms of timing the test rode just like it rides at home, so that gives me plenty of confidence with choreographing future freestyles knowing that they'll work out just fine in the show ring. What's more, I didn't actually come to pieces the way I did in the Supremes at HOY. I was just a little tense and using more brainpower than usual to make the butterflies go in formation. Plus Arwen's changes were better even if they were at random points in the test instead of where I wanted them lol.

We spent several hours lounging around, doing Thunder's hair, getting lunch, and generally killing time before I finally saddled him up and got ready for 3-3, the same test as we did last time. He was tense as we went into the warmup and looking for something to spook at, but he didn't try to nap this time. In fact, he was a bit quick off my leg rather than lazy. I had to pull myself together before getting on because I kind of wanted to get it over with and go home after the bad mark for Arwen's test, but with a bit of self-discipline, the Spirit's work, and hubby's pep talk, I climbed on determined to actually ride properly and not let something silly mess up a perfectly gorgeous day with the people and horses I love.

"he's getting fat" - J

I spent a lot of time stretching him and lengthening his neck---originally staying on the side of the arena nearest where M stood with Arwen to help him relax---and it paid off. Once we had done loads of stretchy walk and trot, we headed into canter and he was supple, listening, and cadenced. He wanted to cheekily fall into my inside leg in the corners at times but I tickled him with my spur occasionally and he swiftly cut it out. He listened to my leg and made no attempt to give me lazy changes, and though I reminded him once or twice to keep stepping off my leg in the canter half-pass right, he actually felt pretty superb. For my part, I was so disciplined about keeping my hands in the right place (J had only said "hands on the hairline" about 60 times in my lesson) that my knuckles rubbed out one of his plaits. Overcorrecting? Probably, but at least I was paying attention.

We walked down to another arena for our test. The show was nearly done, but on another level lower than this arena, a few horses were still busy with their tests. Thunder wasn't sure why there were other random horses down there and wanted to be spooky, but I kept him busy with a bunch of shoulder-in left and right to keep his feet moving and his neck supple, and he was an incredibly good boy. Of course, I showed up to the wrong ring, not being sure which was which, but this time the judge was unbelievably nice and pointed me in the right direction so I was calm and collected when I showed up at the correct arena this time (and with three minutes to spare, having learned my lesson).

It was the same judge as at the last show. We went to say hello and then headed right in. He stepped a tiny bit to the left with his shoulder in halt but kept his attention with me for 8.0, "halt straight and square, a little abrupt into halt, straight after X". I kept my body forward and didn't push the medium much for 6.5. Then he flowed effortlessly through all of his trot lateral work, supple as a noodle and absolutely obedient. We had 7.0 for the shoulder-in right, 7.5 for the two half circles ("fairly good bend"), and 7.5 for the half-pass left ("correct"). Our extended trot was another mystifying 7.0 but he did actually throw his toes a little bit for me, so that was cute. He had 7.0 for the transitions as well.

The halt and rein-back was a 6.5, "not square behind in halt". He almost stepped out at A but did give me good rein-back steps. Mindful that this judge wanted fewer steps last time, I felt that the first step was not quite diagonal but only asked for three steps more, so she didn't comment on that. His shoulder-in left and half-circles were two more 7.0s. In his half-pass right he was soft and lovely but starting to fall against my left leg. Knowing this boded poorly for the canter work, I did elect to give him a sharp tap, and he squiggled across for a couple of strides that earned us a 7.0, "slight loss of rhythm".

Heading into the walk tour, I girded up my loins and ordered myself not to bugger up the turns on the haunches, and we more or less succeeded. They were both 6.0: "could be more fluent, not keeping rhythm behind, pick up both legs evenly behind". On the video, he skipped one step with each TOH, both times interestingly with the outside hind. I've always been focused on avoiding pivoting with the inside hind. Either way, they were much, much better than before and I'm happy with how they went. His medium walk was lovely and earned a well-deserved 7.0. I pushed him for more overtrack in the extended walk and we got another 7.0, then followed it with a third 7.0 as we picked up a very nice, soft transition to canter.

The canter work was again not as good as the trot work. Our half-pass left was 6.5, "a little more supple", and I freely admit that I messed up his changes. Since he was still a bit tight and spooky I didn't rev him up for the change like I should have. It took several aids to get him to change left to right and we had a well-deserved 5.0, "kicking up, not on aid, very untidy". His half-pass right was tight but well-aligned so we got a 6.0, "more suppleness and bend". I ordered him to change properly this time but he was still a little lazy through the change for 5.5, "together behind."

The big difference came in his extended canter. I didn't have to chase him, I just closed my leg and we got a 7.0, "fairly bold", with another 7.0 for the transitions. He was super obedient into the collected trot for another 7.0. I thought his halt was nice but it was not quite square for 6.5, "straight, almost square".

My collectives came up a lot compared with last time. He had 7 for paces, 6 for impulsion with engagement underlined, 6.5 for submission with lightness of the forehand underlined, and both my rider marks were 7.0. Our comment was "accurately ridden, fairy good 2-track," and our final mark was 66.375%.

I was over the moon with him as we headed out. I knew I'd messed up the changes, but that's just a matter of getting to know his feeling in the show ring again, no big deal. A tiny tweak in the way I ride them will make them 7s again. Overall, though, he felt amazing. He was obedient, focused, and delightful in the connection. Though his canter half-passes were a little stiff, they were accurate and perfectly positioned. His trot half-passes were super. I was really, really happy with him.

Of course, I was even happier when I found out we'd once again come second in some very good company. That was the cherry on top of what had really been a nice day.

They both hopped in and traveled mostly well on the way home, barring Arwen nipping Thunder's nose once to irritate him. It was another super day out with my precious hubby---who only seems to be getting more and more passionate about my riding---and two of the nicest horses I've ever had the privilege to know.

God is good.