Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Spring Hickory Top

From Ms. Leslie! Please remember- we'd still like to have other people write in their experiences for the Whinny. We'd love to hear from you, just email scotsgrove@gmail.com to get your story posted!

I am unbelievably proud of the ten riders and horses who competed at Hickory Top Saturday, and Caitlyn and Kayce who came to help!  They exhibited great sportsmanship and tremendous persistence and hard work, and horsemanship that stood out.
Many spent the night Friday. We got up before 4 am to get horses groomed, saddled, and loaded and leave by 5 am. They had hay nets in the trailers for breakfast! We got to Hickory Top in good time and picked up information/ numbers packets and got out Pre-Tadpoles ready. First rider went at 8:36.  We had 5 of the 7 Pre-Tadpoles! 
Leah has had a challenging road with her mare, who was not only green, but had some bad memories and has gone high and hollow for over a year, but we have recently had breakthrough progress, on the mare and in Leah's self confidence that she can be the senior partner and take control and be safe. The mare was tense but Leah rode through and very patiently just kept reminding her to drop her head and work in the partnership and stood second after dressage of the 7!  Anna had the use of the Odoms' other horse, Gypsy, and there was no trace of the overwhelmed Anna from last time; she had a plan and rode to that plan and stood 3rd after dressage!  Owen gave Folly a good go; both horse and rider were showing the effects of "show nerves", but they got it done!  Allison finally got to compete Dimples, but Dimples was more excitable than ever before and started out quite distracted, but with Allison's steady riding, the test improved as it went on!  Sidney and Lucky were both eventing for the first time and Lucky was a little leery of the white chain arena fence, but again, good steady riding improved things as they went on. The judge went out of her way to tell me that she had given Sidney an "8" (of 10!) on the last halt/ salute because Sidney realized that she was going to have a hard time keeping Lucky immobile, so halted and snapped her salute before he could move! The judging ends with the final salute, so if he moved after that it was irrelevant! But she complimented good tactful schooling riding. The Pre-Tads marched off to walk the cross country course, and Emi and Pan were our one entry in Tadpole. Emi has been committed to her soccer team and had not had a chance to ride for a week, so Pan was very energetic!
Brit, Katie and Lindsey rode Special Novice, Lindsey in the Senior division so not competing with our students!  I did not get to see those tests as they conflicted with the Pre-Tads cross country, but Brit gave Ted a good ride, Katie and Bill had their best test so far, and Bailey warmed up well and realizing that he was not at a race this time was doing some very nice work, until other riders in warm-up area cantered and galloped and he got very tense. He did not however get airborn, which is a first! And Lindsey gave him a grand schooling ride! Sabine was our only rider with a walk/trot/canter dressage test and she and Skittles posted a very satisfactory score! It's been several years since we've had entries in Beginner Novice division!
Leah had some challenges cross country but persevered and her mare is the better for the day!  Allison rode her first real gallop when Dimples got silly cross country!  Owen had his hands full with Folly but also persevered and finished the course! Anna sent Gypsy around without a fault, and Sidney and Lucky also were clean! After several years of trying, Emi got Pan around the course clean! That is a real accomplishment! Brit was eliminated cross country with Ted, who was quite energetic!  Katie and Bill really stepped up and looked great! Lindsey and Bailey were in their favorite phase and had fun! Sabine and Skittles had one refusal but also had a great deal of fun on course!
Leah was eliminated in Stadium jumping, but is already planning for the Dec competition! Owen was eliminated on Stadium as well and also already planning for six months ahead! Only three of the 7 entries completed all three phases and
Anna and Gypsy were second, Sidney and Lucky third!  Both ended on their dressage scores! The rest of Emi's division had been eliminated, so all she needed to do was finish, but Pan accelerated after several fences, making the course designer's intended line impossible, but Emi had a Plan B ready and used a legal but different line and got the job done and won her division! That is a tremendous accomplishment and a tribute to her schooling of him!
Katie has also invested a couple years of schooling into improving Bill and they did well and placed 5th in a big division. Lindsey and Bailey finished on their dressage score, with lovely grins! Sabine and Skittles made short work of the stadium and were third!
There were 23 at the table for the victory dinner at Olive Garden in Columbia and great fun and friendship!  I am so proud of "Team Scotsgrove"!  Everybody helped everyone all day, everyone rose to the challenge and rode with their whole heart in it, and persisted! Great sportsmanship. great horsemanship and great friendship! I do indeed have the greatest kids in the world!  They may have slept in the car, but they got back to the barn and took care of their horses, cleaned the tack, cleaned the trailer and unloaded my truck!

Leslie

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