Stoneybrook DT 2006

Posted by: hobbyhorse23 Jun 6 2006, 05:08 PM

It was certainly an interesting weekend. The supposedly four hour drive from Snohomish WA to the competition site in OR ended up taking 9 1/2 hours due to a 28 car pileup on southbound I-5 and the resulting congestion on all major northern routes. This also affected all the folk attending the Pacific Crown shown in Spanaway and let me tell you, I almost defected to join them when I saw how bad I-5 was going to be going south! But I had brought CDE equipment, not show equipment, and I decided to persevere. After hitting my third major construction zone near the border I finally threw my hands in the air and took the next rest stop I could find to get out of the stop-and-go traffic. By this point it was already 10:30PM or so and I got Kody out and lunged him on a big grassy hill in the dark so I could put him straight to bed when we got to the showgrounds. Snapshot memory: A woman walking down the paved trail with her husband stopped, did a double-take, and started laughing. As they walked away I saw her slap him on the back and heard her say "You never know what you'll run into in a rest area." He got a lot of attention from mustached latino truckers, big bad biker types, little boys, and dogs. I started counting the exclamations of people entering the rest area. I got at least fifteen ranging from "Oh, look at the cute little horse!" to "What is that?!" to the ever-popular "Awwww!!!" Rest areas are just TOO much fun with a miniature.

It was our first time going out of state to compete and both Kody and I were exhausted by the time we got there. The longest drive I'd done until then was 2 1/2 hours. I got him settled at 1AM, unhitched the trailer and found the house I was staying at and went to bed.

I was actually very proud of myself the next morning. Despite two hours of sleep and this being my first competition with no one to wake me up I got up on time, got to the barn on time, got the horse fed and groomed, managed to give both my harness and the brass a cursory cleaning, got all my clothes organized and on, walked the dressage test and the cones course multiple times and got warmed up just in time to go in. For me that's a huge accomplishment and I was already proud of myself by the time I went in the ring.

Kody gave me a very good dressage test and I was absolutely thrilled that all my work with my new dressage trainer this spring had paid off. We bent, we had tempo and energy, when he tried to stare outside the ring I knew how to get his attention back on me with quiet hands. For the first time when he tried to counterbend and come strongly off the rail I knew how to correct it and fixed it before it could even become an issue. Of course nothing was perfect but I was proud because I felt like we'd made real, visible progress over last year and solved some of our most pressing issues. It was a good solid test. The only thing I did drastically wrong was trot to G from X instead of walk. I simply couldn't remember which gait I was supposed to move forward in so I mentally flipped a coin and picked the wrong one. Oh well! At least we stayed on the center line and did nice transitions to and from that incorrect gait! LOL

Then we went over to the cones course and I put all the advice I've gotten in the last few weeks to use. When I was walking the course that morning I was constantly reminding myself not to oversteer and to keep my hands super-quiet. Combining that with the need to drive forward and to "drive the course, not the cones," all of a sudden a line from the movie "Serenity" flashed through my head. All I could do was grin and whisper "I am a leaf on the wind." But silly as it was, that thought really helped to loosen me up and keep me quiet as I pictured blowing myself through the cones on an out-breath like a leaf skating on the water.

I chose a certain point about two strides out of each set of cones where I told myself I absolutely had to leave Kody alone no matter what. And it worked! I had the best cones course ever and for the first time in almost two years of driving we had not one single incident of dodging out or throwing himself suddenly to one side or the other. I'd set him up, get to the magic point and soften the reins, breathe out, and "Drive Forward." And through we'd go, no muss, no fuss. We knocked one ball down but it was a legitimate knock and not the sort of horrible weaving we'd been doing. It was a tough course so I didn't begrudge that ball at all. Our time was as good as the big horses with Kody moving right along at a strong working trot well under the VSE maximum. I was just so dang proud of him! He was up in the bridle, strong and forward, listening, bending, and just being wonderful. So it was a rude shock when they posted results and I found myself in last place with a horrible score of 89 in dressage. Remember the lower the score the better in driven dressage; my highest to date on a very badly driven test was a 63. I think what stung the worst was that the other training level competitors didn't seem to think my score was at all out of line. I was like "Man, what did everyone else see that I didn't?!" So I spent the rest of the day getting sunburned walking the marathon course for the following day and dissecting my dressage go over the phone with my mother trying to figure out what I might have done wrong.

The next morning Kody showed how very wired he can be. He would stand quietly for grooming for a long time and then begin throwing his whole body from one end of the lead to the other like a frenzied cat's tail with no warning. I've been opening myself to him recently and asking him why he's doing that and have begun to get the response that he isn't trying to avoid the grooming, he's eager to get driving. So I reminded him that I couldn't hitch him up until I finished grooming him and that he needed to stand still so I could do that and he calmed down and stood well for me. However the rest of the morning was full of not only attempts to rear once hitched but full-out reach for the sky, hi-ho Silver kind of theatrics as well as the occasional Lippizan-like attempt to levade. He levitated straight up off the ground with all four feet, very collected, and then attempted to lash out at the height of the jump. I was SOOOO glad I had the kickstrap on! It probably saved my front teeth. I had lots of people teasing me about my mini Lippizan for the rest of the day.

He reared his way through trying to repair our spares bag which fell off the Hyperbike while warming up. Peter Hance had to winch Kody's little head down under his arm and physically keep him from going up again while Bob the 'Bike's manufacturer was under the vehicle trying to put the bag back on. And then they're calling that it's our time, if we don't go now we'll be eliminated, the bag still won't go on, the number is falling off, just put it on and take the other one off and we've got to get out of here and GO KODY GO!! He tried to gallop through the start gate and I had to grab my green card literally on the run and sit on it the whole 5km because I had my hands too full reining Kody in to stuff it in my map case. He was such a dork. I didn't handle it as well as I should have either, I know better than to ream on him and assume he's just being stupid, but gosh darn I was so annoyed by that point that it all just went out the window.

For the first three kilometers he ran alternately hot and cold out on the course depending on whether we were going towards or away from the staging area, but I think we eventually got the worst of it out of his system. When he wasn't being an idiot though he was golden. He was one of the few horses of any size who didn't hesitate at the creek and he trooped right across the wooden bridge he'd never seen. He came in still wired after 5km and not even out of breath, and once again the minis proved they just don't sweat as easily as the big horses. The big guys were lathered one and all and no mini had more than a slight sweat under the breast collar. And most importantly I got my timing ironed out so I'm confident I can do well at Happ's in two weeks even on the 8km course. Now I'm really beginning to understand the theory behind picking hazard routes and it's all starting to come together.

You know the best part of the whole thing? After receiving last at the awards ceremony I got my packet and found out there was an error in my dressage scoring and I'd actually gotten a 60.17 even with my trot mistake and a tough judge...and I'd gotten first! So I ended up with a blue ribbon and a bag of carrots taller than my horse and even the best overall training level VSE dressage score award. Of course there were only three training level single VSE entries and no pairs at all so it didn't mean much, but the blue ribbon sure did. That's my very first one at combined driving and I'm prouder of it than of anything else I've ever done.

Unfortunately I didn't get a shot with the ribbon as it was pouring rain by the time they presented them but I got at least one good one from cones and a couple of cute candids of Kody and I chilling out and of Kody being admired by crowds of passers-by. I will post them when I get them loaded. I was very proud that my little man introduced many people both new to driving or who drive but hadn't considered a smaller animal to the idea of VSE's as competitive and fun CDE horses. He received compliments from everyone from miniature horse breeders who were pondering competing their own horses at CDE's to the Team Oregon competitors with their warmbloods to random horse people who had come to spectate. Go Kody! Many of the compliments were regarding his proportioning and that he looked like a shrunk down Morgan and people were quite impressed that you could get that horse-like of a critter in an A-sized mini. I really pushed the fact that our breed has come far and can do it all and was pleased to field many informed questions regarding nutrition and care for these little guys. I think we're going to see an explosion of VSE competitors in Oregon soon!

So that was my weekend. The trip home was much shorter with no traffic at all (thank God) and Kody settled in for a long and well-deserved nap in his paddock. We'll be out and driving again by tonight though as there's no time to rest with Happ's only a week and a half away! Woohoo!

Leia

Posted by: crponies Jun 6 2006, 05:44 PM

It sounds like you had a fun, interesting, and productive weekend. Congrats on your blue ribbon!

Posted by: ClickMini Jun 6 2006, 06:22 PM

Oh Leia what a terrific story and a great result! I am so glad that you were so successful, that is just excellent news. You deserved it after all of your work to get there!

I am out every night driving also, I got as many lessons as I could in with Lisa before she left town, and I think we have improved quite a lot. I am still not thinking we will do "great" at Happ's, but at least might not be "embarrassingly bad." Did I mention that I got a 2 (actually more than 1!) on our last dressage test! YIKES. She does soooo well at home, but when we travel it is another story. Lisa says to me, well you better plan on a 1 hour warmup before dressage! LOL!!!

I am a little bummed that one of my Alexandra clicker clinics is right over the top of Beaver Creek. So I can't go to that one. But will be at Lincoln Creek in August, and of course the Mini Macro, and the VSE DT-T in September. Can't wait!!! :D

BRAVO, Leia and Kody!

Posted by: hobbyhorse23 Jun 6 2006, 07:08 PM

QUOTE(ClickMini @ Jun 6 2006, 06:22 PM)

I am out every night driving also, I got as many lessons as I could in with Lisa before she left town, and I think we have improved quite a lot. I am still not thinking we will do "great" at Happ's, but at least might not be "embarrassingly bad." Did I mention that I got a 2 (actually more than 1!) on our last dressage test! YIKES. She does soooo well at home, but when we travel it is another story. Lisa says to me, well you better plan on a 1 hour warmup before dressage! LOL!!!

Yes, Lisa's just full of wise advice isn't she? LOL. I squeezed in one last lesson on Thursday and she said I'd better spend every minute I was driving this summer hearing her voice in my head saying "quiet hands, quiet hands, quiet hands...OR ELSE!" I am also under orders to email and let her know how I did.

Kody actually tends to do better away from home as he knows a show means he'll get driven plenty and that makes him happy as can be. And a happy Kody is a cooperative Kody! Hehe. Where did you drive the dressage test in question?

QUOTE

I am a little bummed that one of my Alexandra clicker clinics is right over the top of Beaver Creek. So I can't go to that one. But will be at Lincoln Creek in August, and of course the Mini Macro, and the VSE DT-T in September. Can't wait!!! :D

Aw, what a bummer that we can't trailer-pool to Beaver Creek! Oh well. I'm sure with two driving horses and all their equipment it would have been difficult to figure out how to stash everything in one vehicle anyway but it would have been fun to try. At least I'll get to see you at Happ's and Lincoln Creek and the VSE DT-T in September! I usually skip the Mini Macro.

Two weeks and counting! Maybe I should post the thread I wrote about Happ's 2005??

Leia

Posted by: ClickMini Jun 6 2006, 08:57 PM

The test in question was performed (or not? isn't there a canter circle in Training 1??? lol!) at the Intro to CDE clinic a mere month ago at Happ's. I sure hope my little hot rodder can slow her jets when it really counts! Yes, I am also under E-mail orders for progress reports!

I vote for YES! Bring up last years post so we can see your great progress!!!

Posted by: Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too Jun 6 2006, 10:40 PM

Yay Leia and Kody! You two are just awsome together. Congratulations on your very successful weekend and I can't wait to see your pics.

Posted by: whitney Jun 7 2006, 06:34 AM

Thank you so much for posting your adventure.

I felt like I was out on the course watching you go. I'm so glad you did so well.

Good luck at HAPPS!

Posted by: Bluerocket Jun 7 2006, 06:52 AM

Wow Leia - that sounds super - and so much fun!!

What an excellent write up -- can't wait to see the pictures.

Congratulations on your 1st place -- and especially for your improvement in driving itself -- I am going to try to remember your phrase "I am a leaf on the wind" -- that could prove quite useful.

What was the distance for the cones settings (between obstacles)? was it normal horse size - or did they modify it for the VSE's??

Oh I am inspired -- gonna hook and drive tonight.

JJay
PS where are those pictures??? Pictures - Pictures - Pictures!!

Posted by: Al B Jun 7 2006, 11:26 AM

Boy, I really envy you guys up there. We had 1 HDT earlier this year and there is one scheduled for November (if there enough VSE entries). We will have trouble getting 6 VSE's.

The one we did back in March was a lot of fun but for some reason ADS has not posted the results on the website. Sounds like you had a great time.

Posted by: midnight star stables Jun 7 2006, 04:32 PM

Wow Great Job!!!! Congrats!

Posted by: Valerie Jun 7 2006, 08:11 PM

Yea Leia & Kody!!! Sounds like he did awesome!!

It's so nice to hear someone talk about how they are progressing along, I think too many times people feel like they have to be first all the time and they forget the little steps of progress they are making. Ok, not everyone, I am my own worst critic. Anyway, I tend to forget to remember the little victories & the little steps of progress, thank you for bringing that to the forefront to me again.

Gosh, I am sooooo happy for you both!! Sounds like you had a teeter-totter weekend, but came out on top and that is something to be darn proud of!!! I wish I could come down & watch you at Happs, but that weekend is my parent's 50th wedding anniversary party, and I had better not miss that one...haha.

Good luck at Happs & please post some pics, I would love to see them!!!

Posted by: Mini Luver--hart wee man Jun 7 2006, 08:17 PM

Woo long story congrats on your ribbon aha the ever popular AWW so true so true!

Posted by: CheyAut Jun 9 2006, 12:00 PM

QUOTE(ClickMini @ Jun 6 2006, 10:57 PM)

isn't there a canter circle in Training 1???

Unless I'm understanding you wrong lol

There is no cantering in driving dressage.. at least none in training through intermediate, and I"m almost certain not in advanced, either.

Jessi

SUCKS about the travel, but glad you made it safe and had fun and CONGRATS on the blue!! Where's the pictures????

Jessi

Posted by: Bluerocket Jun 9 2006, 01:09 PM

QUOTE(CheyAut @ Jun 9 2006, 03:00 PM)