Otis & Oscars guide to behaveing at Dressage Championship!

[casper_cb]

Hmmm, both boys were ...... special! :rolleyes: Last weekend we went to Lincoln for Riding Club dressage champs. Here's a sneak peak of Otis's behaviour.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0021-2.jpg


In all honesty I don't know how I qualified, Otis bless him is not blessed with natural paces but is usually a good boy and accurate and v. good at give and retakes and medium canter. I qualified in Novice 30 and Riding Test 9 on both Oscar and Otis. Riding test marks the rider, it should not matter how the horse goes. As a rider you need to sit still and be effective. So the horse needs to help but does not need to be perfect. Oscar and Otis ..... behave :lol: Not in the slightest!!! Well to be honest both behaved impeccably in the warm up!

Otis's first test, I was actually quite happy with it, unfortunalty as we turned down the centre line the phantom giant fly of Lincoln flew into Otis's ear!! :rolleyes: Bit of sideways head waggling. For give and retake 4 - not shown, here's the photo of my give and retake????
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0003-7.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0004-6.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0005-7.jpg

Then for medium trots we got 4's too. He did make a difference, I think 5's would have been fairer. Halt 5. Apparently unbalanced, not square behind?!
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0006-5.jpg

Free rein walk 8 x2 woop woop, then medium walk 5 - no comment?! Then straight 6's and no comments.

I was pretty dissapointed, not so much with the marks but the fact it's a championship and judges should not give 6's without comment let alone 5's following and 8 for a simular movement?! Grrrr. We did come 10th and got a lovely rosette, the joke being only 10 people qualified! LOL. So we came last! :lol:

Anyway in the riding test, Oscar successfully came LAST too!! He was not that naughty, he broke in counter canter and was cheaky in the trot with reins in one hand on a 20m circle, he came above the bit. However the judge made a most rediculous comment "V. active in hand contact causing horse to resist" How can I be active, I have one hand on the rein, it's not moving, the other hand is by my side?? All a bit of a farce.
Oscar leg yielding, he did them perfectly but got a 5, apparently too much bend in body?
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0008-3.jpg
Rebelling! But got a 6?
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0009-4.jpg
Oscar actually going backwards! He was meant to be!
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0010-3.jpg
Reins in outside hand.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0013-3.jpg

Otis was a v.v.v. cheaky monkey, he v. quickly realised I could not move my hands much and had no spurs on to keep him forwards and managed to invert his head in canter, his head was soooo high he tripped and almost fell infront of the judges car. Otis got a few 3's and no comment again for bits I thought we did well?! Otis somehow was not last, but what I can't understand is how Otis beat another lady from my club on a lovely cob who did a lovely test and rides beautifully, she's represented the UK and the judge slated her?!?
Looking good.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0014-3.jpg
Short lived, canter, there is no way you can get his head down without being a little rough, so I made the decision to ride fowards, keep hands still and try ride the movements, maintaining my positon, it's a riding test, not dressage - as far as the judge knows maybe that's just how my horse canters?!? Did not go down well with judge!
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0015-3.jpg
Counter canter loop.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0016-3.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0018-3.jpg
Loosing control of his legs.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0019-3.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0020-3.jpg
But it was OK, he regained his balance! PIG!!! I was not angry i was giggling the whole way through the test, there was nothing I could really do other than concenrate on my position.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/IMGA0021-2.jpg

Anyways, the horses were FAB at the inbetween bits, both were super walking too and from the dressage, warmed up well and behaved superbly in strange stables for 2 nights. They never called for each other or worried where the other was when one was taken away and lead like angels side by side whilst I carried my mug of coffe in the other hand. LOL. Silver linging and all! :lol:

Sorry that was pretty long. Though the dressage did not go well I had a super time the other memebers of my club that were competing were all lovely, a fair few bottle of vino blanc were got through over 2 nights!!!

[Cinders]

LOL! this post made me laugh! your horses always looks SO good in the dressage arena, it's nice to know their not perfect all the time :p Glad you managed to see the funny side but the judges sound ridiculous! Do you happen to know if the judges were local from the lincoln area or did they travel from all over the place? x

[nic]

Brilliant post and well done for keeping your composure!!!:lol:

I will admit to laughing at Otis and his inverted head in Canter, the pics were fantastic!!

I actually drove past the Show ground on Saturday with my OH as we were debating what the BRC national championships stood for ( we only saw the little AA signs on the roundabout in town)

Well done on your 2 last places though!!:cheekywink:

[Hevs]

Awww bless - he was being a monkey, perhaps he thought some impromptu moves would impress the judges. :D

Handsome horses too

[My Crazy Clan]

LOL bless them!

[daytona]

You really do have stunning horses and ride so well.
I love reading your posts they are fantastic.

How is your other horse after his tunble in the water? Was it John?

[Cobby Keri]

naughty boys, makes me love em even more

[Loony]

:lol: Like Cinders said, it's good to see you're not perfect all the time :cheekywink:

I think I would've been like you and laughed too!! The judge sounded like they were hungover!

Welldone on your.. lasts.. :lol:

[Spockky boy]

hehehe Now I remember why Spock and I choose to do XC and not dressage LOL ;)

Nice commentary and pictures though!

[CityLights]

Silly boys, im amazed otis actually remained upright,
I hate having to give and re-take i always do a really exaggerated one and get 'none shown' i would love to know what comments people who actually dont give and retake get

[fell lover]

I knew there was a reason I loved Otis!! Great pics and great story. Lovely to hear you are not ashamed of the boys having a bit of a fun day!!

[casper_cb]

How is your other horse after his tumble in the water? Was it John?

John's doing sort of well. His wound is looking incredible. I did a post on the forum of weekly picture updates but it was lost when EW had to do a reboot, but in short from this:
http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/2009/?action=view&current=IMGA0005-6.jpg
to this in 7 weeks.
http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x311/casper_cb/John%20wound/?action=view&current=2408.jpg
It's now almost healed bar a little scab about 5mm by 1cm and the hairs almost all back.

Sadly though he's lame on his near hind, not the one he whacked in the fall. He's been lame since he came back into work. :( We had the vet out today for a lameness work out and he's happy to work. We know he's not lame due to anything below the hock! More blocking on Thursday.

Fingers crossed!

[casper_cb]

Silly boys, im amazed otis actually remained upright,


LOL me too. As he tripped I might have let a wee swear word slip out fairly loudly, I was already laughing out loud and I could not help myself, Otis was just having a wail of a time being a prat!

[casper_cb]

LOL! this post made me laugh! your horses always looks SO good in the dressage arena, it's nice to know their not perfect all the time :p Glad you managed to see the funny side but the judges sound ridiculous! Do you happen to know if the judges were local from the lincoln area or did they travel from all over the place? x

Hi, just looked up the judges in the registered judges book for 2009, the judge for Novice 30 was list 1 and local to Lincoln (I know her address now, maybe I should send her the freeze frames and demand an explanation!!). She's a TOP TOP judge, who should have known to comment when giving a mark of 6 or less or at least to be constructive in the few comments she made. The other judge for the riding test appears not to be listed?

[ness]

Well done for riding it out! (must have been difficult! best of luck next time!

[Smoke on the Water]

Oh dear! I think it's great that you don't get wound up about it. I'd have been distraught!! Well done on seeing the funny side of it!

[Kelza]

Must have been something in the water for both of them to behave like that!! lol

[Savvy]

well done for keeping smiling! very entertaining report and horses are beautiful!

[Evening Star]

little monkeys! Bet it was 'weekend to show up mummy' time!
I want more piccors of your gang...pweeease? :D