Waredaca seems to have come and gone in a blur! Maybe it was the 5am wakeup call? I made a challenge to myself this weekend to sit at least part of my dressage test in sitting trot. It’s a tough thing to do at this point because of a saddle that is too wide for Oh So and not comfortable to me anymore. (Luckily I got a phone call from the saddle fitter this week and she’ll be bringing me my new one on Wednesday!) I tried to think positively in my rising trot warmup. He seemed to be very focused on me and not tense at all. I was a bit rushed because of traffic on the way there, plus having to walk show jumping, but he didn’t seem to notice. I started sitting the trot in warmup and he didn’t seem to mind, so I went with it. We had about five minutes to warmup near our dressage ring in the bluestone, and I think that really helped both of us. In the video, I look like I’m bouncing  a lot, but it really didn’t feel so bad. Our canter transitions were good and our lengthened trot and stretchy circle were better as a result of sitting the trot and keeping his back engaged. I had more even rein contact too. The only bobble was when he jigged in the free walk. It was kind of unexpected, but I kept him calm for the trot transition up.

Of course, there were some parts that needed fixing. He had a bit of a left head tilt, which happens sometimes, and he was bearing down a lot in the contact, so he got a little low in the poll. But overall, it was much more positive then any test we’ve had recently, so I can’t complain. We scored a 33 to sit in second.

The show jumping warmup was pretty gross, and I think we both got a little complacent. Our round started off good to the first three, but I took back too much to number four and got a six in a five stride line. I don’t quite know why I took back like I did, but I know I can’t do that next weekend. After that, he was a bit behind my leg. He had the first part of the in and out down because he got a bit flat to it. We got a bit short to the triple bar and too long to the skinny, but he kept them all up. I think I’m going to try wearing a small spur in my lesson this week and if that works, I’ll keep it for Lexington. I also need to think of lifting him a bit.

The footing for cross-country was a bit tacky. He just felt kind of flat, and I really could have used a small spur. I was actually kicking to a lot of the jumps. He jumped the ditch, bank and coffin well. He dropped into the water nicely and we finished with a nice gallop to the last. We could have won without the rail, but we ended up fourth.

So overall, it wasn’t the positive ride I’d hoped for over fences, but I have to look ahead to next weekend.

Here’s a video of my cross-country from Middleburg. Better late then never!