When my alarm sounds at 6.30am on a Sunday, I think “this was a bad idea”
My competition breeches are insanely tight, and require Herculian levels of strength to heave them on, as I’m fighting with the fabric I think “this was a bad idea”
When I get in the lorry, start it up and the fuel light immediately beeps and comes on, I think “this was a bad idea”
When the plaiting bands are cutting into my ice cold fingers and I’m loosing sensation with 5 plaits still left to do, I think “this was a bad idea”
As a sudden sleet shower pelts me directly in the face whilst trying to tack up, I think “this was a bad idea”
When I’m half mounted and Bolly decides to shoot off in the opposite direction with me in suspended limbo, I think “this was a bad idea”
When our warm up feels more akin to a monkey trying to ride a pig, I think “this was a bad idea”….
….and then……we trot up the center line.
We haven’t been out BD since last June and I thought now that the winter has truly set in (my frozen face and chilblains can attest to this being true) a spot of BD might be fun. I thought this from the warm and dry of my office, as I placed the online entry……I clearly didn’t think it through 😉
Once we were riding the test though, we were both in the zone and barring one tiny mistake collecting back up from free rein walk and getting a walk to canter transition, rather than medium walk by mistake, it was an ok test.
Ok I thought….maybe 65%….who knows? Dressage is one of life’s unsolvable mysteries…..there’s no way of knowing what mark you might have….I’ve tried, believe me I’ve tried in every test I’ve ever done to ride a good test and get a good mark but what all this experience has taught me is that it’s pot luck 😉 My guesses and the judge’s opinion very rarely match and as such I have given up on the mental acrobatics of trying to guess and just wait with a resigned approach of “what will be will be” for the scores to go up.
So it comes as no great surprise that I am often greatly surprised when we do well! Not only well, but WIN! 68.4% (a 5 for our error kept us away from that 70% target) and 1st place in our section and overall.
What a brilliant pay off for the early alarm, frozen fingers and sleet filled face. Quick cuppa from the venue and collected my sheet and with Mummy Groom, Bolly and myself wearing every available layer in the lorry we headed home.
The joy a little red nylon ribbon can bring should never be underestimated, as I’m already looking for our next BD outing, and tentatively thinking about trying to qualify for an Area Festival.
Everyone goes silly when they win a frilly. What a strange bunch we equestrians are!
