This message is from: John and Martie Bolinski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Well, it is all over.
Unofficially, I heard we came in 3rd overall for the training level,
single pony CD (dressage and cones only). Seems to me that there were
only 4 entries for this division, so maybe we were better than at least
one turnout? Or maybe number 4 withdrew.
I met Laura Wich's gator near the cones course. She was helping to
measure wheels for the cones.
Anyway, I think we did great. We survived everything. We did a
dreadful dressage test. Even though the ring had been so well used that
you could see the tracks of other tests and KNOW where to turn etc., I
could not keep Kilar out at the rail after the first pass. Our circles
were terrible. But out back was great! We looked at a tape of the test
afterwords and it appeared that Kilar was limping! I think maybe the
stones along the rail were hurting his feet so he didn't want to be
there. I just had him trimmed on Thursday; we did not take much off,
but I guess he could still be sore. We had some help with presentation,
luckily. Seems we got the curb chain wrapped around one side of the bit
and forgot to put the breeching spider straps completely into their
keepers. I had to do warm-up with the side check on because the grass
was so tall he could almost graze without putting his head down! Almost
forgot to take that off before dressage.
Cones was great! We went real slowly, but only knocked down a single
orange. I thought we were making orange juice on the way around. I
know we hit at least 3 cones; we ran over one so well that the cart
lifted and fell. But the oranges stayed put. (I wonder if they glued
them on?) I expected some trouble with the zig-zag since we have never
done anything like that and it was guarded by teddy bears (This was the
Teddy Bear's Picnic show). He jogged in with no problem, saw the rail
in front of him and started whirling his ears, but when I told him to
'come haw - step', he jogged right around and out. What a great little
beastie! We were almost done the course and a pair of halflingers on
the top of the hill neighed - Kilar slowed a little, looked at them and
hollered a challenge! Really loud. And charged up the hill. When I
asked him to turn into the next set of cones he came right around and
even did the 180 turn to take the last set of cones. A lot of people
had trouble with this one. The whole course was on the side of a steep
hill. The horse was either pulling extra hard to get up, or leaning
hard into the breeching to get down. He was so sensitive to the reins
yesterday.
Kilar really likes those Halfies. Whenever we go somewhere he calls
to them. The other horses and ponies don't seem to make any
impression. Just the Halfies.
It was cold and windy and a lot of horses were fussing. There were
whirlwinds of leaves circling us, trash can lids blowing off and
spinning past, dogs running loose (during my dressage test there was one
in the ring with us), paper bags and all sort of loose stuff flying
around. The only thing that concerned Kilar was when a big wisp of hay
blew toward him. He wanted to go for that.
Well, that's done. Time to get back to the routine stuff. Maybe
even a little housework eventually. I hear John outside cleaning
chimneys. Getting to be that time of year.
Martie and Kilar in windy chilly MD.
