Cinco de Mayo GPE Dressage Show

After a successful May the Fourth "Chasing el Chavo" 5k at the local hard cider mill, I jumped in with both feet for an early morning dressage schooling show at Grosse Point Equestrian. This is the same place I went at the end of February and since it was such a positive experience, I wanted to return one last time before moving. This will likely be my last show for Michigan so I can focus on getting the truck and trailer fixed up for the drive.

Kaylee also wanted to show so I got permission from the judge to do a leadline Intro A test with her on Gwyn. Did you know there is a LOT of continuous trotting especially in a long form dressage arena where you trot across the long diagonal? It's kind of hell on foot... Thank goodness for super amazing footing that didn't give too much under foot for me.

6 in the morning sunlight

Exterior of both indoor arenas

Since the weather was way better I opted to tack up on the trailer rather than dragging everything into their grooming stalls

 Kaylee took a lot of these photos for me. It was fun to see what she thought was worthwhile to capture.

I realized I had a gray suit jacket from interviewing that could pass as a show jacket. Done. Free. Already in the closet.

Apparently my abandoned sneakers are worthy

Kaylee "selfie"

The trainer lady is standing at E. The entrance to the dressage arena is therefore placed where you see it. I had hoped it wouldn't be a problem. HAHAHAH

Warming up before the judge arrived. Super tense mare.

Lots of bending to encourage her to relax

 Trainer lady was very rude during the warm up. She treated me like I was a total novice. I did not appreciate it. I stayed out of her riders way and in fact just schooled some basic canter departs in the end of the dressage arena where I would be cantering anyway (to work out steering issues and instead had porpoising issues) and then moved to the warm up side.

I was the second rider and did Intro B. It went okay. I wish I had been in the bigger arena like before to warm up where I could do some really nice big circles to loosen her up and get some wiggles out without feeling like I had to prove myself to this stranger. Since I had cued for the canter, Gwyn assumed that corner circles REALLY MEANT CANTERING. She would do a little hop depart every time we were down at A. She porpoised in our 20m trot circles. I really wish I had tried to just get her super forward in warm up so that we could drop back down to a more sedate trot without thinking canter ever time I applied leg.

The big thing I'm grateful for is using this show to learn how I need to warm my horse up. Last time I didn't' bother to warm up with canter because we were only going to do walk trot.

Intro B: 60.625%, 2nd place!

My thoughts on B were that we definitely needed more warm up where I don't feel self conscious because then I'm not riding effectively. So that's a mental thing for me. Gwyn was trying to get contact and briefly achieves it. I ride porpoising very well (in fact my mom said that some spectators behind her had commented that I handled that little bit of near canter depart calmly and with poise, which makes me ridiculously pleased with myself)  My interview suit jacket totally works for a riding show coat for now. Bending was better one direction vs the other and in the expected way that I have left side of my body issues that translate under saddle. So things to work on. I'm not displeased and was honestly completely surprised to be handed a ribbon.

Intro C: Elimination due to... well, you'll see. At least it wasn't a canter steering issue?

In re-watched our exit from the arena I'm less thinking it was a behavioral thing on Gwyn's part. It kind of looks like she hit the far open end of the rail with her foot and kind of tripped her way out? Our canter, in her freaking good direction, was a counter canter with the lead she usually doesn't like.... 😝😝😐😐😐😑😑😑😆😆😆  But my big goal in doing this particular test at this particular show was not exiting during the canter so technically I succeeded? We didn't even manage to get a canter the second time around but it was already scoreless anyway.

Then it was time to just hang out in the sunshine until they started the Junior tests.

Let me tell you, I couldn't find Kaylee's paddock boots last night and basically had a minor panic attack since she was insisting she was going to wear her muck boots, a decidedly not heeled boot. Oh six year olds. Thankfully I found these fashion boots that would be good enough. For Kaylee I braided Gwyn's mane and forelock. It made time go by faster while we waited.

In the test, making sure she knew it was time to salute the judge.

Gwyn was SUCH a good girl for Kaylee. And Kaylee was a trooper for such a long day. We had a bit of miscommunication where Kaylee thought that she'd then be doing the riding all by herself and just melted down when I told her that wasn't the case. She wants to be an independent rider SO badly, but can't quite do it with Gwyn yet. There will be lessons in Washington for sure.