Mare on Fire

As Karen put it, we "cleaned up" this weekend at the Windy Knoll Summer Dressage I and II show.

Best of all, I earned my initial second level qualifying score, putting us halfway to our USDF bronze medal. Delphi and I were on the USDF Adult Amateur Team "Stranger's Danger" and won first place for the team gold medal. Delphi earned two firsts under Karen and me respectively, which earned us the blue ribbons and two lovely crystal wine glasses.

Karen's ride-- which was awesome-- earned her the Reserve Champion for Second Level Open and a gift certificate to Charlotte's Saddlery! All in all, a fun weekend!

Trakehner trot:

Nephyn served as show Director:

Taking a break from the heat:

Swag, swag, and more swag:

Delphi earned two blue ribbons, two wine glasses, a red ribbon, and the USDF Adult Team Competition Gold Medal (Delphi was real impressed, can you tell?):Karen earned Reserve Champion Second Level Open, a gift certificate from Charlotte's, a blue ribbon, and a crystal wine glass:

Karen rode Delphi to the absolute razor's edge and pulled the utmost out of Delphi. After being inspired by Karen's ride and with additional coaching from Karen, our scores improved the second day.
Some score sheet highlights:

In my second level test three:

• medium trot = "expressive" 7
• both shoulder ins = "good bend, needs activity" 7 and "angle varies a bit" 7
  
• up trans to collected canter from shortened stride in walk = "prompt" 7
• simple change (canter-walk-canter) = "smooth, could stay better connected" 7
• 10 meter canter circle, then simple change = "smooth but needs to improve connection" 7 and 7 respectively
• GAITS (freedom and regularity) = 7
  

In my second level test one:

• halt, rein back = 8
• rider's position and seat = 7

The judge's comments were, from Maryal Barnett: "Attractive horse with lots of potential. Needs better connection back to front."

From Creeky Routson: "Attractive horse." [At least they didn't say "Nice tail!"] "Improved suppleness in connection will help consistency."

Maryal Barnett said of Delphi "Seems like a very honest horse." [HA! Delphi's got her snowed.] "Work on getting a more through topline."

Update: click for Delphi's results on the ATA page.

From the Equestrian Training Center PFERD24 in Germany, Totilas has sired a black filly and a chestnut colt. That filly is a wowza! (And I'm partial to girls!) Her "mommy" is a recip mare and the dam of both foals is an Oldenburg.

Totilas' sire is Trakehner while his dam is a Dutch mare so neither he nor his offspring can officially be registered as Trakehner since the Trakehner breed has a closed stud book (open only to purebred Trakehners or mares of pure Thoroughbred or Arabian bloodlines after inspection by the Trakehner association). But we all know he's a Trakehner on the inside-- only have to watch him move!

From PFERD24:

Foals by Totilas out of state premium mare Solotänzerin by Sandro Hit/Canaster

"Our black filly by Totilas out of state premium mare Solotänzerin by Sandro Hit / Canaster was born on March 20, 2011. The foal was carried by the recipient mare Atesse. Mare and foal are alive and well.

On May 15, 2011, Solotänzerin became a mother herself, giving birth to a healthy and superb moving colt by Totilas. The modern and willingly working mare Solotänzerin is full sister to the exceptional mare "Silberaster OLD" whom we purchased at the Oldenburg Elite Auction in 2007. "Silberaster OLD" won the Federal Championships in 2006 and 2007 and in 2008 the bronze medal at the World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses in Verden."

Improving Canter

Our lesson today revealed how to get a very good canter depart: it all has to do with the walk from which you depart. In walk, supple the horse 'til she is completely loose and giving then activate the hindquarters with a leg aid reinforced by a brush with the whip so that she steps well under herself with the hindquarters. From this walk, we can proceed into a beautiful canter depart- continuing to supple the canter as well.

Karen had me "canter up a hill" for as long as I could, by doing suppling exercises and activating the inside hind at canter. We then schooled medium canter with the focus, again, on keeping Delphi supple. The key is in the give-- I must not allow her to bear into my hand but rather keep her round and light. We got some fairly good medium canter and Delphi's canter is definitely improving.

Delphi "cantering up a hill" in the longlines

Of spurs and self carriage

My spurs are now part of my uniform while riding Delphi. In our lesson this week we are still working on flexion and counter-flexion at canter. When I make a deliberate GIVE (breathe, two, three, four) after a flexion, it allows Delphi to do one of two things: 1) completely fall apart onto the forehand (which means she wasn't in a good place to begin with) or 2) travel through in self carriage. Either way I must ALLOW Delphi to find her own self carriage or reveal inadequacies that can then be addressed in the next cycle of flexion-and-soften. With spurs on I do find it easier to nudge up the occasional little extra energy and when I want the spurs, they're there.
I'm currently using these stainless steel rollerball spurs with Delphi.