Tuesday Evening Dressage Success

We took a group to the Bucks County Horse Park last night to participate in their Tuesday Evening Dressage series.  The big fun of the evening was that my student Lynn Rzonca had never competed in a dressage show.  Her only show experience to date had been in the hunter ring.  As I've worked with her over the past few years, however, I've noticed that she has a knack for dressage.  Just a few weeks ago I talked her into purchasing her first dressage saddle and I also twisted her arm to commit to doing this Tuesday Evening Dressage show. 

Lynn rides my retired eventer Aly Cat.  Aly is absolutely lovely on the flat when he is relaxed.  At shows, however, he is not always relaxed.  I very clearly remember one of my early advanced level competitions on him where he stopped and reared in the middle of the test and I had to grab my top hat to keep it from flying off.  Lynn and I both knew that his behavior at the show would be up in the air, but it was also a big unknown.  Aly has been in retirement and he has not competed in any show for over two years now.  Aly also has been diagnosed with mild arthritis in his back and some days he comes out wanting to buck to go into his canter transition.  We were hoping that last night would not be one of those days!

As it turned out, I think Aly was thrilled to be at a show again.  He put on his Sunday Best and was on excellent behavior the entire time Lynn was on his back.  She rode two elegant and correct training level tests and scored a 67% and a 70%, winning both of her classes.  As I thought she might be, Lynn was really excited by the whole experience.  She loved that in dressage the rider knows ahead of time what they are expected to perform, and she loved the feedback that the judge gives in the form of comments.  I see a future Dressage Queen in the making.

I also had several other students at the show.  Gina Johnson rode another retired eventer, Highland King, to first place in the Novice Test B division with a score of 33%.  Holley Russell rode her own Lady Livengood in training level with scores of 61% and 62%.  Kristin Sutch and Ozzie rode their eventing test to practice for the Burgundy Hollow schooling show this weekend.

After Aly Cat was finished in the dressage ring he had another treat waiting for him.  Sandra Stokes is sharing Aly with Lynn this summer.  Sandra has more of an interest in eventing.  After the dressage was done, we switched Cat's saddle and took him out to the back strip to jump a few cross country jumps.  Gone was the lazy, half-asleep expression on his face.  The evil grin returned.  After a few of the jumps Cat careened maniacally around the field, giving Sandra a run for her money.  Luckily, Sandra doesn't take things personally and by the end of the school she and Cat had worked out a compromise of trotting to the jumps and cantering after them.  Fun was had by all.