Dipping toes back in

 After a really solid summer of competing I-1 and doing a lot of polishing especially as far as test riding, I decided to do a brave thing and entered an I-2 at a little recognized show a couple hours south. And I took the double bridle, which I have not shown Hampton in since The Big Shutdown of 2022.

Photo by L. Dean

We watched our DQ friend kick some booty in her two tests, then I tacked up Hampton, warmed up in the facility indoor and said hell let's see what happens.

A peeping Tom by the trailer dressing room.

Somewhere along the line this year, a switch went off. Something clicked with both of us. I can ride Hampton within the test without him shutting down, he is pretty darn reliable in the movements, and even his uphill balance has somewhat improved. And by that I mean he doesn't dive down in the bridle so horrifically. (Let's be real he will never be uphill).

The judge rewarded a willing horse with clear gaits, who was on the aids. Yes the passage was pretty flat that day, but that's our homework. We walked away with our best score to date in the I-2: a 64.1% which shattered our previous best by far.

The BEST boy.
Photo by L. Dean

He didn't shut down at all, although I felt him THINK about sucking back behind that double bridle. So while it went very very well, I think my best bet is to stick with showing him in the snaffle. But it was fun to experiment and see where we were.

I really enjoyed the facility which was a small private farm, but they gave out wonderful entry goody bags, had a lovely staff, good footing and an overall pleasant atmosphere. Good for them for hosting a USDF recognized show! We need more of these one-dayers.

Good dressage bay boys!

Next up we will be preparing for a clinic in December, and shortly after making a short trip to Aiken where I have another I-2 on the radar at Stable View. 

And in the meantime ... we are working on another freestyle. This time Grand Prix.

I am a masochist.