Alright! SO, who's coming to Ram Tap CDE???(driving...)

[MiniHGal]

Entries OPEN on February 1st (and if entries are not postmarked then...you will not get in because of the limited number of entries allowed!!)

Ram Tap Combined Driving Event is getting closer! It is April 20-22nd, and I would encourage anyone who is interested to at least come and watch/volunteer, if you don't want to compete! I promise, it will be a LOT of fun!

We need VSE (Very Small Equine) entries...and Leia is (hopefully??) contributing her part by coming down from WA. Kudos to her and Kody... :bgrin

Ram Tap would LOVE volunteers too..we need lots! So if you want to come out and see what its all about, you are very welcome to.

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I am competing Fascination Intermediate Single VSE, so watch for some crazy hazard action from us, LOL! Hopefully our dressage will be up to par as well...

For more information, you can see Ram Tap CDE, on which there are entry forms, info on volunteering, etc. I would also be very happy to answer any questions, and if you want to compete, I will answer questions for that too(ie: what to wear, whatever)!!

Thanks for your support and wish the VSE division good luck. Remember, we have to keep this thing going....otherwise they will NOT offer VSE divisions at later CDEs!!!

To recap what a CDE is....the three phases are:

Dressage (Friday): This was actually at Henry Boyd CDE 2006, Intermediate Single VSE.

Marathon (Saturday): The best part! You also get to observe horses/ponies in singles/pairs/tandems/fours(maybe!) galloping through as well! However, training level can go as slow as they would like....so beginners have no problems...This picture was Ram Tap in 2005, Prelim Single VSE.

And then Cones (Sunday): Short and sweet! This was also Ram Tap 05.

: See you there??

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[shadowsmystictopaz]

will i get amha points it i did attend to this show???

 

[dangerranger]

What is the hight req for VSE? I have two B minis that may drive. this may be there first event. Ive just started ground driving them. If there not ready I may bring them just to hang out . what kind of volunteers do you need? [ I have a large family].

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Fascination is really nice, do not get me wrong- BUT

WHERE is Pippin!!!!!!!!

 

[miniapp]

Hey there..

I will definately try to be there to watch if I am not at another show... would love to finally meet you!

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Hey Andrea;

No, this is not an AMHA show, it is an open Combined Driving Event. It would be a good idea for you to go and see it, though... so hopefully we can go together... :bgrin

Suzy Hooper

Show Horses by Suzy

Fresno, CA

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Breanna- it's official. I have gotten my first-ever Coggins, renewed my ADS membership, printed out the entry forms and we are THERE. :risa8: My mother is apparently bailing on me so I may be making the whole week-long trip by myself, but we'll be there.

: It's a good thing there's apparently going to be visiting forum members; maybe I can con someone into helping me with the Piranha Pony! Oops, did I call him that? LOL. I mean my dear, sweet, innocent little Kody. Hehe

Ranger- to qualify as a VSE rather than Small Pony your horses must measure under 39" at the withers. To compete they must be over four years old and conditioned to trot at least 9km without strain. If your fellows are still grounddriving you'd probably be better off to come and volunteer with your family. We'd sure appreciate you! Volunteering on marathon day is a blast anyway, it's so fun to watch all those big rigs fly through. :aktion033: I'm worried I won't get to watch Fascination do her thing because I'll still be on course myself or cooling Kody out from our run.

:

Breanna, you realize this means you now have to come to Happ's.

: You have no idea how excited people up here are about that!

Leia

 

[MiniHGal]

YES!!!! And isn't someone from Oregon coming too? In any case, I think its a go for me to come up to Happs...my mom may not come but I will definitely try to! Last thing to get organized is class schedule, and that should be out in a few weeks. Yikes--its a big deal, huh? LOL I love how the cat got out of the bag on this one... :lol:

dr, that would be awesome to see you there!! I second what Leia said, however, a helping hand (or many) is always appreciated! On the website, it has the information for volunteering...I'm not a part of the organizing committee, so I don't know what they would like you to do, but generally, you get free lunches the day you volunteer. Also, the jobs are easy and fun--sometimes watching the hazards, sometimes setting people off on course, etc.

Suzy and shadows...I would be very happy to see both of you there as well! No it is not an AMHA/R show, you just have to have a driving horse under 39" at the withers. It's lots of fun.... :bgrin

 

[Shari]

I would love too...but yet again, have to wait for all the wonderful photos.

Have fun to everyone that is going!! :bgrin

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Breanna, didn't you get my last couple of emails? Yes, there is someone coming down from Oregon. We have enough entries to hold the division, there is no worry about that.

As for the cat getting out of the bag...well, we planned it on an open forum with thousands of members and you emailed the organizer who I talk with regularly! LOL What did you expect?

Leia

 

[shadowsmystictopaz]

I might know alot of the people that might attend because some of them are in my area. i think i went last year with a friend of mine and it was pretty cool i enjoyed watching them all. thanks for the infomation.

 

[Neil]

: See you there??

:

I am going to try to be there once I figure out what my April schedule will. At the moment the only thing that would stop me is a photo shoot in So Cal. All I know is that the shoot will be three days in April but don't know which days.

Hope to see all of you there.

 

[dangerranger]

Ill be there if no other reason than to meet others from here! One of our horses has been driven before, shes not at all spooky with cars , cycles, kids ,loud speakers, etc... I just have some things to work out before "Im" ready to drive her. How far is 9 killometers? 4 mi?

 

[hobbyhorse23]

About 5.6 miles if Google is to be believed.

At 9km per hour (your required pace) it should take 6:40 to do a single km, so I figure about 40 minutes at a trot for the 6km training level Section E of the marathon. Section A before that will be about 2km at a trot, then a 1km walk section, then E. Preliminary level will go further than that and Intermediates like Breanna even further.

I look forward to meeting all of you! Please come up and introduce yourselves as otherwise I am likely to drive right by you and never realize you're there. :saludando:

Leia

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

What a bummer! That is the same reason as the Valley Sierra Show in Plymouth (AMHR).

It would have been fun to go and watch otherwise.

 

[dangerranger]

Leia, where can I find more Info on CDE? also how close do they measure? she is 37" at the last hair of her mane but 39" at the withers. Id have to make shure she was freshly trimmed to be shure shes under. she can easily trot for 40 min but Ive not tryed with a cart. she trots much faster than the 5.5mph usealy around 10 mph. is that going to be a problem? her biggest problem is she wants to go faster than I want. thats why we have spent so much time on the ground. looking forward to seeing all of you there. DR.

 

[PrestigeMiniHorses]

I would love to be there..I'm moving to WA in about 6 weeks. But I don't think I am going to be able to make it to this event because I believe a show is going on that weekend..I will have to double check thoug. If not I would be interested in going too.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Leia, where can I find more Info on CDE? also how close do they measure? she is 37" at the last hair of her mane but 39" at the withers. Id have to make shure she was freshly trimmed to be shure shes under. she can easily trot for 40 min but Ive not tryed with a cart. she trots much faster than the 5.5mph usealy around 10 mph. is that going to be a problem? her biggest problem is she wants to go faster than I want. thats why we have spent so much time on the ground. looking forward to seeing all of you there. DR.

The best place to go for more information is www.minihorsecde.com. And when you've read that one, my new website for further resources is www.cde4vse.com. :bgrin I'm going to trot off and update it a bit this afternoon after I drive my horse.

You know up here in the NW they don't actually measure the VSE, but then again most of the competitors are clearly under the size limit at about 35-37" or less. They will be measuring at Ram Tap and maybe Breanna can answer your question better. No matter what don't trim her too close to the competition or she's likely to be sore trotting hard over rough ground with a cart.

Most minis have to be held back to meet the required pace. The big horse people who first set the rules had no idea how much the little guys are capable of and WAAAYYY underestimated them. Change is in the works but for now the pace is 9kph and you just have to rein them in and live with it.

: There are big penalty points for going too fast or two slow, that's part of the game. You could always put her in the small pony division if you can find a tiny navigator! Their times are faster and it sounds like she's close to that size anyway.

I would love to be there..I'm moving to WA in about 6 weeks. But I don't think I am going to be able to make it to this event because I believe a show is going on that weekend..I will have to double check thoug. If not I would be interested in going too.

Hey, welcome to WA Prestige! We always enjoy more mini people up here. Excuse our weather, we've been having a crazy winter. LOL

Edited to add: There are plenty of this type of event up in WA in the summer you can come to, and we'd love to see you.

Leia

 

[susanne]

Leia,

Does the pony division REQUIRE a navigator for a 2 wheel cart? I thought it was optional.

If it is required, and Mingus measures over VSE height, then we're out, as he is too lightly built to haul two people through a marathon by himself. He may be okay with it, but I wouldn't do it, although it would disappoint me terribly and almost totally negate my reason for training him to drive....

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Breanna, get your rear back on here and help me answer these! LOL. I'm taking over your thread.

:

Susanne, my understanding was that EVERY horse required a navigator on marathon for safety reasons except a VSE, and that's only because everyone agreed it was too much to ask a tiny mini. Grooms/navigators are optional in dressage and cones for small ponies but mandatory for marathon. You might be surprised what Mingus could do if properly hitched. Get him a very light cart with large wheels, bent shafts and lower draft, put him in a neck collar or Freedom Collar and snag a light navigator (ahem) and you could at least do Happ's where it is very flat and easy pulling. The Stormer's 29" mini used to pull two kids around that whole course and come in fine. (Juniors must have a navigator at all times regardless of the size of their horse or the phase of competition.)

The main thing would be to condition, condition, condition. Work him up to it and then practice with more weight than he'll be asked to pull so when you throw that navigator in there it's actually easier for him.

Leia

 

[MiniHGal]

LOL I'm just busy...(see my new thread for why)

Yep, Susanne, all turnouts except Single VSEs(with an adult or 14-18 yr old driving) must carry a navigator on marathon. Singles don't have to have grooms for dressage and cones. However, you can find a real lightweight and its not a problem. I have a friend that drives a tandem of Shetlands that are 40-41" and do just fine with two people in the carriage(and not featherweights either--300+ b/t us).

I honestly don't think Mingus would have a problem with two people. I also think he would be accepted into the VSE division. Its not a real strict rule unless they actively measure(not most shows) or someone complains (very unlikely).

Seriously, don't worry about that bridge til you come to it, besides, he will be an awesome drive anyway--and you can still do ADTs and HDTs if you don't want to ask him to do a pony marathon.

What they did to measure at the couple of times they have done it (never at RT but it does say they will), was set the stick at 39", put it to the horse and see if the horse is over or under. They don't take an actual measurement.

I don't know if your mare would measure over or under, dr, but if you get outed for too tall, they may give you the option of going HC, which is where your scores don't count for a placing but you can still play in VSE, or of transferring to Pony(faster, longer, gator, and walk section). Although if she's 37 at the last mane hair, she is probably on the short side of 39 at the withers.

In any case, I hope to see you all there!!! It will be awesome...

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