ClickMini
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Well, I know it isn't like me to hold back on y'alls, but I wanted to get my photos before writing. I finally got to go to my first CDE for this year last weekend.
At the beginning of the year, I was planning on a full slate of competitions; starting with Happ's in June, and running through the Happ's Driving Trials Twice in September. Life has a way of derailing plans, doesn't it? I have had to take custody of my 18 month old granddaughter and that has brought to me a huge lifestyle change. Not to mention the attendant court appearances, etc. At any rate, that certainly did take the front and center stage of my life, and everything else fell by the wayside, pretty much.
I cancelled out on Happ's and Inavale, and very nearly cancelled out on this one too. I managed to pull myself together and get on the road a week ago Friday, after waffling back and forth all day about whether I should REALLY go or not. The baby was taken care of, but I just felt, well, NERVOUS about leaving. I forced myself at last, and the journey began. It took me 3 hours to get to Olympia from Monroe, a drive that should normally take 1-1/2 hours. The traffic was awful! Since I had already left so late, I was really worried. Things cleared up after Olympia, and I continued on. 10:30 p.m. and I finally saw the big sign for the Lazy S Lumber Mill and made my turn...1/4 mile up found me at a dead end with no turnaround.
OK, I had to back ALL the way down that road, in pitch black, with no backup lights. HOW MUCH FUN WAS THAT???
I finally made it to the camp ground where I was met by Leia (HobbyHorse23). After some interesting maneuvering and a truck that was not being too cooperative, I more or less wedged in to the camp site. Leia and I set up the tent and I crashed out sometime after 1 a.m. My alarm went off at 4:45, but did I wake up??? No! Apparently Leia turned it off and threw it at me because the next time it went off at 5:30 or 6, it was in my sleeping bag. LOL Polished up the brass and generally cleaned up my stuff, then off to vet check and walking the cones course.
My biggest bugaboo with Ally has been TENSION. Ally is wrapped pretty tight, she is a hot tamale and it takes a lot of effort to get her relaxed. I gave myself plenty of warmup time before dressage, and it became apparent that the lessons I took with Lisa Eckhardt just before they left for the summer really paid off. Ally was walking flat-footed, no jigging, and could actually hold a halt. We only worked on warming up at a very slow and relaxing gait. There were 7 in my division, and after finishing our best dressage test to date, Ally and I stood in 3rd. Pretty exciting stuff, as far as I was concerned! Off we went to the cones course, which Ally was brilliant at! I mean it! She just flowed through that course, it was wonderful and felt like a dance. We cantered between obstacles when space dictated, she transitioned easily between gaits on command and it was a big wow for me! When the scores were finally posted late in the afternoon, I saw how well we really had done, because that cones run had moved us into first place. FIRST PLACE!!!! I was over the moon, and I am not kidding!!!
That night was very comfortable in the tent and I slept very well. Ally and I were not scheduled for our marathon until just about noon, so I got to sleep in a little. I got up in time to help Leia and Kody at the vet check and take some photos of them during their marathon run. Then I returned to camp and hitched up. We went to the start of section A, and Ally amped up to the max! She knew what was coming. She is like that barrel horse or cow horse just quivering at the gate. Every time someone would start and they did the countdown she started piaffing and blowing. At last it was our turn, and the first kilometer was really quite something as she fought me the whole way. She was also scared of the Christmas trees we were driving through.
We finally got our act together about the 1k mark, and started rolling in one heck of a grand road trot. We arrived in to the 1st vet check in good condition.
Section E, the hazards section, was incredible! I loved it! The obstacles were fun, and the scenery was amazing. We went through big old forest, more Christmas trees, fields checkered with wildflowers, three times through a nice little creek, and all of it with peeps at the gorgeous mountains we are blessed with in this part of the world. In the past Ally and I have had our difficulties with crossing water. Not this time. The girl just plowed right in. She dropped her face into the water as we passed through and drank deeply. GOOD GIRL!!! There were several long and steep hills, one that we had to gallop up at full tilt to keep our momentum. Oh what fun! There really aren't enough superlatives to explain how much I enjoyed it.
At one point near the end I ALMOST eliminated myself when I veered from the path I had decided on the previous afternoon on the walkthrough. I was just confused and lost at that moment. I steered Ally through gate B before we had passed gate A. As I realized my mistake, I hollered out a big "WHOA," and she screeched to a halt. Just in the nick of time! As long as our axles don't pass through the gate, we are still good. I carefully backed and swung her around and we were back on track. Phew!
We finished in good time...too good as it happened. We had a very slow speed finish as we struggled to come in on the window with no time penalties. Good thing she knows a bit about 1/2 steps. She was such a good girl! We finished marathon with no time or obstacle penalties. Which put us in first! FIRST! WE WON!!!!!
At the awards ceremony we were regaled with awards, including best single training level VSE, best overall training level VSE, and also won the Dash Award which gives a prize of a beautiful driving halter to the training level VSE, pony, or horse that comes in closest to the optimum time in the marathon. I was just beside myself with happiness!
If you are on the fence about trying Combined Driving, I highly encourage it! It is just the best fun, being out in the outdoors with friends and horses, showing the skills you have developed as a team together.
I put together a very short slideshow of photos from the event, I think it shows a little of the fun we had there!
At the beginning of the year, I was planning on a full slate of competitions; starting with Happ's in June, and running through the Happ's Driving Trials Twice in September. Life has a way of derailing plans, doesn't it? I have had to take custody of my 18 month old granddaughter and that has brought to me a huge lifestyle change. Not to mention the attendant court appearances, etc. At any rate, that certainly did take the front and center stage of my life, and everything else fell by the wayside, pretty much.
I cancelled out on Happ's and Inavale, and very nearly cancelled out on this one too. I managed to pull myself together and get on the road a week ago Friday, after waffling back and forth all day about whether I should REALLY go or not. The baby was taken care of, but I just felt, well, NERVOUS about leaving. I forced myself at last, and the journey began. It took me 3 hours to get to Olympia from Monroe, a drive that should normally take 1-1/2 hours. The traffic was awful! Since I had already left so late, I was really worried. Things cleared up after Olympia, and I continued on. 10:30 p.m. and I finally saw the big sign for the Lazy S Lumber Mill and made my turn...1/4 mile up found me at a dead end with no turnaround.
My biggest bugaboo with Ally has been TENSION. Ally is wrapped pretty tight, she is a hot tamale and it takes a lot of effort to get her relaxed. I gave myself plenty of warmup time before dressage, and it became apparent that the lessons I took with Lisa Eckhardt just before they left for the summer really paid off. Ally was walking flat-footed, no jigging, and could actually hold a halt. We only worked on warming up at a very slow and relaxing gait. There were 7 in my division, and after finishing our best dressage test to date, Ally and I stood in 3rd. Pretty exciting stuff, as far as I was concerned! Off we went to the cones course, which Ally was brilliant at! I mean it! She just flowed through that course, it was wonderful and felt like a dance. We cantered between obstacles when space dictated, she transitioned easily between gaits on command and it was a big wow for me! When the scores were finally posted late in the afternoon, I saw how well we really had done, because that cones run had moved us into first place. FIRST PLACE!!!! I was over the moon, and I am not kidding!!!
That night was very comfortable in the tent and I slept very well. Ally and I were not scheduled for our marathon until just about noon, so I got to sleep in a little. I got up in time to help Leia and Kody at the vet check and take some photos of them during their marathon run. Then I returned to camp and hitched up. We went to the start of section A, and Ally amped up to the max! She knew what was coming. She is like that barrel horse or cow horse just quivering at the gate. Every time someone would start and they did the countdown she started piaffing and blowing. At last it was our turn, and the first kilometer was really quite something as she fought me the whole way. She was also scared of the Christmas trees we were driving through.
Section E, the hazards section, was incredible! I loved it! The obstacles were fun, and the scenery was amazing. We went through big old forest, more Christmas trees, fields checkered with wildflowers, three times through a nice little creek, and all of it with peeps at the gorgeous mountains we are blessed with in this part of the world. In the past Ally and I have had our difficulties with crossing water. Not this time. The girl just plowed right in. She dropped her face into the water as we passed through and drank deeply. GOOD GIRL!!! There were several long and steep hills, one that we had to gallop up at full tilt to keep our momentum. Oh what fun! There really aren't enough superlatives to explain how much I enjoyed it.
At one point near the end I ALMOST eliminated myself when I veered from the path I had decided on the previous afternoon on the walkthrough. I was just confused and lost at that moment. I steered Ally through gate B before we had passed gate A. As I realized my mistake, I hollered out a big "WHOA," and she screeched to a halt. Just in the nick of time! As long as our axles don't pass through the gate, we are still good. I carefully backed and swung her around and we were back on track. Phew!
We finished in good time...too good as it happened. We had a very slow speed finish as we struggled to come in on the window with no time penalties. Good thing she knows a bit about 1/2 steps. She was such a good girl! We finished marathon with no time or obstacle penalties. Which put us in first! FIRST! WE WON!!!!!
At the awards ceremony we were regaled with awards, including best single training level VSE, best overall training level VSE, and also won the Dash Award which gives a prize of a beautiful driving halter to the training level VSE, pony, or horse that comes in closest to the optimum time in the marathon. I was just beside myself with happiness!
If you are on the fence about trying Combined Driving, I highly encourage it! It is just the best fun, being out in the outdoors with friends and horses, showing the skills you have developed as a team together.
I put together a very short slideshow of photos from the event, I think it shows a little of the fun we had there!
OH! Hehehe. I reset it for half an hour later and "gently pitched" it at you, hoping you'd hear it if it was in the sleeping bag with you.
