We’re now firmly into the dissolution period and the election campaign is in full swing. You might think this is the most exciting time to be involved in politics, but strict rules prevent us doing anything during working hours that might boost our boss’s chances. I’m used to running around Westminster, running errands and attending events, so working from home with fewer tasks is taking bit of getting used to. There’s still work to do but it’s definitely a change of pace!
That said, I can’t complain too much. The big bonus, as I’ve mentioned before, is I get to spend much more time with Freya. I ride her first thing before starting work, and the regular training time is really paying off. We’ve done two competitions since my last blog, and I felt like she really improved from one to the other.
The first show was at Kingston Maurward. We did a Medium to get us going and then Advanced Medium 98. This is the Championship test and probably the most difficult Advanced Medium. I felt like she was a little distracted in the first class, and we made a couple of uncharacteristic errors. I was pleased that the quality of the work was still good enough to earn her 70.3%. By the time we did the Advanced Medium, we were back on the same page. She tried really hard in what is a tricky test for a less established horse. We had one major miscommunication, picking up the wrong canter lead from the walk, and a couple of the changes were a bit green, but I was really pleased with her attitude. She scored a good mark of 69.8% with lots more to come.
Before the next competition at Moreton Stables, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to work on. I had to make sure my canter aid was clear and she didn’t get it confused with the walk pirouette aid. I also wanted the changes to be a little more polished. Again, we did a Medium to warm up and then had another go at the Advanced Medium 98.
Moreton was a new venue for her, so I was pleased with how concentrated she was in both tests. She had some lovely moments in the Medium; I was particularly pleased with the rhythm and swing in the lateral work. We had one little mistake where she dropped into trot a stride before I asked for a walk transition for a simple change, but we manage to save it with a lovely upwards transition. She scored 73.9%, which I was absolutely delighted with.
We then did the Advanced Medium, which already felt much more established than the previous week. I could have done with a little more energy and engagement in the trot work, and we had one muddled change and one tight change, but overall it was a big improvement. It really proved to me how quickly she learns and picks up on things. We finished on 70.9% so I think (and I could be very wrong!) that we have now qualified for the Regionals at Medium and Advanced Medium.
Our next show together was meant to be Somerford Premier League, but unfortunately they had to change the schedule. The new timetable didn’t really work for us so we withdrew. Instead, I’m really excited to take Freya for her first couple of training sessions with Ferdi Eilberg. I have been having lessons from Ferdi since I was 12 and he’s always been a huge support as well as an excellent trainer. He hasn’t seen Freya yet so it will be a really interesting couple of days. I’m sure we’ll both work hard!
