Callie and 'Amma

Another busy day ahead.  Early start at my desk and then over to the stable.  So happy to be home and so excited to head back to Del Mar to my ponies on Friday…

Lancelot and Linds on Sunday

Another cup of tea….into my office…

V

The week is packed with catch up tasks plus lots of time teaching in the arena.  Day off when I get back to SD I guess!

The horses in California are on a two day rest break and back at work with Shannon and Lindsey on Wednesday.  Buckle in Linds….it’ll be a wild ride on each of them!

Our next show is the CDI end of February in Los Angeles (Burbank).  It’s going to be wonderful to have over 3 weeks of training to put some extra polish on all their tests.

Shots from Burbank from Ivars camera…

Gramma Barb arrived this show....Fred loves Gramma Barb!

...and so does Lance!

Curtis is ace at taking out show braids! Thanks Papa C!

Lance gets a shower after a great test.

Fred and Barb going for a walk...Fred loves Barb.

Barb and Fred having a little chat after Fred's scary encounter with the dressage fence.

Off to check off number one on the list for today….where’s my list?….

V

We started the morning with the babies.  Both Fred and William were showing their first Intermediare One tests yesterday.

Fred was first in the ring.  She warmed up very well and was concentrating and working hard at this new level.  Down centre line we go.  Lindsey rode so tactfully, so right on.  Fred settled in and was gaining confidence movement by movement.  The marks were 7s, 7.5s and 8s…and then she touched the dressage fence and it clattered to the ground.  Oh dear, sounds behind Fred really scare her.  So the next couple of movements were toast.  She lost concentration and at this level and first time in the ring she really needed to concentrate to do her best.  She recovered by the end and had a good experience.  64%.  She is now qualified to compete in the CDI at the end of February.  Well ridden Lindsey, brave girl Fred.  On to the CDI!

Fred, her first Intermediare One

Next ride was William.  He started his warmup well.  Down to business, gettin’ it done.  Then he realized, “Hey, we’re doing all this hard stuff today??? I don’t think I’m ready!!!”.  He turned into a little, mad, red headed boy.  Oh dear, schooling day I guess!!!  William’s normal reaction to being overwhelmed is to shut down and get very quiet.  In the show ring it makes riding the test very, very difficult.  So as blue as the air was around him, his decision to stay with Lindsey, though arguing vehemently, was a step forward.  There were some good moments in the test but more importantly he stayed in the moment in the test.  59%. He’ll have to compete in the National show while at the CDI next month.  A small step forward for William!

William's first Intermediare One test. Notice the blue cloud of swear words over his head?

Next test was Lance’s second Grand Prix.  We had scheduled 20 minutes for warm up and we were 5 minutes too long.  He was right there, ready to put it together!  He was tired but thinking.  Down centre line for Linds for the third time this morning.  A super ride by Lindsey…right on stride for stride.  A super test from Lance…he dug deep and did his job.  67.8%  Okaaaaay…if I could find a little jumping up and down icon, this where I’d insert it!!!!  We were all ecstatic, teary eyed and grinning, grinning, grinning!!!  Lance and Linds…their first GP 66% and their second GP 67.8%.  Years of work,  buckets of sweat and many, many plans.  The first step done on our quest for London…bring on the next….

A big thanks to Shannon Peters.  She stayed home from the Masters in Florida to handle the business of S Peters Dressage on the West coast and came to LA to help us on Saturday.  Thank you are such small words to express our gratitude to Shannon.  Her expertise and commitment to us and our horses is so amazing.  Thank you Shannon, thank you, thank you.

V

Lance and Linds...gonin' for it!!!

William and Fred both competed at this show as well.  They were in the same class, Prix St George.  This is the first level in International competition.  Fred beat William by a small margin, both horses were 64%.  For them to have permission to compete at the CDI shows, they both need to score 63% in the Intermediare One test (the next level up from PSG).  That test is today for both of them.  It will be the first time for both of them that they will show the Inter One test.  Big day for the baby horses today!!!!

Fred and Linds

Lance will do another Grand Prix test today.

Our last ride time is 12:37 and then we pack everything up and head back to Arroyo.

A big congrats to Steffen and Ravel.  We are over the moon happy for his big win at the Masters in Florida this weekend.  Masterful rides on a wonderful equine athlete!   Safe trip home Ravioli!!!

Off to hitch the trailer, feed ponies…

V

We arrived at the park Thursday afternoon and settled in to very clean stalls.  There is a major EHV scare going on right now in California.  We signed in to the show our healthy horses and are taking temps 2X daily and posting the results on their stalls.  The horses have no contact with any other horses other than from Arroyo.  Two empty stalls between barns.  No commercial shippers allowed at the show.  A good protocol for a horse show with a risky virus around.

We had a good day yesterday to school.  They have new footing in the large oval ring (waxed felt) and it was good to ride on it before show day.  They all schooled well in the morning before it got too hot.  My truck said 29C yesterday afternoon.  Lovely.

Ivars had a great bike ride in Griffin Park and then caught up on some tasks around the coach.

Barb arrived last night and Curtis should be here today.

This morning is Lindsey and Lance’s first Grand Prix.  We’re all staying calm and carrying on…  Fred and William are competing at PSG today after Lance’s ride.

And finally….A big congrats to Steffen Peters on his Grand Prix win at the Masters yesterday, 81.3%, a record breaking score!  Yeah Steffen, yeah Ravel!!!

Off to feed our ponies..

V

All three horses worked so well yesterday!  We’re ready for Burbank.  Hopefully today or tomorrow we’ll be able to get into one of the big rings at Arroyo and run through a test or two.  Fingers crossed the sun comes out today.

Ivars arrives today.  As his flight connects through LAX, I’m going to drive up and a meet him there.  We should beat the traffic both ways, north and south.

We’re taking the coach back to the repair shop in Temecula again tonight.  They are going to check out a couple of things starting at 7:30am .  We’ll take it up today and plug it in there.  That way we’re not leaving in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.  Lindsey and I will head to Arroyo from Temecula tomorrow and leave Ivars there to deal with the repair (and take his bike for a ride!!!).  Did I mention how happy I am to have Ivars here!!!!  Hopefully they’ll have the repair finished tomorrow night and Ivars will bring the coach back to Oceanside for the night.

We leave for Burbank on Thursday after lessons with Shannon.  Ivars will take the coach to the Equestrian Center and Lindsey and I will follow with the horses.  We show on Saturday and Sunday.  The ride times are not posted yet.  Maybe today.

Another strange day for me…I’m still in the coach and Lindsey is in the truck, headed to Arroyo!

Whoo hoo…I get to see Ivars today!!!

Mmmmm…another cup of tea…

V

Yesterday the horses had a walk on the treadmill, got back into their winter blankets and enjoyed their day off napping and snacking.  Today is a light ride day getting ready for tomorrow’s test day with Shannon.  Test day may have to be postponed depending on the rain.  We’re in the covered arena during rain days and the covered is small 20 X 40ish, much too small for a Grand Prix test.

Sunday’s at Arroyo are quiet and low key…off to a full, slow day…

V

William and Fred will show Prix St George and Intermediare 1 level.

Lance will show his first Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special.

We are very lucky to have 3 very special horses here in training with Shannon.  This year there is a lot of pressure on Lindsey and Lance with the Olympics in August.  Having the other 2 horses going well, working hard and progressing, has diffused some of the pressure but not any of the hard work with Lance and Lindsey.  We are very fortunate and very grateful.

Today is the horses day off.  We’ll head to the stable feed them, put them each on the treadmill and make sure they are toasty warm and happy. Before heading to the barn, Lindsey is going to start the day at the gym and I’m going to head to the beach for a short run.  We were expecting rain and wind last night but haven’t seen a drop so far.  Good.  When they predict rain around here, it normally pours!  Good thing we have the truck for transport in the rain…the little car might drown.

Ivars will fly into LA Tuesday afternoon, Curtis leaves Camrose on Wednesday to drive south, Barb flies into Burbank Friday afternoon.  We’ll have lots of help for the Burbank show!

Better check out low tide times for today…

V

Anne Gribbons is at Arroyo today and yesterday for a USET clinic.  It’s a closed clinic but we can audit with permission of the riders.  Ravel is amazing and will be right on his game for the Masters in Florida next week.  Go Steffen, yeah Ravel.

I hate waiting.  Lindsey left for Arroyo an hour ago and I am stuck here waiting for the satellite repair man to arrive and tweak the motosat satellite finder thingy, technical term…the zoomer.  It was “fixed” at the RV repair shop last month but failed again when we had it in Thermal.  We have cable TV in the park but nowhere else.  It’s much easier to find techs to work on things on the coach here in the US than in Canada so here I am…waiting.

The little car is in at the BMW dealer for a yearly work up.  Oil, filters, rear tires, some brake work and engine tensioner???  It should be finished this afternoon, fingers crossed and I can get to Arroyo for Fred’s ride this afternoon.  Did I mention, I hate waiting…

Sitting around just chilling is not a strong point in my personality so this is a learning situation.  Another cup of tea, finish the blog….clean the coach? laundry? organize closets?  Ohhhhhmmmmmm…another cup of tea….

Sitting here looking out the window at the palm trees and the sunshine makes the vision of home and -32 and snow very surreal.  Sending warm thoughts northward.

I think the floor needs to be washed….

V

Fred warmed up (braids and all) each day but just wasn’t there the first couple of days so we decide to scratch her for her tests day one and day two.  Day three  was a great warm up and we decided to test her concentration and put her in the ring.  PSG, 67% and first place.  Way to go Fred…growing up!!!

Lance, Intermediare 2. day one 65% (1st place…he was the only one in the class!!!), day two 66% (3rd place) and day three 68.9% (1st place).  Lance is figuring out how to move that big body around that little ring doing very difficult movements.  He’ll be ready for the Grand Prix test next show.

Thank you everyone for all the good wishes, we could feel every one and appreciate them so much!

Thank you Shannon, ringside coach at our first show.

Lindsey’s ride on each horse, each test was well thought out, well executed and half halt to half halt, appropriate.  I’m so proud of her.  This has been a very big learning year and she showed it in the ring.

We’re both pooped and good tired.  We’re going to haul home to San Diego this morning, unpack and park the trailer, drive the coach to Oceanside, park and hook it up and then I think a glass of wine in the sunset is called for!!!

Getting ready for our next show (Burbank)…

V