[drivingpairs] Blackprong CDE

Well, I competed my pair 2nd time out, and they were wonderful! We got a 51 in dressage, which was none too shabby. I was so happy to have Lisa Singer as one of the judges since she drives Morgans! Doing that test with the stretching the frame at a trot on a circle is very difficult for us, we managed what I thought was a little stretch, but I guess not! We need to practise that more. However we nailed the walk, which is difficult for my Hightime (workerbee horse). Their extension was great, no breaks! I was worried as the warm up ring was bumpy and small, and they were thinking "marathon", but after we went around the make shift ring about 5 times, they finally figured out it actually was a ring! Once they did hit the dressage ring they settled even more, comfort in familiarity I guess.

Marathon was so much fun. We did our 10 minute walk in 9:11, however a screw up in the timing had us at 10:11 but with two watches we knew that wasn't right. Being the only entry we didn't persue it, too tired after a long day. I was just so happy to know we actually could do the walk in good time. The hazards drove very well, we did all our planned routes and they were smooth except one tight one had us down to a very slow turn, but slow was better than bang, crash! The only gliche was in the water hazard, I went in at full speed, my hyper horse was going to blow right straight through as her eyes were on the other side, so when I turned right into A, it was hard, and I dropped a rein! Hardy, I need advice on not dropping a rein! I managed to grab it in a couple of seconds, but by then we had gone through C backwards, but we just continued again through A and corrected our course, so 20 penalties. It was a heart stopper for the crowd, but I never felt we were going to crash or anything as it was a very wide open hazard. Now, had I dropped a rein in a tight hazard, we would have been toast. At one point they were headed for an opening in the trees, a planned route, but Hightime was pushing Elline into the trees, as I was still adjusting reins, I saw a tree coming at us. Ellie saved the day by pushing Hightime back over and getting her butt through the opening, and when the pine needles brushed her she kicked out at it, as she actually had to jump through the hole. It was exciting! We still were not the slowest in that hazard in prelim, they really did a bang up job, if only I hadn't dropped a rein! I have a string on the end with a loop over my finger, so I had the end of it, but very difficult to grab it up again. Do I need to practice dropping a rein? My reins are beta, no grip on them either, maybe need to get leather pair reins?

In cones they were running half hour ahead, and we stabled at home and drove over. So as I'm driving up half hour early for vet inspection, they are calling for me in the ring! So we went in with no warm up, did a circle, and we were through 5 sets of cones before the horses really knew they were on course! So that worked to our advantage, as the first 5 were the tightest. We made it through clean, but with 3 seconds slow I believe. But I was very happy they were clean and Hightime did not get hyper at all, it was great!

Yesterday I body clipped the young gelding, it's time to get him driving more than once a week, so he can be in the pair next year. I am really needing to hear what people do with their reins in marathon, Alan Aulson gave a good suggestion, a string tieing the end to the carriage back, and someone else ties it to her vest with yarn, and sits on the reins?

The weather was great, looked like drizzle in the morning for cones, but it stopped by the time we hitched and went over. The pictures should be up soon on Pics of You website. There was only one navigator came off, no wrecks that I know of. A lot of banging and crashing in the hazards for some drivers. Results are up on Blackprong website.

Debbie



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