Dressage Show or Rodeo?

First show of the season...small show...only about 35 horses in attendance...might as well get the bucks out!

Riva gave Alexis a bit of a rodeo ride on Saturday while in Training Level Test 1.  Canter was not on her agenda in the spooky indoor arena. 

Due to a minor eye emergency with Alexis, we did not get any riding in at the show grounds on Friday evening.  Lex is fine now - she got sawdust lodged in her eye while driving the tractor at her working student position on Friday afternoon.  We dealt with that after getting the Diva settled at Come Again Farms.

One of the things I love about Riva is how calm she is becoming about going new places.  She walked off the trailer and into the stall with zero drama.  She had one neighbor and when we came back by later to check on her Friday night, she was calmly standing by her new BFF, dozing. 

Saturday morning came too early, but we were at the show grounds by 7 am.  Riva must have enjoyed her 'hotel' for the night - shavings all over her!  We got her groomed and tacked up - then off to the indoor warm up.  We learned that the dressage tests would be inside, due to the buckets of rain that fell throughout the night.  Off course, Riva having been to this farm only once before, last Spring - never had stepped foot in the indoor where the tests were taking place.

Lex warmed up Riva and I walked her out by walking around the show grounds.  We put her up to relax and went over to watch some dressage tests.  Pulled Riva back out about 30 minutes before her first test for Lex to ride again.

Lex got Riva into the designated arena with no problem - but of course, the judges table set up at 'C' was pretty scary - as was the open door directly behind judges table.  Lex got her settled with a little extra time (the ride before hers had scratched).  Test was going well until the canter at 'A' end - which was the big overhead door to the barn - dark and creepy inside the barn, then bright light at 'A' end.  Diva decided canter was not on her agenda - Lex said 'oh yes it is'  - and the dressage whip had to be used to back up the canter request demand.  Riva (always the Diva) had to protest by bucking and generally throwing a tantrum.  Then test was back to normal, until the canter request demand on the other rein. 

Needless to say, 2's were the marks for the canter portions (Alexis's first 2's).  Rest of the marks were 6's and 7's.  Not horrible and Alexis took it all in stride - note the kissy pic :)

Lex decided to have me get on Riva immediately after her test - they were scheduled for 1 hr apart.  I rode her in the indoor warm- up, then rode her around the outdoor grass warm up until time for my test.  Riva got very relaxed - she walked on a loose rein with 2 other horses, around the grass pasture for about 15 minutes (which is really good for the Diva).

Lex assured me I would not get 'Rodeo Riva' as long as I didn't have to touch her with the whip.  No problem there - she trotted very forward into that same scary indoor - looked twice at the judges table and decided it would not eat her - and proceeded thru our Intro B test.  I was happy with it - Riva stayed very forward, good rythmn throughout the test.

Riva got her first blue ribbon with Lex on board (don't tell the Diva they were the ones in Training Level Test 1, Novice Horse).  I got a pretty white 4th place ribbon for Intro Test B. 

Next show is April 21th in Edinburgh.  This is always a busy kinda crazy show - Dressage and Combined Training.  Throw in the fact that the show grounds is next door to Camp Atterbury - guns being fired, planes flying over...exciting!