Team Quest is a new team competition run by British Dressage to encourage riders to come out and join them, and be judged by listed judges. There are 2 sections, Open for everyone and an under 25 section for younger riders. Horse registration is free and it's only £20 for riders so a great way to get started with British Dressage.
Some of my friends and I put together an U25 team, Mollie aged 10, Erin aged 9, Kelsea aged 14 and me - I'm 12! Our team's average age is 11yo! Our team is called "MAKE Our Dream", get it? M for Molly, A for Alanna, K for Kelsea, and E for Erin. We went to our first competition today,
I was so proud to see my SPARKLING white pony step off the trailer, probably the smartest I have ever seen Shadow look, thank you so much mum for making her look so gorgeous! I had only practiced this test once Novice 28, because Shadow had lost her shoe last week, so I was aleady feeling pretty nervous, yet strangely excited, it's a bit worrying when you've only ever done dressage 3 times in your life before!!! I felt so elegant and pretty in pink as I rode round in the warm up arena, in my beautiful pale pink saddle cloth and stock. Shadow was a good girl and seemed to be calm and listening to me.
When it finally got to my time to take the test my heart was clamouring like a galloping horse in my chest! For no reason! Shadow suddenly felt so tense underneath me that I wouldnt have been able to bend her laterally if I tried, and all suppleness seemed to leave her body. That was until we got to the center line, then it was like sitting on a snake, wriggling in and out! I tried to keep my leg on to keep her forward and things started to go a bit better. Then Shadow had other ideas and decided that she had had enough of this dressage lark, and tried to jump over one of the white poles that formed the arena arena - too much showjumping do we think??? I managed to keep her just about inside the arena and she did settle to do a nice test, particularly the 15 meter half circles then back to the track in canter, I managed to keep her balanced so she didn't break or rush in the transition from counter canter - that was hard, so I was pleased,
Overall it actually went a little flat, Shadow was very calm, but rally a bit too calm. Mum thinks it's because we did work her the night before and she'd just got a little tired. Unfortunately, just as we were going down the center line in walk to salute, Shadow jogged, what a shame as her walk had gone really really well! oh well, we still tried our best and still got 66%! we, (the team) came first in the under 25 section! yay!!!!
All in all a really good day. thanks so much too Kelsea, Molly, Erin and all our supportive parents xx
And lastly thank you to my lovely sponsors Stonehouse Solutions and The Emporium at Wentworth! i think i quite like this dressage stuff, have never really been all that into it before, but its definitely growing on me, you might see me doing this a bit more