So in the May virtual show, I also entered the jumping. Part of this was because A) the process of walking a course and then going and riding it is great skill buildings and B) it was a new judge so I figured it couldn’t be any worse.
The scorecard was the same, but obviously, the course changed. My original post regarding riding this course is here, but I will include the video below too.
My Thoughts
For context: 0 – Refusal, 1 – Very Bad, 2 – Bad, 3 – Satisfactory, 4 – Good, 5 – Excellent
My line to one could have been better, but she jumped it great. I would give it a 4. Jump 2 was maybe a touch close, but a good effort with good energy – 4. Came out of the turn and pushed when I didn’t need to up to jump 3, so I’ll give that one a 3.
The ride to jump 4 (pink vertical) was great. Giving that sucker a 4.5. Another great ride to 5 (green plank), so another 4.5. A bit flat to the red white and blue jump, so a 3.5, but the oxer at jump 7 rode great, 5.
Crap ride to jump 8 (pink vertical), that one gets a 2. But we finished strong at jump 9, so I will give that one a 4.
Soooo what did the judge think?
Jump points:
(Jumps do not get individual comments)
1. 4.5
2. 4.5
3. 4
4. 4
5. 4.5
6. 4
7. 5
8. 3.5
9. 4
(38 out of 45 possible).
Overall Evaluation:
For context: 10 – Excellent, 9 – Very Good, 8 – Good, 7 – Fairly Good, 6 – Satisfactory, 5 – Marginal, 4 – Insufficient, 3 – Fairly Bad, 2 – Bad, 1 – Very Bad
Rideability:
(Confidence, response to the aids, attitude and ability).
7.0 Bold Horse (Dying laughing at this one. yes she is)
Between Fences:
(Maintaining rhythm, appropriate pace, desire to go forward, ability to adjust balance before fences, jumping out of stride)
6.5 Forward Pace, gets a little runny at times. Work on rocking her back on her hocks to help maintain balance.
Rider Correct Use of Aids:
(Clarity, subtlety, independence, accuracy of test)
7.0 Well ridden, keep working on half halts to maintain rhythm.
General Impression:
(no directives)
7.0 Really nice pair that look very confident
(13.75 out of 20 possible)
Total Score: 51.75
Overall, the judge seemed pretty happy with what she saw. The “needs to rock back on hocks more” comment came up on a few people’s tests. Again though… this is tough for a horse like May who really needs to cover the ground. We can have a super bouncy, rocked back canter, but then we won’t get down the lines.
I think it’s funny that these judges don’t think I have a half halt. I can half halt… but I like to encourage May taking me a bit to the fences. Again, she really needs to jump across things to cover the distances… There’s another one of these in June that I guess we will do, but we are also eyeing a return to actual horse trials. More on that soon!
DONT YOU DARE JINX US with a show schedule. You did this earlier this year and LOOK where it got us (hahahhahaha). You guys look great and bold why yes she is! 🙂 Glad have have done these! Just look you are ready to go live now!!
I shall make the necessary sacrifices to the eventing gods before discussing my schedule again. Promise.
Looking good!! I find these interesting since generally we don’t get feedback during a course and for sure not to this degree of looking at each fence. I had so hoped to do this one but womp womp to that.
There’s going to be another one in June! So maybe you can get in on that one?
Just curious, but is it imperative you get the numbers? I don’t event, so I don’t really know the rules. But for just straight jumper classes, it doesn’t matter what number you do in the lines as long as you jump clear. Maybe it would be more smooth if you allowed the add and got her to rock back more. Just a thought!
Either way, sounds like a good experience, and I think the judge liked you guys!
So May’s natural step is kind of right in the middle of the add and the “correct” length. To add in a 5th stride in a 4 stride line, I would have to take quite a bit for the last step to be even. And then, she doesn’t jump in as good a balance and form, compared to the more forward step. Even in this show, doing the 4 strides got us our only “Excellent” mark on the oxer coming out.
Also, I think it is worth noting that at Novice, this course added a vertical 2 strides after the oxer. If we did 5 coming down the line, there is no way we could get the 2 on the “out”, and adding the third stride would be really ugly. In regular eventing shows, there is often a 2 stride at BN. And trust me, getting the third stride in those is 0 amounts of fun haha.
So it kind of goes back to the training. The plan is to move up, and we can’t really move up on that shorter, weaker step. But on the more open step, we have more options as the fences go up and she actually stays more balanced and “Up” in the contact with the more active hind end.
In a normal eventing show, it makes literally no difference what we do as long as we go clear within the time. May has more clear rounds from an open step than a closed one. So again, training her to take the shorter step is counter productive to our goals, even if it would likely create a more equitation-like picture.
Whew! Probably more than you bargained for.
That all makes good sense! You definitely know your horse best! And it sounds like she is closer to getting the real numbers than not, so that makes sense to me.
For sure! They get easier each time we jump 🙂
The video looks great! Lots of improvement from the last one!
I hear ya on the “balanced bouncy” canter versus “forward perhaps on forehand canter.”
Georgie and I had the latter and had to for a long time. Forward is so important! I could, at the end, adjust for the last couple strides but it was not easy! I think you and May look GREAT!
Thanks! It’s definitely a work in progress 🙂
What a fun looking course!
It was fun! And this one felt more like a course we’d see at a horse show vs. the last one.
oh man, figuring out how to get that bouncy rocked-back uphill canter — but STILL on the 12′ stride!!! — has basically been my white whale since last summer. esp when the jumps go up for charlie, if he arrives at the fence a little strung out and “out” behind, if the distance isn’t quite right it’s wayyyy harder for him to make the adjustment and still make it up and over. ugh, why is riding so hard tho?!?
Ohhhh yeah. And trust me, we now have a new gymnastic set up in the ring to work on that. Ugh. Can we go back to “look up” and “heels down”? hahaha