Over the weekend Max and I attended the Event Derby and Dressage Show at the University of California at Davis. I rode my coming six year old home raised and trained Purebred Connemara gelding Redbuds Cracker Jack (*Glenormiston Billies Bay x PM *Glenormiston Amelia) at both Training and First Level in the Open Dressage Show. Much to my delight and amazement my Jack placed First and Second in our respective Dressage tests with a personal best score of 68.4%.
This was our first show in quite a long time—as some of you may remember Jack came down with a virus which attacked his trachea last January and was out for almost the entire show season last year. Its been a long but joyful road back in both our fitness and training level—but nothing could make me more excited than to be back in the ring with my superstar dressage pony Jack! Extra special was that my young pony was a perfect gentlemen and a pleasure to handle and travel with for what turned out to be a very long day! I was especially pleased with three things—Jack standing quietly tied to the trailer for such a long time and then his best Stretchy Circle ever and lastly his excellent Free Walk in both tests (Jack is notorious for wanting to look around and I was tickled pink he trusted me enough to keep his mind on his work).
All and All a Super Start to the 2011 season for Jack and me!
