The Gold Coast Opener, the first CDI of the season, was truly a memorable experience for me. Rarely, do I ever have time to just sit and watch, uninterrupted and completely focused. I was impressed by the depth of talent and quality of horses that this country is developing. While we can read about it, it is something else entirely to immerse yourself in it! Wow! I have to say, my favorite ride of the weekend was a GP Freestyle done by Mikala Gunderson to “Big Black Horse in a Cherry Tree.” While she was in the national level GP, I felt it was better than many of the CDI GPs. She scored a 73+ %.
Herf had his first day back today after his deep muscle therapy last week. He felt super. I wish I didn’t have to wait 2 more days for a lesson with Bent. I’m starting to gather my thoughts for the show this weekend. I’m trying to nail down as many of the no-brainer things as possible like center lines, accuracy, etc. One new development is that now that we have Herf’s canter so much bigger, my tempi changes have fallen apart. My timing is a bit off, as is his response time and our mutual balance. It’s like riding a strange horse- nothing is where I put it! It makes me laugh. It will even out soon, I’m sure!
I talked to some friends from home today who are making plans to come down for the Dressage Masters in Feb. I cannot wait to see some familiar faces and enjoy a great show. I have to stay busy or I really miss my animals at home. It’s bittersweet to think that I am half-way thru my stay here at the MacLeod’s.
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