Finally home again

Just finished up the 11 hour drive from Bishop to Boise.  I could tell Majek was getting mighty irritated with being in the trailer for so long but they settled in well once we got them out and into their "home" stalls.  Truck ran like the champ it is, I guess I should include the truck in the next press conference when I have to thank everybody who has helped get me to where I'm at LOL.

The weather was just wonderful for traveling, a little chilly but sunshine and no clouds or precipitation.  Dry roads all the way.  Very nice for traveling this time of year.  It's hard to believe I'll be making a return trip to So Cal in about 3 weeks, yikes!!

I'm very encouraged by Victor's scores down in So Cal.  In his International GP debut, he earned several 8s on his piaffe (including an 8.5 from one judge) and 7.5s on the zig zag and trot half-passes.  He also earned a 7.5 and 8 on his one-times in the freestyle, and he is capable of 8s on the extended walk (when he's looser and stretches more) and the canter pirouettes (when I can figure out how to ride them really well).  ALL of those are coefficient movements in the GP.  If I can get 8s on those (and sprinkle in a few in the collectives, I did get a 7.5 and 8 on rider from a couple judges in the GP), and keep everything else at 7s, I'm at close to 75% in International GP!!  SO COOL!!  Now I just have to figure out how to make that come about.

I also have some ideas for warming up for the freestyle next time.  I think I miscalculated my warm-up, he actually needed a little more suppling and loosening work, as some of my problems resulted not from him being a little lazy, but rather from him being a little tense and locked up against the hand.  It's hard to gauge with him when he needs a little "kick in the pants" and when I need to ride him a little longer and looser.  Because he is a little lazy behind, it is easy to make sure he stays in front of the leg, when in fact he's tensing his back and needs to become a little looser.  I had anticipated him being lazy for Sunday (since it was the end of a long show and trip), but that's not the horse I had.  Ideas for next time!