USDF Region 6/NWDC

October 30, 2015 / Emily Sorensen

This update is long overdue! Last month, Catalina and I made the journey to the incomparable Devonwood for the USDF Region 6 Championship and the Northwest Dressage Championship. It was a great show, very well organized, Devonwood was beautiful dressed in fall colors, and I had tireless support from my parents, my students, and friends. It's often said, but only because it's VERY true...it takes a village!!

Our competition season at 2nd level was capped off very successfully, and both Catalina and I are VERY happy to be moving on to 3rd level and beyond! :)

USDF Region 6 Second Level Open: 3rd place

NWDC Second Level Open: 5th place

We did it!!!  After the final salute of our USDF Championship class. Photo: Carolynn Bunch — We did it!!! After the final salute of our USDF Championship class. Photo: Carolynn Bunch

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The Dressage Festival at Donida

July 30, 2015 / Emily Sorensen

By some miracle, the weekend of this show fell neatly into a little cooling trend... heat wave before, a heat wave after, and nearly perfect during the show! Upon arrival, I was also happy to find a contingent of riders, horses, and coaches in our barn aisle that I've met at previous shows, or here on Bainbridge Island. It's great to get to catch up on everyone's goings on, in addition to getting in a great competition!

Catalina was all business for this show. She's decidedly a show horse now, and she LOVES it! If there are too few people or horses around, she deflates a bit, but once she decides enough people are around, she becomes an entirely different horse. She's always very energetic, but it's like she becomes more focused on me and wants to know how to best show herself off. It's a very similar feeling to how Cris is to show...they do live next to each other at home, so maybe Cris has been giving her some pointers, too! :)

The Results!

2-2 66.4% 1st place

2-3 68.9% 2nd place

2-2 72.3% 1st place

2-3 72.4% 2nd place

Scores ever rising...we're liking that trend! :)

She isn't sleeping, she's recharging!!Thank you to Jo and John for being an awesome support this weekend!  Go nuts!! — She isn't sleeping, she's recharging!!
Thank you to Jo and John for being an awesome support this weekend! Go nuts!!

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Donida, Donida, Whidbey, oh my!

May 22, 2015 / Emily Sorensen

Three for three in May!

Catalina and I started our show season with a dry run at Donida's schooling show earlier this month. After a winter of tinkering and hard work, Catalina was so happy to be out showing again! It's always a pleasure to do a schooling show in the sunshine!

The following weekend, we went back to Donida for the real deal!

2-2, 63.6% and 2-3 65.1%

2-2 65.7% and 2-3 65.0%

But we aren't done! The following weekend, Jo and Cris made their 3rd level debut at Whidbey Equestrian Center's schooling show. They won both of their classes with a 64.7% and a 67.3%!!!! It made me so incredibly happy to watch Cris do what he does best...show off!!! Jo had a blast and is eagerly making plans for their next shows.

That's just what I love about showing, both for myself and my students! While we all strive to improve and have fun doing it, showing also gives a rider a sense of measurement towards their goals. Nothing feels quite as good as accomplishing those big and little goals we have along the way!! Between show #1 and show #2, Catalina made major upgrades to her weak points. Now just a couple of weeks later, those weaker spots are nearly highlights! Jo had the same experience with Cris in the week leading up to their show. A new focus and polishing details makes all the difference!

It's great to see the dressage community in the PNW is alive and well! All of the shows this month were well organized, peaceful, and, by some miracle, had beautiful weather!

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Dressage at Devonwood

July 29, 2014 / Emily Sorensen

Wow, wow, wow!

After some 4th of July *ahem* shenanigans, I wasn't sure that Catalina would be ready for the jump up to first level at Devonwood. Time off right before a show certainly isn't ideal, but I was encouraged by her gradual, daily improvement. By the time we got to the Thursday before the show, we hopped off the fence...she was ready to go! There wasn't anything in the first level tests that she didn't know, so I'd just have to rely on that training and hope for the best! Worst case, we'd go see Devonwood, get into all of the arenas, and not show.

We spent Friday driving to the show (read: in traffic), so scratched our Friday afternoon classes. I was really happy with a light ride on Friday night. Devonwood is beautiful, the show staff and volunteers were all exceptionally helpful and friendly, and Catalina was all business...ready to show!!!

Saturday and Sunday, we had two classes, 1-2 and 1-3. Sometimes, riding a test feels like the goal. Like the end of result of weeks, months, and years of hard work. For me, the tests over the weekend were great, but even better, I had a happy, sound, and eager horse. She grazed, she walked on the buckle, she drank buckets and buckets of water, she went anywhere and everywhere on the show grounds, she stood like a statue during a dust devil that picked up anything not nailed down. She also happened to do 4 tests, qualified for championships and got great feedback from top level judges. We have our homework to do between now at the ODS championship in September at Training and First Level. Back to Devonwood...I can't wait!!

Kitty is all business!  Photo by Mary Cornelius — Kitty is all business! Photo by Mary Cornelius

Sometimes, shows come easily, but this one definitely took a village!! The support I had from everyone on the Wacky Nut Farm team was fantastic, realistic, and encouraging. Kitty and I are proud to represent the farm. Thank you!!