One Does Not Simply Warm Up Freddie Quietly… And Yet We Won
- Kelly Logan
- Mar 21
- 2 min read
Updated: May 19
A win yesterday for Freddie on 69.31% in the Elementary 1, finishing almost 5% up on the next competitor - go Fred!
We also scored 66.72% in Elementary 2 — although as the only combination in the class, I’m not sure that really counts as a “win”!?!
After Freddie decided to go completely feral at the start of the dressage season in January (including an Elementary test that will absolutely NEVER be seeing the light of day), yesterday he chose to show up… mostly.
The warm up was definitely spicy 🌶️ but we warmed up with other horses, nobody died - including me. He might have looked a bit more like quasi modo than Tortillas but.... Perhaps the funniest take away was my long suffering instructor saying right "DONT let him back of that energy in the arena". I didn't and actually, he did seem nice and 'up' in his shoulders and more flexible in his movements.
There’s still plenty to work on, of course — isn’t there always? Our medium canter still lacks balance and loses frame, but it’s very much a work in progress. What I am really pleased with is that our simple changes are now properly clear through walk instead of progressive down, and the changes are consistently bang on the centre line both up and down. The medium trot is there, and Freddie’s leg yield and free walk always help us pick up the marks.
Rather exciting - it was my first Dressage test ever in whites and bling - Mum would be so proud!
Elementary 2
In line with the 'don't back off the little Barsteward', I kept the momentum up up up, for the second test but Fred was flagging a bit in this test. But still delivered a 66.72%
I’d really love to have a go at Dressage to Music at some point, so I cut some of the video to a piece of music I’d love to try. I'm not sure if it will upload. I have it stashed on my computer.
Massively grateful to Julia Garrett for sorting Freddie’s new “has-grown-into-a-wide-boy” saddle — which he seems very happy in 🙂 and of course to Jayne who turns up to all our shows, giving us inspiration in the next lessons and helps guide us through the 'I'm never going to make this" moments.
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