Officially a Young Rider

Today I mailed all the paperwork to the USDF…Jess is officially a Young Rider! 

This past weekend Jess rode in a clinic with Axel Steiner and the change in her was evident.  She is no longer a Junior rider…she is a young woman ready for new challenges.  So Monday morning I went to the USDF website, downloaded all the forms to fill out to declare her a Young Rider and got to work.  It isn’t a simple task…there are lots of forms and lots of numbers (USDF, USEF, FEI, Passport).  Then there’s making sure the horse’s passport is current and all the shots and Coggins are up to date.  And picking the shows (who are the judges, are they CDI’s or not, how far away are they) to attend and finding their prize lists on the web can sometimes be a frustrating endeavor!  Jess ordered herself a new Shad Belly…I have no idea what that cost!  And we worked on writing her bio.  Seeing all my daughter’s accomplishments put down in writing took my breath away…and solidified how truly ready she is for this new test of her riding ability. 

Jess and Karen have choreographed her freestyle and we’ve chosen a new company to put it together for us.  Selecting the music isn’t as straight-forward…Jess took advantage of having the time with Mr. Steiner and asked him for some guidelines when selecting music.  He was very helpful…especially in making it clear what was not appropriate.  Next week I will video her riding the test and mail it off with our ideas for the music.  She won’t worry about riding the freestyle until April.

For now, Jess’s sights are set on February in Wellington, Florida.  We’ll be trailering down with her horse, Coda, for her first show as a Young Rider.  It’s a CDI…with tough but fair judges…and lots of great competition!

The Road to Young Riders

This weekend my daughter rode her first Prix St. Georges at the Good Horseman Dressage Show in Conyers, GA.  Although she has been learning and practicing the new movements off and on this past year, since returning from the NAJYRC in July, she and Karen have really focused on perfecting them.

One thing I have learned as a "Show Mom" is that there is no such thing as "perfection" in a dressage test.  However, this weekend, Jess had a high and a low in her first PSG performances.
  

On Saturday, she rode down the center line, halted and saluted.  The test was incredible...every thing she and Karen knew she was capable of.  Almost perfection!

On Sunday, riding for Axel Steiner, she went in to the warm up a little too early and both Jess and Coda seemed tired when they rode their test.  It wasn't effortless.  Not perfection...

This show "didn't count" towards qualifying for Young Riders.  It was a practice run and Jess learned what she is capable of in the ring with this test.  She was also reminded that nothing comes easy and you always have to give your all and be your best to get the scores you want.

I'm excited for Jess and Coda as they embark on this journey and I'm especially proud that they put so much into making their dreams come true. Good things come to those who work hard...

Footnotes

Update on Megan Davis:

In spite of an incredibly scary fall from her horse during her Freestyle on Saturday, Megan is going to be fine. She split her lip and it required some stitches to repair and her face was sore and swollen, but NO broken bones! We are all so grateful that Megan is fine! Thanks to everyone for thinking good thoughts!

Immediately after the Junior Freestyle on Sunday, the awards ceremony was held for the top 10 girls. Afterwards, the grooms (ME!) had to take the horses from the riders and take them back to the barn as the Medals ceremony was to be held immediately afterwards. I have never walked Coda back to any barn let alone a 15 minute walk to THIS barn. I was very intimidated...and I chickened out...Thankfully, Sarah Crosier (a Junior rider from Atlanta who was there as Ellen Wall's groom) came to my rescue and walked him back with me. I was lucky to get Coda untacked, sponged off, watered, fed and make it back to the Arena before the Closing medals ceremony began! Whew!

It was a fantastic event with our girls linking arms and synchronizing their march up the podium to receive their Silver Team medal. As soon as the ceremony was over at 7 p.m. trailers were hitched, horses loaded and folks headed for home. It was an emotionally exhausting day so we chose to stay one more night and get an early start for home on Monday. We were at the barn by 6 and on our way by 6:30. It was an easy drive back to Atlanta and as we pulled into Top Hat Dressage Coda was greeted by all his barn mates! It was a great Welcome Home!

What's next? I think Jess will probably do the Regional Championships so she can ride her Freestyle without any technical glitches...and then I think she and Karen will get started on schooling for the Young Rider tests. After three years of Juniors, Jess is ready for a new challenge. So in 2010, Jess will graduate from High School, there will be a new group of riders vying for a spot on the Junior Team and a new group of riders vying for a spot on the Young Rider team. Wish us luck in our new adventure!

What do you do when the music stops?

Crazy day...the ride times kept changing...1:40 to 3:40 to 5: 40 to 4:40...it kinda messes with you. The riders are braiding, grooming and for a few, warming up when the times change again.

There is so much that goes into the Freestyle ride...choreographed by the trainer and rider, it is a chance to show your personality through your music selection. The "test" is practiced until the movements sync with specific aspects of the music. It is creative and fun. At least it is supposed to be.

Jess and Coda entered the ring and rode down the center line. It was perfect! Everything was going amazingly well...high scores. Then, the music started to do something strange...it was almost like someone was turning the volume up and down. Technical difficulties...was it the CD or the sound system or the CD player...who knows? All I know is that my amazing daughter switched off the music she was hearing over the speakers and "danced to the music in her head". She rode her entire freestyle...flawlessly...to music only she could hear. And it was magnificent. I cried, as did Karen, for the failure of the CD...but later, when I really thought about what Jess did in the ring, I wanted to cry because I am so incredibly proud of her ability to overcome something so difficult and unnerving and still put in such a fabulous performance scoring a 66.75 and placing 7th.

All the riders this week at the NAJYRC deserve to be recognized for the achievement of making it here...they also need to be recognized for what it took to compete here. Nerves of steel...

Terrifying moments...

The Young Riders were nearly done with their Freestyle tests when Megan Davis was bucked off her horse in the middle of her test. She was taken away by ambulance. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Ellen Wall braiding Tivo

Jess and Coda (In the Test!!!)