The Ups and Downs of Poplar Place

by Melissa Warden

 

Tilly, Ainsley, the dogs, and I left for Hamilton, GA on Friday… May Day. This Poplar Place was supposed to be my last qualifying ride before a CIC2* at Chattahoochee Hills in 2 weeks.

 

Saturday morning was dressage and show jumping. It was a bit hectic, as the gal we were stabling with, Katie, rode exactly one hour before me, and our show jumping rides were quite close, so everyone was running around a bit frantic.

 

After a good warm up, we rode what was a tense, but what I felt was an accurate ride. He offered a lot, but I only accepted a little… until his infamous right lead counter-canter. Tilly is far too smart to agree to canter on the “wrong” lead, and immediately nailed a perfect change when we touched the rail. Other than that, I was pleased and Katie, a phenomenal dressage rider, also felt that it was alright and would probably get that qualifying score we needed.

 

Unfortunately, the judge disagreed and we sat in last place with one of our worst scores ever. I still can’t fathom how we could have gotten a 41 at Chattahoochee Hills a couple weeks ago and had a better test this weekend to receive a significantly worse score. Apparently our collected canter was “too collected”. I think I missed the memo on that being possible, so long as there is enough impulsion! So, right there, my dreams of running the 2* were dashed.

 

After some major debating about whether to just pack up and go home or not, I decided to just run show jumping and then make a decision and quite frankly, I’m glad I went that route!

Tilly was fresh (surprise, surprise) and jumping incredibly well when we show jumped. With a minimal warm up, he was one of only TWO double clear rounds! And what was that about him being out of control and lacking focus in dressage?! Well, he was great and after his phenomenal round, we sat in 8th place!

 

I called Pam, our coach, and told her to forget dressage, but that I’m going to do some jumpers with him! Tilly loves his job so much and has come a long way in the sand box, but Pam suggested that perhaps he is a bit claustrophobic. So, let’s think about this… Tilly has great rides in standard dressage arenas, but in small ones, he tends to get blown a bit away; ditto for schooling in a field versus riding in an arena. I think she may be onto something here!

We awoke to an overcast morning for Cross Country and Tilly prepped himself just like any great warrior does: with a massage and a nap. Once on him and in the warm up, he was all business and very full of himself. A leap and buck every so often showed that he had not spent much energy the day before.

My plan was to ride him forward and leave nothing on the course and that’s exactly what we did. Tilly was so bold the first few fences, I think he scared himself a bit, so I backed down at fence 5 and rode a bit more conservatively. By the time we hit the water jump, he had found his rhythm and leapt in like a superstar! The out was an up-bank, 2 strides to jump the left side of a canoe on a 45 degree angle. Tilly was foot perfect and was off again. He quite literally FLEW the steeplechase fence and was off to the next question, the camp. A house covered in white canvas to look like a civil war camp was the fence in, bending line left to a HUGE left hand corner with the ground dropping away on landing, then 3 strides to another skinnier tent on an angle. I looped my reins and kicked on with Tilly eagerly leaping through the combination.

 

Two questions remained. The first, an up-bank-bounce-upright, three strides to another up-bank-bounce-upright and the second question a burial mound, which is like an Irish bank up a steep hill, then it drops straight off the other side about 10′+ down to the ground. Tilly showed his cat-like abilities and skipped up the first question of up-bank bounces, then came in strong to the burial mound. By the time he looked over the other side and gave an “oh my God!” it was a bit too late and he skidded down and leapt off.

 

Only 2 fences remained on the gallop home and he made the best of the rolling hills to finish with just over 16 time penalties and another clear jump round on the books! We were the second fastest cross country go of the day and with everyone having time penalties, it allowed us to move up in the standings!

 

So, how’d we place? Well, the goal was a qualifying ride, which we did not accomplish, but I think Tilly showed that dressage is not the ‘be all end all’. With two Olympic riders, Carl Boukaert and Kelli Temple in first and second, we found ourselves in excellent company, coming in 3rd! I was surprised to see how many eliminations there were on cross country, but Tilly made easy work of it and demonstrated why he is such a great event horse. I would much rather have an incredible horse across the country that has some work to improve his dressage than a horse that is a wuss over fences and can win dressage– although he does have the ability to win the despised phase.

 

I feel so blessed to sit on this amazing horse day in and day out. I used to be scared out of my mind about making a mistake on him cross country, but now I know that if I make a mistake, he will be there to help me out. So many people will never have the opportunity to know the partnership we have where I am able to trust his decisions 99.9% and he trusts me the same in return. Furthermore, I know there are even fewer horses that have the heart and ability that Tilly has. He loves his job more than anything and gives it everything he has… as apparent in dressage, too, while he gives a little too much sometimes. Hahah

 

In a brief update on the other boys in my life, Paddy is now in New Hampshire with a young rider who is hoping to compete at the NAYRC’s within the next couple years with him. He is there on a long term lease and living in the Horse Hilton.

 

Charlie is looking forward to his first horse trial on May 30 at Full Gallop, just a few miles up the road from our house. After some major debating, I’ve decided to “hold him back” and make him go out Beginner Novice his first time, although he has schooled through their prelim course. I am in no hurry and want him to have the best go every time. Besides, he’s just 4 and has tons of time to catch Tilly!

 

As for Tilly, we are back to the drawing board with our schedule and plan for the rest of the year, but still continue to aim at Fairhill this October. In the end, have Tilly and I ever been known to give up? No, we are stubborn and fight to the end… I think that’s why we were ment for each other.

 

Gallop on!

 

Mellisa and Tilly

 

Ps. pictures will be up at

www.davidmullinixphotography.photoreflect.com/

We are #150–Intermediate at the May 2009 Poplar Place