Horses & Other Interests
“Behind The Scenes: Beth Beukema, Intercollegiate Dressage Association”
USDF Connection
May 2017
United States Dressage Federation
A short interview with the IDA president.
©2017 United States Dressage Federation. Used by permission. Reproduction prohibited without prior written permission of the publisher.
Previous Posts [Behind The Scenes]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Amazing what percolates up out of the dirt.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Switching in a hurry from driving to riding makes Alvin mad. The only time I have felt Alvin threaten to mutiny was at a Dixie Cup show when our riding classes immediately followed his driving class.
In numerous shows, Alvin drove first and then was ridden a few classes later. He was fine. In fact, I was of the opinion that the driving loosened him up and put him in a good mood for riding [Report]. Just don’t ask him to do it back-to-back.
The switchover can be hard on riders as well.
Between the driving class and long-lining Milton, I have been holding my reins for driving more than for riding lately. It took me half-way around the first trot to mentally switch back. MSSP 2015
At Dixie Cup this year [Report], I didn’t have to suffer the switch. Mr. Whizbang did. After the victory pass in Academy Driving (!), folks swarmed him like NASCAR pitcrew. Harness came off. Saddle & bridle went on. One lap around warm-up. In we went.
Either Mr. Whizbang was of the same opinion as Alvin, or I had gotten myself into a state thinking he might be of the same opinion as Alvin. Whoever was the originating culprit, I clearly felt a deep breath go through the two of us halfway through the class.
Like my Mama says, It’s not the ups and downs. It’s the sudden changes of direction.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Saddle Seat Wednesday
Timeline. The activities below occurred and were written up on Saturday before our inadvertent jump school on Sunday. Hence the mood-swing back to the dark side. IRL, I’m still basking [Jump!]. (I don’t usually write up a show immediately, but I was attempting to process.)
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Show Details
Dixie Cup Horse Show
Georgia International Horse Park
Conyers, GA, USA
Saturday, May 6, 2017
With HB Whizbang
301 Academy Equitation WTC – Adult, 1st of 2
302 Academy Showmanship WTC – Adult, 2nd of 2
321 Academy WTC Championship, 4th of 5
Thank you to the Alvis family for the wonderful Mr. Whizbang.
Show Report
I decided to go at the last minute. Pro-AM was so awful [Report], it was deemed that I could use as much practice as possible.
Didn’t help.
I had some good moments. I had some bad. I ping-ponged between them like a demented pinball. Occasionally, Mr, Whizbang and I ping-ponged around the ring. The middle class was going the best, until I made an adjustment in the canter, overadjusted, and we broke into a trot. I can’t remember the last time that happened.
With apologies to Casey McBride Photography, I am not ordering a photo from the show. Again. I’m all for supporting show photographers. Part of me wants to buy one to document the horses that I show over the years. OTOH, there is no reason to own a photo when I can’t bear to look at the proofs.
I can’t win every class. Well, I’d like to, but it ain’t gonna happen. Ultimately, it’s not about how I place. I have no control over that. It’s about how well I ride. If I lay down my best trip and someone else has a better round? Fine. Go home and work harder. If I continue to make mistakes that I can’t feel and don’t know how to fix? That’s when I go home and write self-pitying blog posts.
In the not-you-it’s-me category, Mr. Whizbang had a full day. After suit equation in the morning, he did the full run of Academy in the afternoon: driving, walk-trot-canter, and walk-trot. He was Champion with his young owner. Smart Snippy!
GIHP show reports [list]. My best day at Conyers was my first [Report]. After that the wheels came off to varying degrees.
And Now For Something Completely Different
Part of my justification for going to the show was to stop in Atlanta afterwards for anniversaryesque activities [Village].
The Spotted Trotter
A boutique butcher
Dekalb Farmers Market
Food from everywhere, shoppers ditto.
Yat Tuh
Eater Atlanta: The 38 Essential Atlanta Restaurants, Spring ’17
We be foodies.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
We jumped!
In truth, Rodney jumped and I went along for the ride. It was all his idea.
We often set up standards and a few poles for Rodney to walk over so that he doesn’t feel trapped in the sandbox. I like to start a ride on the buckle [Fifth Leg Training] to give the horse a chance to settle in, get coffee, read email, and so on.
Combine a crossrail with walking about on the buckle. Can you see where this is going?
The first time caught me completely by surprise. There was discussion of whether it really was a jump, if he truly had both front and back feet off the ground at the same time. The second time, I was better prepared. We came out of the corner, stayed straight, kept a nice walking rhythm, got to the base, whereupon Rodney said, ‘You know Boss, this is gonna be easier if I jump.’
Over we hopped. Neat as you please.
As with our few steps of dressage [Lesson], reporting that my awesomely talented horse jumped a tiny crossrail is several shades of pitiful. I don’t care. I’m THRILLED. It was my first jump in way, way too long.
Wheeeeeeeee!
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
No surprise, our second lesson built on the first one [Dressage]. We halted. We trotted a few laps. Mr. E says we would have cantered if the footing had been better. On the grand scale of things, it remains pitiful. On our personal scale, it was FANTASTIC. A few of the strides where the best dressage I’ve done. Ever.
Perhaps it is Mr. E’s approach. He doesn’t use the ‘push with the inside leg, hold the outside rein’ blather. Or perhaps I’ve never had a horse who can do what I ask. Either way, Mr. E says ‘Do X,Y,Z.’ I do. Rodney does. Cool.
Partway through the lesson, Rodney was tight? Tired? Tense? I wasn’t sure. This made me miss Previous Horse. I’ve thought of PH as my heart horse because I always knew what he was thinking [In Defense of Caesar]. Now, I’m starting to wonder. I could hear him, but he never had the slightest interest in listening to me. That’s not a communication. That’s one party being loud about what they want. Regardless, I need to put the past behind me and ride the horse I have.
I’ve spent a lot of blog time pondering how the different riding disciplines overlap [Styling]. In my last saddle seat lesson, Coach Courtney told me to set my hands. Okay, I will, but that is the Wrong Way to Ride. One should have soft, following hands that are sympathetic to the horse’s mouth. Obviously. Fast forward to dressage lesson. For trotting, Mr. E told me not to pull but not to give. Really? That sounds a lot like Set Your Hands.
Later, Mr. E wanted me to use my knees. In fact, he asked, ‘How hard can you dig your knees in?’ Well, after five years of saddle seat, pretty durn hard. We will overlook the fact that my heels shot out sideways as I did so.
On a final note, Rodney seems to really like Mr. E. With both his chaperone [It Takes A Village] and Mr. E on the sidelines, Rodney started out the ride super relaxed.
Update: further thoughts from Mr. E in comments. See “themuerdago” below.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Inside front spread from World Full of Horses
written and illustrated by Dahlov Ipcar
Doubleday 1955
Bought from Better World Books, via AbeBooks.com, thanks to a recommendation from Robin Bledsoe, antiquarian horse books and art books.
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This Year
[H is for Hatch]
[G is for Gray]
[F is for Francis]
[E is for Endicott]
[D is for Doty]
[C is for Cooper]
[B is for Brown]
[A is for Anderson]
Past Years
[2016 Alphabet] [2015 Alphabet]
Project explanation [AlphaBooks 2017]. Open to recommendations for the remaining letters. Which books would you choose?
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 