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YAY! Jay took third in the dressage class! Congrats, buddy!

Horse: Jay Bird
Rider: Ariel Bakers

Class: Dressage

Start Number: 16

Music: Piano Concerto No. 1 (B Flat Minor) - Tchaikovsky

Stable: CandleWick Equine Facility

Show: Villa Gana 1st Winter Show

Mane is braided like this on opposite side: forums.arabianbreeders.net/upl…

This was by far the most elaborate background I think I've done! I hope it pays off, I can't say it looks as great as I envisioned... Oh well! More snow!

Jeez! Where was Jamie these days?! It seems like Ariel's doing all the work carrying CandleWick's name all by herself! Anyways, this time she is competing again with our dapple grey Andy. Jay seemed to be on his game today, too, and he knew it. From the very second he strut off the trailer he's been holding his head high and prancing in the frigid temperatures, giving Ariel a hard time hanging on to him with her stiff fingers. He even caught site of a nice Thoroughbred mare and began to lurch towards her before Ariel yanked him back and he stepped back into place. Crazy boy...

Besides! This wasn't the place for him to misbehave! The grounds were beautiful and every well-manicured lawn was lined in pristine shrubs. The elegance of the stables and the surrounding buildings shamed the little shack back at home! Every mount had elegant, long legs and even their winter coats were kept in a well-groomed manner. The pair was alone this time, which meant that Ariel had her hands full with unloading all the tack. She was able to park close to one of the stable's entrances and lead Jay directly to his guest stall. She headed back out to the trailer where she rolled in her tack trunk, and all the buckets and hay nets the stallion needed before hiking back out into the flurries to drive and park the truck. It was times like these when she really wished she had a big strong man to do all the heavy lifting!

She returned to the large, grey boy who was calmly nibbling on shreds of hay, swishing his tail. They would have to ride that evening so it was imperative that the stallion's long dark mane be braided. No halter was needed as he quietly ate when Ariel brought in the step stool and began working on the braid design she found the night before. She worked her way down his muscular neck and finished with a small blue tie that matched the cold hues in the snow outside. He turned and looked at the girl who was regretting taking off her gloves to work - her fingers still hadn't thawed - and blew warm sweet hay breath in her face. She giggled and stroked the velvety muzzle he presented her with, and then noticed the time on her watch. Her ride was coming up!!!

With incredible energy she zoomed in and out of the stall, with soft brushes, hoof picks, and rags overflowing her arms she groomed Jay before placing his gleaming white show pad on - brand new for his first international show! Jay watched as the human scurried around his stall and took all her energy like a champ. She placed his saddle on a situated it just as the withers began to slope. Finally, the bridle slipped over his face and the double bits slid over his tongue. Jay flinched at the cold metal and began to chew it while he was lead out of the stall. He stood looking around at the mares down the corridor again as Ariel pulled on her show jacket and adjusted the hat on top of her brown hair, pulled back into a bun. The pair was ready.

They headed towards the warm up arena, thankfully it was indoors! It was one of two, and it had high ceilings that were touched by similarly high windows. Outside them, snow falling down at a rapid rate, and icicles hung from the very bristles on the pine trees. Ariel could see riders over the stone edge in the dressage arena outdoors. They would have to go out there... very soon, but for now she focused on the warm up. Turns on the forehand were the first step to get Jay focused on her leg cues. They did leg yields and shoulder in. Then renvers, simple lead changes, flying changes and half pass. He was using his haunches so well today and he lifted in the front just as the pros would! His balance was impeccable and he was soft and supple despite the cold weather. By all points, Ariel decided he was ready! Their names were called.

Ariel braced herself as a stable hand opened the door for them to head out to the show arena, and Jay seemed to do the same, his ears flicking away from the cold gust that blew in. Ariel called our a grateful thank you to the man and trotted out into the blizzard. The rides before them must have shaken off the snow that covered the blades of grass of the ring. They entered at A a beautiful collected canter and at X came directly down to a halt. It was perfect! But then... at the very last moment, Jay stuck out a hoof behind. Crap... Ariel thought and she prayed this wasn't foreshadowing for what was to come in their ride. Her nerves began seeping down into her hot stallion. He too, began to fidget, even as they took off at a canter again and tracked left. She hoped to pass it off as shivers as they moved into shoulder in down the side until they met E. A ten meter circle into ronvers down the remaining rail. Down center line again and half pass from D to H, where they completed a flying change. As they cantered past the judges, this time, though, the nerves had swept away. Jay was doing fantastic!! He half-passed again from M to X, flying lead change, back to F. At A they came down to trot. They came around the corner, and at K they began passage to E, then switched to piaffe. He stayed in place and still had an active hind end - JUST what the judges were looking for! Back to passage, they came down to walk at H, and a rein back went beautifully at C. They proceeded again and had their free walk from M to E. His Spanish influence was surely visible now because even on a loose rein, he almost had a Spanish walk! He was collected again afterwards and as he reached K, he picked up the left lead again and proceeded down the center line. At D, he planted his hind end and lifted his shoulders into the air and rotated in a glorious canter pirouette! A simple change of lead at X and then at G another canter pirouette the other direction and tracked right at C. He switched leads every 2 strides across the diagonal before coming down center line again and came to X. Another canter halt transition to end the test and this time no hoof stuck out! A chilly ride, by a warm, warm finish!!!!

Ariel was smiling at the salute, and if Jamie were here, she would have surely snapped a picture of the happy team.

My stories are always so long. Dx I apologize if you read all of that! Anyways... hopefully Jamie will be competing soon and then the two best friends can be united again! After all, they're always a winning team when one is helping the other.

Description

YAY! Jay took third in the dressage class! Congrats, buddy!

Horse: Jay Bird
Rider: Ariel Bakers

Class: Dressage

Start Number: 16

Music: Piano Concerto No. 1 (B Flat Minor) - Tchaikovsky

Stable: CandleWick Equine Facility

Show: Villa Gana 1st Winter Show

Mane is braided like this on opposite side: forums.arabianbreeders.net/upl…

This was by far the most elaborate background I think I've done! I hope it pays off, I can't say it looks as great as I envisioned... Oh well! More snow!

Jeez! Where was Jamie these days?! It seems like Ariel's doing all the work carrying CandleWick's name all by herself! Anyways, this time she is competing again with our dapple grey Andy. Jay seemed to be on his game today, too, and he knew it. From the very second he strut off the trailer he's been holding his head high and prancing in the frigid temperatures, giving Ariel a hard time hanging on to him with her stiff fingers. He even caught site of a nice Thoroughbred mare and began to lurch towards her before Ariel yanked him back and he stepped back into place. Crazy boy...

Besides! This wasn't the place for him to misbehave! The grounds were beautiful and every well-manicured lawn was lined in pristine shrubs. The elegance of the stables and the surrounding buildings shamed the little shack back at home! Every mount had elegant, long legs and even their winter coats were kept in a well-groomed manner. The pair was alone this time, which meant that Ariel had her hands full with unloading all the tack. She was able to park close to one of the stable's entrances and lead Jay directly to his guest stall. She headed back out to the trailer where she rolled in her tack trunk, and all the buckets and hay nets the stallion needed before hiking back out into the flurries to drive and park the truck. It was times like these when she really wished she had a big strong man to do all the heavy lifting!

She returned to the large, grey boy who was calmly nibbling on shreds of hay, swishing his tail. They would have to ride that evening so it was imperative that the stallion's long dark mane be braided. No halter was needed as he quietly ate when Ariel brought in the step stool and began working on the braid design she found the night before. She worked her way down his muscular neck and finished with a small blue tie that matched the cold hues in the snow outside. He turned and looked at the girl who was regretting taking off her gloves to work - her fingers still hadn't thawed - and blew warm sweet hay breath in her face. She giggled and stroked the velvety muzzle he presented her with, and then noticed the time on her watch. Her ride was coming up!!!

With incredible energy she zoomed in and out of the stall, with soft brushes, hoof picks, and rags overflowing her arms she groomed Jay before placing his gleaming white show pad on - brand new for his first international show! Jay watched as the human scurried around his stall and took all her energy like a champ. She placed his saddle on a situated it just as the withers began to slope. Finally, the bridle slipped over his face and the double bits slid over his tongue. Jay flinched at the cold metal and began to chew it while he was lead out of the stall. He stood looking around at the mares down the corridor again as Ariel pulled on her show jacket and adjusted the hat on top of her brown hair, pulled back into a bun. The pair was ready.

They headed towards the warm up arena, thankfully it was indoors! It was one of two, and it had high ceilings that were touched by similarly high windows. Outside them, snow falling down at a rapid rate, and icicles hung from the very bristles on the pine trees. Ariel could see riders over the stone edge in the dressage arena outdoors. They would have to go out there... very soon, but for now she focused on the warm up. Turns on the forehand were the first step to get Jay focused on her leg cues. They did leg yields and shoulder in. Then renvers, simple lead changes, flying changes and half pass. He was using his haunches so well today and he lifted in the front just as the pros would! His balance was impeccable and he was soft and supple despite the cold weather. By all points, Ariel decided he was ready! Their names were called.

Ariel braced herself as a stable hand opened the door for them to head out to the show arena, and Jay seemed to do the same, his ears flicking away from the cold gust that blew in. Ariel called our a grateful thank you to the man and trotted out into the blizzard. The rides before them must have shaken off the snow that covered the blades of grass of the ring. They entered at A a beautiful collected canter and at X came directly down to a halt. It was perfect! But then... at the very last moment, Jay stuck out a hoof behind. Crap... Ariel thought and she prayed this wasn't foreshadowing for what was to come in their ride. Her nerves began seeping down into her hot stallion. He too, began to fidget, even as they took off at a canter again and tracked left. She hoped to pass it off as shivers as they moved into shoulder in down the side until they met E. A ten meter circle into ronvers down the remaining rail. Down center line again and half pass from D to H, where they completed a flying change. As they cantered past the judges, this time, though, the nerves had swept away. Jay was doing fantastic!! He half-passed again from M to X, flying lead change, back to F. At A they came down to trot. They came around the corner, and at K they began passage to E, then switched to piaffe. He stayed in place and still had an active hind end - JUST what the judges were looking for! Back to passage, they came down to walk at H, and a rein back went beautifully at C. They proceeded again and had their free walk from M to E. His Spanish influence was surely visible now because even on a loose rein, he almost had a Spanish walk! He was collected again afterwards and as he reached K, he picked up the left lead again and proceeded down the center line. At D, he planted his hind end and lifted his shoulders into the air and rotated in a glorious canter pirouette! A simple change of lead at X and then at G another canter pirouette the other direction and tracked right at C. He switched leads every 2 strides across the diagonal before coming down center line again and came to X. Another canter halt transition to end the test and this time no hoof stuck out! A chilly ride, by a warm, warm finish!!!!

Ariel was smiling at the salute, and if Jamie were here, she would have surely snapped a picture of the happy team.

My stories are always so long. Dx I apologize if you read all of that! Anyways... hopefully Jamie will be competing soon and then the two best friends can be united again! After all, they're always a winning team when one is helping the other.