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Description
YAY! Jay took 4th in his first competition here!

Horse: Jay Bird
Rider: Ariel Bakers
Stables: CandleWick Equine Facility
Class: Dressage in Hidden River Show

Another day, Another show.

And this was a hot one too! The glaring sun came down in blistering rays of light, making it difficult to see anything but heat waves on the horizon. The land stretched for miles here. Pastures rolled over hills and into small valleys in these parts and within the nearby woods, rivers wove through the nooks and crannies of the chiseled grey rocks. These creeks are for what the stables was named after.

"Hidden River". It had a certain ring to it. And if it remained at this temperature, Ariel might decide to take Jay to go searching for the secret waters. Just a splash of the wet stuff would be quenching right about now.

Instead, Ariel tacked up for a different reason - the warm up. She was yet again entered in a dressage class, but this time with the sultry Jay Bird. The big grey Andalusian stallion stood head held high in all his majesty under saddle. His long, dark tail flowed in wisps on the ground behind him as he walked his steady pace. His carriage was nice today, but a little stiff and Ariel began to work the reins back and forth before he began to chew the bit in positive response. He was quiet today. His naturally hot blooded nature apparently couldn't compete with the heat of the sun and Ariel hoped he would still have enough jump in his canter and bounce in his trot.

With the beginning of the warm up, Ariel's suspicions came true and Jay was nearly constantly behind her leg. Her face crinkled in worried creases. Being sluggish was not like him. Using her whip, though, she tapped him on the rump and he woke up. He got back to work and began to step his hind quarters under. This was what she was used to. The up-and-coming dressage star was only sleepy in the heat. With the matter settled, the pair was confident when entering the show arena when their names were called.

Jay stepped lightly in the walk and made the balanced transition straight into the canter. They entered in that gait down center line and halted squarely at x, then proceeded to the right. Right into the travers down the first half of the fence. A lovely bend in the ten meter circle moved them into the shoulder-in down the remaining fence. Among a handful of other movements including a good-rhythm half pass and impeccable turns on the haunches, as well as a powerful extended canter, Jay Bird once again met the standards of the great stallions that proceeded him. Another canter-halt transition finished the ride and Ariel gave the stallion plenty of ferocious pats on the neck as she let the reins loose.

With white sweat gathering on the horse's coat, Ariel figured the hard-working guy needed a good soaking... maybe in the hidden streams around here? Either way he was ready to cool off, and maybe Ariel would leave his braided mane up until they got back to their air conditioned barn. She, too, was eager to shed her black show jacket and shirt for a much more comfortable CandleWick t-shirt. Just like the ones her friends were wearing up in the glaringly bright grand stands. She squinted and thought she could make out the small group coming down the stairs to meet her.

She wondered... maybe they were up for a horse and people swim party???

Description
YAY! Jay took 4th in his first competition here!

Horse: Jay Bird
Rider: Ariel Bakers
Stables: CandleWick Equine Facility
Class: Dressage in Hidden River Show

Another day, Another show.

And this was a hot one too! The glaring sun came down in blistering rays of light, making it difficult to see anything but heat waves on the horizon. The land stretched for miles here. Pastures rolled over hills and into small valleys in these parts and within the nearby woods, rivers wove through the nooks and crannies of the chiseled grey rocks. These creeks are for what the stables was named after.

"Hidden River". It had a certain ring to it. And if it remained at this temperature, Ariel might decide to take Jay to go searching for the secret waters. Just a splash of the wet stuff would be quenching right about now.

Instead, Ariel tacked up for a different reason - the warm up. She was yet again entered in a dressage class, but this time with the sultry Jay Bird. The big grey Andalusian stallion stood head held high in all his majesty under saddle. His long, dark tail flowed in wisps on the ground behind him as he walked his steady pace. His carriage was nice today, but a little stiff and Ariel began to work the reins back and forth before he began to chew the bit in positive response. He was quiet today. His naturally hot blooded nature apparently couldn't compete with the heat of the sun and Ariel hoped he would still have enough jump in his canter and bounce in his trot.

With the beginning of the warm up, Ariel's suspicions came true and Jay was nearly constantly behind her leg. Her face crinkled in worried creases. Being sluggish was not like him. Using her whip, though, she tapped him on the rump and he woke up. He got back to work and began to step his hind quarters under. This was what she was used to. The up-and-coming dressage star was only sleepy in the heat. With the matter settled, the pair was confident when entering the show arena when their names were called.

Jay stepped lightly in the walk and made the balanced transition straight into the canter. They entered in that gait down center line and halted squarely at x, then proceeded to the right. Right into the travers down the first half of the fence. A lovely bend in the ten meter circle moved them into the shoulder-in down the remaining fence. Among a handful of other movements including a good-rhythm half pass and impeccable turns on the haunches, as well as a powerful extended canter, Jay Bird once again met the standards of the great stallions that proceeded him. Another canter-halt transition finished the ride and Ariel gave the stallion plenty of ferocious pats on the neck as she let the reins loose.

With white sweat gathering on the horse's coat, Ariel figured the hard-working guy needed a good soaking... maybe in the hidden streams around here? Either way he was ready to cool off, and maybe Ariel would leave his braided mane up until they got back to their air conditioned barn. She, too, was eager to shed her black show jacket and shirt for a much more comfortable CandleWick t-shirt. Just like the ones her friends were wearing up in the glaringly bright grand stands. She squinted and thought she could make out the small group coming down the stairs to meet her.

She wondered... maybe they were up for a horse and people swim party???