Once again, apologies for the late catch-up post for the Spring Rabbit and Spring Prix Caprilli results. All results are published onto our Demi Dressage Facebook page as they come in for each event, and then published here for future reference/posterity!
March was a busy month, with two events running, and several of our dressage regulars enjoying the alternative challenge of a Prix Caprilli test. Some entered both! We also added a Red-Plus class for the first time, using one of The Pony Club dressage tests. This higher level class will run throughout the summer season, with a different Pony Club test each month.
As the first event of our 'summer season', we tend to think of March as Newcomers Month, and consequently offered the added enticement of Highest Placed Newcomers specials in the Spring Rabbit classes. There really were loads of rosettes up for grabs in March!
"SPRING RABBIT" DRESSAGE RESULTS - GREEN
First up on this lovely sunny Easter weekend, we have our starter class, the Green test. This test can be ridden on or off the lead rein (including Assisted, for those just coming off the lead) and is a walk-only test - though you will note in some tests there are a couple of *non-compulsory* trot options for those just looking to try out trotting in a test situation before moving up to our Yellow tests! We really do try to do everything we can to make these transitions as easy as possible for your little ones <3
GREEN (combined class as low entries this month, thanks to the wettest March in recent history!)
1st - Bonnie and Maisie - 69.4%
2nd - Santiago and Annie - 69.1%
3rd - Molly and Pandora - 66.9%
Our Highest Placed Newcomer Special goes to Molly and Pandora!
"SPRING RABBIT" DRESSAGE RESULTS - YELLOW
Next up, and I hope you're still enjoying the weekend sunshine (it feels very overdue!) we have our special entry-level walk-trot class, the Yellow test. This test can be ridden on or off the lead rein, and also includes our special Assisted section for those just coming off the lead and needing a bit of moral support in the ring! We're delighted that with our current batch of riders, all lead reins have moved on to Assisted (consequently we have been lacking Yellow Lead Rein entries for a couple of months now - time for a new cohort, I think?)
YELLOW:
1st - Katie and Longmead Gigi - 72.1%
2nd - Bella and Nellie - 71.5%
3rd - Eva and Millie - 70.6%
4th - Summer and Bob - 64.1%
5th - Ava and Millie - 60%
YELLOW (Assisted):
1st - Allegra and Hunney - 72.1%
2nd - Isabel and Flossie - 67.6%
3rd - Miley and Rupert - 65%
4th - Lily-Mae and Major - 62.4%
Our Highest Placed Newcomer Special goes to Ava and Millie in the Yellow class, and Miley and Rupert in the Yellow Assisted!
"SPRING RABBIT" DRESSAGE RESULTS - YELLOW-PLUS
Staying in order, our usually-popular walk/trot Yellow-Plus class was thwarted by bad weather, pony illness and waterlogged schools this month, consequently a very select few actually submitted a test!
YELLOW-PLUS:
1st - Lucy and Autumn - 71.8%
2nd - Katie and Longmead Gigi - 70.8%
HC - MiniD and Maisie - 72%
MiniD has had something of a confidence crisis over the past several months, and is very up and down in her new(ish!) partnership with Maisie, so she dropped down a level this month after a failed attempt at getting a Blue test in the bag (damn child gave up two movements before the end because she was disappointed with her canter...! And it was a fine - a bit late for the transitions, but fine..!)
I'm sharing this as a learning point - for anyone daunted about canter in a test, and I do know this is often quite a lot of riders - PLEASE remember the canter is only TWO movements - even if you don't get your canter at all, you're only going to lose a few marks, and you can make that up through the rest of the test if you are solid at Yellow-Plus before you move up to Blue! Our Blue tests are designed to follow on from Yellow-Plus and introduce canter in a very friendly and encouraging way - once you are established at Yellow-Plus (often the level our competitors stay at the longest, because it's where we start to demand slightly more to earn the good marks) it really is not a huge step up to Blue - other than the 'mental block' so many riders get about cantering in a test, and that's what the Blue level is designed to help you out with <3
"SPRING RABBIT" DRESSAGE RESULTS - BLUE
Up to Blue, and this is such a special test for Demi Dressage, because it really is designed as an 'entry level' canter test. It's pitched at the same kind of level as the Yellow-Plus tests, so we'll be starting to expect a reasonable level of accuracy, use of arena and starting to influence the pony's way of going. But the canter movements are designed to be super-friendly and encouraging, to help make that transition to cantering in a test situation! Again, this is a level where we might expect riders to 'plateau' for a little while (remember all Demi tests are different through our annual cycle, therefore present different challenges!) as it is then quite a big leap up to our Red level in terms of both more canter, and what is expected when presenting a test.
So if your walk and trot is established and you're just getting to grips with 'third gear', give Blue a try - it's not scary, honest!
BLUE:
1st - Isaac and Robbie - 71.8%
2nd - Abigail and Stevie - 64.3%
3rd - Lucy and Autumn - 63.2%
Our Highest Placed Newcomer Special goes to Abigail and Stevie!
"SPRING RABBIT" DRESSAGE RESULTS - RED-PLUS
Finally for the Spring Rabbit results, our NEW level, Red-Plus!
For those of your ready to start moving on from Demi Dressage ( we know it has to happen - kids will keep growing!) we've added a Red-Plus level for the 2023 summer season. Using Pony Club tests, but keeping with our friendly and encouraging judging, with a comment for every mark, this class is designed as a 'bridge' between the child-friendly Demi Dressage tests, and 'real world' dressage.
I wanted to use BD Prelim 2 for this month, but alas it was not to be - so thank you to those of you who noticed the nod to the Spring Rabbit 'bunny ears' movement at the end of the test used - I practically went dizzy with Pony Club dressage tests trying to match them as closely to our monthly themes as possible (:
RED-PLUS:
1st - India and Fliss - 72.5%
2nd - Sophie and Summer - 68.6%
3rd - Grace and Prince Llewellyn - 66.8%
4th - Jed and Songbird - 64.1%
Our Highest Placed Newcomer Special goes to Grace and Prince Llewellyn!
Well done everyone!
"SPRING INTO ACTION" PRIX CAPRILLI RESULTS - LIME
Lime is our Lead Rein Prix Caprilli class, aimed at riders competing in our Green and Yellow Lead Rein dressage classes! The jump can be as little as you like, just a 'bottom hole' cross pole is absolutely fine for this class!
LIME:
1st - Isabel and Flossie - 67.7%
2nd - Allegra and Hunney - 64.3%
3rd - Clark and Gypsy Castle Lleff - 59%
"SPRING INTO ACTION" PRIX CAPRILLI RESULTS - TEAL
Last but not least, and apologies for the delay, there were a couple of mis-entries between Teal and Lime that needed sorting out! Our Teal class is our most popular Prix Caprilli class, aimed at Yellow/Yellow-Plus/entry Blue level riders. There is no canter in this test and the jump is ridden in trot, so it's perfect for those who are a bit unsure about 'leaving the ground'!
TEAL:
1st - Isaac and Robbie - 74.2%
2nd - Katie and Longmead Gigi - 70.8%
3rd - Poppy and Lady Bubbles - 70.6%
4th - Florence and Peppa - 66.8%
5th - Abigail and Stevie - 66.2%
6th - Quinn and Peppa - 63.8%
7th - Cora and Gypsy Castle Lleff - 59.4%
"SPRING INTO ACTION" PRIX CAPRILLI RESULTS - VIOLET
First set of results for our Spring Prix Caprilli! Here's the toughest class, Violet - aimed at riders competing at upper level Blue/Red/Red-Plus, with the jumps to be ridden in canter.
Despite the marks looking different down the sheets as each rider scored higher or lower for different elements of the test, the overall scores are pretty close in this class! There's only 1 mark between 1st and 2nd place!
VIOLET:
1st - India and Albie - 73.5%
2nd - Olivia and Tully - 73.1%
3rd - Freya and Eric - 71.7%
4th - Eliza and Scrappy - 71.3%
5th - Jed and Songbird - 70.1%
Well done all of you, a really strong class this time round. You're obviously all very much ready to 'spring into action' for your upcoming season!
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