I feel like i have a dressage hangover.

Last night I watched the European Dressage Championships Kur to Music, and all I can say is holy crap. Watching Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas score a record 90.750% was a treat. They are unbelievable. I want the horse, I love the music, and Edward presents the stallion so easily, when I bet most of us would be bounced out of the saddle and into the bleachers.

Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival were second with a clean, sharp Kur and Anky van Grunsven, the "Queen of the Kur" was third with Salinero. I felt a little sorry for Anky as she rode in after Edward and Totilas. Even if they were having the best ride of their lives, Salinero simply can not match what Totilas has, even if Totilas makes some mistakes. Say what you want about her training methods, but Anky is an incredible ambassador for dressage, she is always pushing the sport to higher places, and her horses are successful and sound for many, many years. I can't imagine how it must feel for her to know, as one of the (if not THE) most highly decorated riders in history, that her time in the spotlight, on the top placing on the podium, this time is over - at least with this horse. And to know this, have it be so clear, as you are about to begin your test at the European Championships. The woman has nerves of steel, as she put down a very good Kur. And I'm sure she'll get blasted for it, but my favourite part was her final halt. Salinero was not going to halt, and Anky pulled his head to the side until he was about touching her boot, but the little bastard halted, if only for 1 second. Anky had a smile on her face, like 'screw it, screw you people who are going to blast me, but horse you are GOING to halt.'

It's been amazing to watch this new era of dressage. There are so many super exciting new horses and riders. I've been so lucky to see many of these teams live at other shows. Last year at Aachen I saw Totilas in the small tour, and Parzival in the Grand Prix ring. Both horses were the talk of the show then, and it's no surprise what's happening this year. At Hagen this year I watched Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris convincingly win their Grand Prix (or Special?) test. I have seen Sterntaler Unicef, Sunrise, Lancet, Digby, Whisper, Scandic, Max, Potomac, Exquis Clearwater, Balagur, and so many more. I feel like I'm name-dropping, but it's just that I think to see these horses and their riders live in the flesh, to watch them ride to perfection and to watch them make mistakes, it's so inspiring and educational. 

It's also depressing on some levels.

All I've ever wanted in my life is to represent my country in this sport. I want, more than anything, to wear the Canadian Equestrian Team badge, the horse shoe with a maple leaf in the middle. Okay, I want more than just the badge on my jacket- I want to kick international ass while I'm wearing it.  

I'm getting the educational opportunity of a lifetime while I'm in Germany. I have no idea how I ended up at a place where I get to ride so many horses, of such quality and of such a range of age that I get to sit on fresh young four year olds to 11 year old Grand Prix horses. I feel like I am really learning how to ride the top movements, not just to get the movements done, but to do them with quality. Hermann doesn't let me just do changes or piaffe, but it has to be the best changes, with the best canter. Or the best piaffe with light contact and real sitting from the horse.  Most of my rides are not spent on the movements, but rather getting the horse really through, light to the contact, and using himself to the best of his ability. Only then is it worth trying any of the "fun stuff." 

So I'm learning how to ride, and hopefully to train, and loving my job. But then a customer will come to try "my" horses. Under my smile and happy to meet you, my hackles are up and I'm thinking, 'GET OFF MY HORSE YOU JERK! Even if you are a very nice person, a lovely rider, and doing a fantastic job, take your stinking money and GET THE HELL OFF!!!' Ahhh, to be a petty little person.

Seriously though, this is where it gets depressing. I've always been daft enough to believe that my dream will come true. Growing up I have always believed that I will one day be a good enough rider to get my team badge and kick ass, or at least not embarrass myself and/or my country. Even now, I still believe that one day I will learn to ride well enough that the team badge may be within my reach. But even if I can ride so well, will I ever have a horse? When people with millions, if not billions (really) of dollars or euros behind them can come and scoop up such amazing horses, how am I ever going to compete with that?

The obvious answer is "make your own." Yes, this is my plan, even though I currently own no horses. I will own a horse again, hopefully soon but who knows when. Lets just say I have such amazing luck to own a horse and get it to Grand Prix without any career ending lameness, illness, or psychotic-ness.  Then the question is, will this horse that I've chosen be good enough? At the European Championships, there were more than a few 'normal' horses that made it to that level. They were not individual medal horses, but they were good Team horses. Would that be good enough for me? Yep, probably. Is that what I want? No. I, like everyone else with competitive ambitions, want to be standing on the individual podium.  I am greedy, greedy, greedy. I want it all. 

Sigh.

Anyway, it's a wonderful, frustrating, heart-breaking and thrilling adventure, this dressage sport. At the top of the sport it is a luxury game, and that I get to play in some small part in this game at all is my own luxury. Who knows what the future holds for me and my competitive ambitions. All I know is the future of competitive dressage just got a swift kick in the ass and has been propelled once again to a new and exciting level. If nothing else, just to be around to see athletes - two and four legged - like this is a privilege, and inspires me to be a better rider every time I sit in the saddle. And as long as people like Adelinde Cornelissen, a former school teacher, can walk (or dance) away from the European Championships with three medals, I will keep believing in my own dream. 

I had a show Friday, riding one of the horses from the stable at my work. It's not one of Hermann's horses, but belongs to a woman boarding there. I started riding the horse after the owner fell in jumping competition and needed time off for her knee to heal. "Flo", as he is called, is a nice horse. He is not a super horse, but a nice horse. 

We were riding "L" level dressage, very similar to 2nd level. In these classes, they call out your score immediately after you finish your ride. After my ride was over I was in 3rd place, with more than 2/3 of the class still to go. Since I was riding two classes that day, the other starting in the afternoon, Hermann wanted me to come back to the farm (less than 10 minutes from the show) and ride, so the owner stayed at the show to see the results and call if I needed to come for the victory gallop.

If you "place" in the class, you get a ribbon and do awards ceremony and the gallop. However it doesn't make sense at the beginning how they do this. It's not always ribbons from 1st-6th, or anything clear and logical. Sometimes you can finish in 10th and be "placed" with a ribbon and a spot in the victory gallop. Other times, you can finish in 10th and be First Reserve (just out of the "placings" so no ribbon, ceremony, or gallop) or Second Reserve (just after First Reserve, still no ribbon or gallop). Or you can finish 10th and be "not placed", which means you just finished 10th in the class. They seem to take a percentage of the number of entries in the class and that will be how many "placings" are awarded. The bigger the class, the more riders in the awards ceremony. 

So anyway.  I thought the class would be over around 11:30, and when I had no phone call by 11:45 I simply thought, oh well, and kept riding. At 12:00 Hermann found me to tell me we had to leave in 30 minutes to be at the show again for my next class. "Oh, and congratulations," he said, "you placed." When I looked at him blankly, he gave me more info. "You placed 7th."

"But what about the ceremony?" I asked. I thought it was a RULE to be there if you place, and I try not to break the RULES in Germany.

"Agh, I told them you had to work and I wouldn't let you leave, " he laughed.  

And so that is how I missed my first Victory Gallop in Germany. 

Regardless, it was cool to get the results page from the office and see my name "Platziert." Wahoo!

In other news, Ingrid and Dami finished 2nd in the Medien Cup Final yesterday, the German competition for young Grand Prix horses. Winning the class was Anabel Balkenhol and the incredible 9 year old gelding Dablino. Such a great class with some very exciting young talent for the future. Another Wahoo!

Cheers,

Eiren