Arabian dressage horse a record breaker
If EA Cygnus+// could enjoin yous nigh himself, he’d boast. He’d start yesteryear telling yous that he is the alone Arabian to earn a USDF JR/Young Rider Grand Prix Horse of the Year Award, writes Mimi Stanley.
He would remind yous he is alone the 2nd Equus caballus inwards the province to earn a USDF Horse Performance Certificate at every score of dressage in addition to that he is inwards the top fifty horses of all fourth dimension for number of USDF Grand Prix tests completed inwards his career (72). He would acquire on nigh his 4 national championships in addition to 5 reserve national championships, in addition to how he taught a horse-crazy teenager from North Dakota how to ride, making it audio similar he planned it all.
And thus I would gently pace in, equally I oftentimes create alongside Cygnus, in addition to enjoin the existent story.
The route to Cygnus
That tale begins earlier Cygnus (Hayel Orion x Coranette) in addition to I met. Growing upward riding my mom’s former jumper, Ibn Bee Zahr, in addition to my half-arab pony, Merrylegs+//, gave me the skills in addition to courage I would demand to grip the journeying that was ahead alongside Cygnus. One taught me to live assertive in addition to maintain my heels downwards piece the other taught diplomacy in addition to the fine art of getting a Equus caballus on the bit. I rode Merrylegs inwards the in conclusion USDF Young Rider Clinic that Conrad Schumacher instructed, where I began to empathise what existent dressage meant. It was also the lawsuit that made me realize I needed a schoolmaster. At the historic menses of 15, when I saw an mention for a greyish Grand Prix Arabian gelding named Cygnus, I straight off knew he was the Equus caballus I was looking for, but genuinely getting him was only about other matter. Bringing him from Louisiana to our farm inwards North Dakota involved a 3,4oo mile trip in addition to only about creative financing. We maxed out a low-interest credit card, refinanced the identify unit of measurement pickup in addition to trailer in addition to Cygnus’ possessor agreed to accept payments over the course of didactics of a year. My terminate of the grapple was to operate our preparation horses for costless through high school.
Building a grand prix partnership
Cygnus in addition to I meshed correct away, but he was non a serenity or tolerant schoolmaster. He wants to telephone telephone the shots in addition to requires a completely focused ride. In those early on days, Cygnus regularly tested my powerfulness to remain aboard, particularly alongside his penchant for recreational shying, but nosotros pushed through to a peachy outset summer together equally I learned his rules. We were able to acquire most of the scores for my USDF Silver Medal in addition to nosotros were Reserve National Champion Fourth Level at the Canadian Nationals.
The adjacent flavor I started showing him inwards the FEI minor tour (Prix St. George in addition to Intermediare I), finishing my silverish medal and the I-1 scores for my gold. During a double present weekend, I decided to modify our concluding ride to Grand Prix to run into if nosotros could pull it off. Adding piaffe, passage, ane tempis in addition to zig-zag canter half-pass was quite a challenge. Our outset fourth dimension to ride it was inwards the ring!
While our exam was far from perfect, it was an exhilarating confidence-builder.
With conscientious work in addition to me listening carefully to my horse, we made consistent progress. Later that summer, nosotros got one of the scores for my gold medal at Grand Prix and 5 “almosts” betwixt 58 in addition to 59.7. Those were painful. At this point, nosotros were ready for Conrad Schumacher to aid us shape a existent Grand Prix partnership.
Maximum effort
Our adjacent challenge was getting a crafty Cygnus to operate as hard inwards the present band equally he would schooling. The same Equus caballus that could perform 41 flawless one-tempi changes in training mightiness take away to quit at 4 inwards competition if I permit my guard downwards for even a moment. To encourage him to lay inwards maximum effort to a greater extent than consistently, I focused on keeping him through to my paw with the powerfulness on. We went out to the fields to schoolhouse the hard work, similar piaffe, passage in addition to pirouettes. Asking for these movements on a colina increased the difficulty, making the band operate seem easier. It also helped to alone inquire for a few steps of piaffe at a time, give him a saccharide in addition to praise him, gradually bespeak for to a greater extent than steps.
I became his personal cheerleader. With two more seasons of preparation nosotros were able to consummate my gilded medal and Cygnus’ Grand Prix Horse Performance Certificate. The most amazing observe was winning the USDF Jr/Young Rider Grand Prix Horse of the Year inwards 2008.
Another chemical constituent of our preparation that improved his overall functioning was adding freestyle into the mix. Cygnus loves working to music – the bigger in addition to louder, the improve – thus his Aladdin-themed Kur came to life. With this, his regular Grand Prix execution improved and he gradually became to a greater extent than expressive inwards his performance. I still had to operate for everything I got, but he was seeing me equally a better leader.
That flavor nosotros decided to compete inwards the FEI freestyle at the 2009 Sport Horse Nationals in Kentucky. Torrential rains, nearby structure in addition to flapping ringside tarps got the improve of Cygnus inwards the Grand Prix where he bolted across the ring, but he pulled off a National Championship at Intermediare 2. On the concluding evening, only equally the music started for our freestyle, he reared. The audience loved it, thinking it was planned but I was sure surprised! Cygnus went on to give a fire-breathing functioning and was named National Champion. I was thus proud; he had given me everything he had.
Pursuing dressage’s “Royal Flush”
By 2010 Cygnus was a more finished reliable Grand Prix Equus caballus and I a improve passenger in addition to nosotros had numerous peachy rides at Grand Prix. That yr he was National Champion Sport Horse Show Hack where he lay inwards a “mostly” stellar performance. I tell to a greater extent than oftentimes than non because at the paw gallop he struck at a loose strap on his bridle in addition to almost took the bridle off his head! Cygnus had a blast in addition to loves his victory lap.
A novel challenge at nowadays seemed inside our grasp. He had seven of the levels needed to consummate his USDF Equus caballus functioning Certificate at all ix levels of dressage. For each score the Equus caballus must make 10 scores higher upward sixty per centum from 4 dissimilar judges inwards a mimimum of 4 dissimilar competitions in addition to include 4 scores of the highest exam of that level. Our goal required at to the lowest degree xc qualifying scores. Although it’s an achievement thus rare if could live called dressage’s “royal flush”, I believed for Cygnet it was possible. In 2011 nosotros went dorsum later on those Intermediate I in addition to II scores.
The start of 2011 was scary alongside Cygnus’s Equine Metabolic Syndrome in addition to Cushings Disease intensifying, resulting inwards a slight laminitis episode.
We got him through it in addition to continued on for our in conclusion score. It came at his outset present of the season. Cygnus was at nowadays the outset Arabian in addition to the 2nd Equus caballus of whatsoever breed to make this distinction. We were also able to consummate the scores needed for my USDF Musical Freestyle Gold Bar, in addition to Cygnus at 22 did his outset Grand Prix Special test. He got a 64 percent!
Then it was dorsum to Grand Prix, aiming at Sport Horse Nationals. There nosotros missed our goal yesteryear .6 per centum alongside a jig pace at the walk in addition to 17 instead of xv ane tempis. It was a hard pill to swallow, but Cygnus was sound, gibe in addition to excited nigh life, thus the most of import things were inwards place.
The future
While it would live tempting to persuasion success alongside Cygnus equally a string of accomplishments, my ain persuasion is that success is the everyday journeying alongside him in addition to the privilege of working the of import details of the upper score dressage horse. Looking at 2013, those details volition live inwards focus. There is room for improvement inwards things such equally to a greater extent than appointment of his correct hind leg in addition to suppleness through his ribs to brand his one-half passes bigger.
I am thus lucky to take away hold a Equus caballus that tin can in addition to nonetheless wants to operate at 23. I am nonetheless learning from him, but at nowadays he’s learning from me, too.
We are aiming for a flavor at Grand Prix in addition to Sport Horse nationals, but it’s all upward to Cygnus.
This article outset appeared inwards the April/May 2013 number of The Arabian Sport Horse magazine, in addition to is reprinted hither alongside permission.
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