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Spring Showcase — Description

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Rider: Viridian Walker (no ref)
Rider Age: 23 years
Horse: TPE Creme Brulee
Horse Age: 8 years
Breed: Vasteuro
Class: Dressage (Performing USDF Intro Level C Test)
Show: TUA Spring Festival
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After making her reentry into the show world, Viridian and Sybil had been working the kinks out of their dressage test. They'd worked on clean canter transitions, steady trots, and developing Sybil's hind. Now here they were, ready to showcase their test at a competition once more.
They trotted into the arena, and already Viridian could feel an abundance of energy from Sybil. This could be wonderful, or it could cause problems. They halted through a walk, Viridian saluting before urging Sybil on. Viridian set Sybil up to track right, and noticed the large mare trying to fall in. She gave a few quick presses with her inside leg, salvaging the corner as they moved towards their first circle. That was unlike Sybil, and it tipped Viridian off that she wasn't doing the best job of supporting the mare. She let Sybil lengthen into a slightly lower frame, bending around the circle. Sybil went into it, and Viridian allowed herself a smile. Good, they were back on track.
The next circle brought on the right lead canter. Viridian swiveled, allowing her right leg to come up by the girth and her outside leg to swing back. She moved with Sybil into the canter, letting her seat circle less and less to gain a more medium canter than loose and extended. Down to the trot before the end of the circle, and on they went. The next corner went better than the first, and Viridian straightened Sybil out across the diagonal. Closer to the next rail, she bent Sybil back to the new inside rein, pushing from inside leg to the outside rein. She had nearly around the whole ring to prepare, and with her swivel seat into the next circle, the left lead came much easier than it had at their previous outing. That meant improvement, and that was all that Viridian had set out to do.
Sybil stretched down for the free walk before Viridian collected her back into a nice relaxed frame for the medium walk. A small squeeze from both calves and Sybil melted into a trot, trying to overstretch into an extension while Viridian tried to slow her posting down. She went into the walk just a tad early before the halt, taking a deep breath before saluting once more. She gave Sybil some neck pats and wither scratches, proud of the overall improvement rather than allowing her mind to focus on the small slip-ups. It was a good outing.
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