Amanda Johnson Dressage LLC

June 6-7 Debbie McDonald Clinic

Debbie McDonald Clinic

Gracious Gretchen lent me her trailer so I could take Pip to the Debbie McDonald clinic at Praire Sun Stables in the beautiful New Glarus, WI.  Hannah came along to watch and groom and we met up with Kate Kostenbader at the clinic.  Debbie was so quick in her teaching, she could catch a mistake coming before it had fully arrived.  I really enjoyed her teaching and I think we made great strides in two days of the clinic.  Improving the activity and connection, Pip was able to get more in front of the the leg.  What I am really happy about, is that the week after the clinic, it seems that a lot of what we worked on, has stuck!  I couldn’t have asked for better help a week before we leave for Gladstone!

May 29-31 Dressage at Tempel Farms

Dressage at Tempel Farms is the last Brentina Cup Qualifier in the Region, so I had entered it just in case I happened to need a drop score.  Luckily we were able to get a high enough average to be in consideration for the Championships, so Pip was able to enjoy a weekend off of showing so he could rest.  The weather was cool, with some spotty showers, but Sunday was an absolutely perfect day.  My Dad came in to town to visit so, he was able to hang out and watch me show on Saturday which was really nice. 

Jamaal

This show is Jamaal’s last show until Fall.  Soon, it will be too hot for him to comfortably work.  Jamaal put in solid rides all weekend with scores up to 70.5%.  He seemed to be more settled at this show and was not calling out nearly as much.  Ramza was able to get him a double stall, so he had plenty of room to move his big body around. 

Glissando

Glissando had his first show of the season and his first show in a couple of years.  He was a pro at the show, and also put in some nice tests.  A few hiccups here and there, but showed that he is very solid at first level with scores from 69%-72%.  Second level can be a little bit of a stretch for him at times and his scores ranged from 60%, 64% and 65%.  He was able to get his first set of qualifying scores at first and second levels.  Darlene also got inspired to show him first level later on in the show year!

May 22-24 KDA Kentucky Horse Park

The previous Sunday, at Dressage at Lamplight, my zipper busted on my boots.  Marti, from Horse of Course, was able to do his magic and sew my boot together so I could compete comfortably.  On Monday, I was able to take my boot into Fedele’s in Antioch, IL,  for zipper repair.  Fedele is incredible!  He was able to replace my zippers by the next day!  What service!  Thank you Marti and Fedele for repairing my boots! 

Well we all made the trek down to the Horse Park for another Brentina Cup Qualifier.  Gretchen canceled her tickets for the Indy 500 to trailer us down, which was sooo nice of her, thank you, thank you, thank you!   Hannah, my working student, also came with to help out.  The Kentucky Horse Park was beautiful, and the footing was outstanding!  The weather was very nice, and hot, in the mid to upper 80’s.  Much, much, warmer than the 60 degree days we have been used to! 

Pip at the Kenucky Horse Park

Friday was the Brentina Cup warm-up test.  It went fairly well, but lots of little mistakes.  We recieved a score of 62%.  I decieded to scratch my I-II ride on Saturday and focus on schooling.  Lars Petersen was there, and generously agreed to help us out.  He was able to help me get the Pirouettes, Piaffe, and Passage much improved.  We felt ready for my 7:40am ride on Sunday!  Pip warmed up great, and everything felt better than the day before.  In our ride we had better Piaffe, Passage and tranisitions, better Pirouettes, but still losts of mistakes.  A score of 63% secured us spot for Gladstone!  We receieved good comments from the judges, which is always nice!  Now it is a few weeks of schooling for Pip, before we make the trek to Gladstone.

May 15-17 Dressage at Lamplight

Dressage at Lamplight was another successful weekend!  It was the first horse show outing for Jamaal and Anakin.  Both horses behaved very well.  We had horrible weather on Friday, it was cold rainy and windy, there was even a show delay due to lightning.  By Saturday afternoon it started to clear up, and Sunday was absolutely beautiful!

Jamaal Medium Trot

Jamaal created quite the fan club at Lamplight and we were getting requests from the sidelines in the warm up to show the crowd what he can do.  He was quite the sport!  On Friday he suffered from some tension as he did not like to go from the warm up with horse to the arena all by himself.  He did his job, had clean tests, but not as “brilliant” as they could be.  I am surprised he did not lose his voice from calling out so much!  He received a 64% and a 65% for his second level rides.  Saturday morning the footing was very sloppy from all the rain and he was having some trouble maneuvering his giant feet around the arena, but as always he did his job.  In our test, Jamaal had to make another pit-stop to go to the bathroom at the end of our serpentine with simple changes in 2-4.  He just had to stop right as we were facing the judge, Axel Steiner!  Axel seemed to get a chuckle out of Jamaal, as he was laughing with me at the end of the test! His second ride was at the end of the day and the footing had finally dried up and Jamaal felt like himself again, I could go for it more and ask for more expression, we received a 69% and high point at second level!  On Sunday we had just one ride, and he was great in that as well.  He received a 67% and another high point championship at second level!

Anakin

Anakin was a very good boy at his first show away from home.  He was quite balled up in a few warm-ups but usually he was able to let himself go and do some good rides.  On Friday, he was able to show before the rain started and he put in a nice first level test one, but with one mistake he still received a 69%.  I scratched his second ride due to the weather, I didn’t think it was fair to either of us, as we were one of the last of the day.  On Saturday, our first ride of 1-2, was going super until he did a flying change after the canter lengthening and I made too big of a correction which then goofed up the last 3 movements of the test (which I think we received all 4-5’s on!) but an overall score of 65% was not too bad!  He was then able to put in a decent 1-4 for a 68%, and ended up with the reserve high point at first level.  On Sunday, he was tired and a little tight in his back, but he was able to let me ride him more and our scores improved.  A 73% at 1-1 and a 71% at 1-4, winning the high point at first level! 

Pip in the I-2 with his fan club looking on

Pip’s ride on Friday was at 1:00pm in the middle of the storm.  The test was I-II and it was being judged by the same judge as the Brentina Cup test on Saturday, so I wanted to ride the test and get a feel for some improvements I can make for the ride on Saturday.  My personal goal for the weekend was to do both rides with clean lines of flying changes, and that goal was accomplished!!!  On Friday, I was very proud of Pip!  He put in a very solid, clean I-II in very bad conditions.  I tried to ride very conservative in order to save some energy for the next day, and the score of a 63% reflected that.  On Saturday, the footing was still sloppy from the rain, but at least it was nice out!  He felt a little blah, and it was very difficult to get him up to the bridle.  We were able to put in a clean ride, but with very little energy.  A score of 62% put us one step closer to qualifying for Gladstone!  Upon returning home, and the next time I rode him in the double bridle, I noticed that it was put together wrong!  I had changed the browband on the bridle before my Brentina Cup ride and had twisted the snaffle cheek piece around the noseband cheek piece, no wonder it was difficult to get him to go up to the bit!  Moral of the story: always double check your tack!

May 9-10 Dressage at Silverwood

The first show of the season was very successful!  Everyone got their first qualifying score for Regional Championships.  Dee and Dimitri received their Training Level score, and Abend was able to give Renee a nice Mother’s Day gift of a qualifying score and one score towards their Silver medal at Intermediaire I!

Jamaal turned quite a few heads and picked up some blue ribbons.  He scored a 70% at 2nd 1, 69% at 2nd 4, 71% at 2nd 2, and despite me going off course and a pit stop to go to the bathroom a 64% at 2nd 4!

Anakin was able to keep his show nerves under control and put in some very solid First Level tests.  He scored a 74% at 1st 1, 67% at 1st 4, 70% at 1st 4, and 67% at 1st 2.

Pip was stellar at this show.  He put in a very nice Brentina Cup test, and was trying for me the entire ride.  It felt good, and it was so much fun to be showing at this level!  His score of a 67.692% will help us out as we continue on to the other Brentina Cup Qualifing shows!  I had been focusing so much on the Brentina Cup test, that I neglected to look at the Intermediaire II.  It is never a good idea to ride the test for the first time in the show ring!  I was very pleased with Pip as we maneuvered around that test, and we scored a 64%!

May Conrad Schumacher Clinic

I brought Pip to Tempel Farms for the Conrad Schumacher clinic May 4-6.  Conrad was able to carefully prepare us for the upcoming Silverwood show where we are to do our first Brentina Cup Qualifier.  He kept us in the comfort zone, and gave us some very useful exercises to carefully improve the piaffe and passage work.  He stressed the importance of keeping Pip in the comfort zone, so he stays very confidant in his work.  This is because the championships (in mid June) is too soon to really make any more improvements.  But in one year Pip should be a very good Grand Prix horse.  All in all, he was confidant that we would do well in our qualifier.

April IDCTA Clinic with Lilo Fore

The Lilo Fore clinic was a blast!  I rode Jamaal, an 18+h Percheron, who did a terrific job.  Lilo helped us improve the canter and flying changes.  She says that the changes now need to be a part of his daily routine.  We were able to get some good, clean, and on the aids flying changes!

Horse Show Season Reminders!

To those who want to show this year a few reminders:

Make sure your horse is life time registered for USDF and USEF.  If you want your horse to be considered for an all-breed award you must have your horse registered with that breed and papers on file with USDF.  Horse owners must also be current members of USDF and USEF.

To qualify for Regional Championships:  The horse must get 2 qualifying scores at 2 recognized horse shows.

To qualify for USDF Year End Awards:  Horse must compete in 4 shows.  1st - 4th level the horse must have 8 scores at each level.  FEI the horse must have 4 scores at each level.  For Freestyle, horse must compete in 3 shows and have 3 scores.

For IDCTA Awards horse must compete in 3 shows.  1st - 4th level the top 5 scores per level are used, FEI the top 4 scores and Freestyle the top 3 scores.

Owners are responsible for their horses membership and show entries.

April Gary Rockwell Clinic

We were back again at the beautiful Lola Raye Stables for the Gary Rockwell Clinic.  This time the horses I rode were Pip, and Jamaal.  Jamaal is a 7 year old, 18h, Percheron gelding.  Gary was able to help me improve his canter and give me exercises to use to help create some more suspension in the gait, so someday we can do great flying changes!  With Pip, we were able to show the progress we’ve made since the last clinic.  Gary really helped me get a hold of the Passage, and Pip tried so hard.  We ended the clinic with our very fist Grand Prix half pass, the dreaded 3-6-6-6-3 canter zig-zag, and, we did it!

April Conrad Schumacher Clinic

Clinics with Conrad are always enjoyable.  The focus of this clinic was the Piaffe and Passage.  Pip and I were able to think more about “Trot” in the Piaffe, which helped with rhythm and regularity, and Conrad helped a little on the ground to get the Passage more elevated.  We also came home with some very useful exercises to help with the transitions.