Palm Beach Derby Grand Prix For The Special
The first day of the Palm Beach Derby is over and it was a very long day indeed. The Grand Prix went from 10:30am until 4:40pm and so I was at the show from 8:00am doing morning warm-ups. First, let me say that I was very pleased over all with the Canadian riders’ progress since the last show. We have quite a few very green, young horses in our group and they all looked much improved and had considerably higher scores, with Belinda placing 3rd with 68.6 behind Liz Austin with 68.9 and the winner, Tina Konyot with right around 70%. No one is showing the degreee of excellence necessary to beat an Ashley Holzer or Steffen Peters at this time, but I do see a few amazingly talented prospects among the group that could someday soon be up in the low to mid 70’s, provided that their training is consistently of a high caliber.
Two things that caught my attention were: 1) How many people were wearing helmuts today, and 2) That was good since it was cold, windy and people were lunging galloping horses in the middle of the field next to those riding and warming up. I really wish that there were a dedicated area, properly fenced in, only for lunging which would be somewhere completely separated from the rest of the areas for warming up. I also think that the vet checks at all shows should take place within a fenced in area so that, should a horse get loose, as one did yesterday, it could not run away and injure itself or anyone standing in its way, including members of the ground jury.
Tomorrow is another big day with both the Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix for the Freestyle to be held one after the other. I want to congratulate all the winners today at every level and wish them all the best of luck tomorrow. (Especially the Canadians!) 
Cheers!
RD
Nancy Benton — March 6, 2010 @ 11:06 am
I so agree with your remarks about dedicated and safe lunging aras and fenced areas for the vet checks. I have jusged so many shows in which riders rides were interrupted by rowdy lunging going on too near the show arena. And lets be real, it can be unsafe in the arena as well as out. No one likes to see a horse getting upset because of another horse outside the ring being lunged. And as a judge it is a moment of concern, do I ring them out? Wait till the horse settles(will it). And if you ring them out they kind of have to stop or walk a moment and leave the arena( and do we want to have a person have to try and walk on a very acting up horse, it is so much better to ride forward and have the horse moving and control it that way.) All and all not a good scenario. Great suggestions Robert.
Meg Hilly — March 6, 2010 @ 10:07 pm
ditto that about the lunging- wouldn’t it be nice if they had an actual fenced lunge ring like at ingrids or cathy connelly’s- nice to hear about the helmets-
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