Dom Schramm watches his better half, Jimmie, ride her CCI3* test. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
When you’re racing to post a dressage recap, not everything makes the cut — but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Here are a few notes from the day:
– Riding a CCI3* dressage test is hard, but harder still is watching your significant other ride it when you’re an upper-level rider yourself. Clueless horse husbands have it easy, watching their ladies prance around in pretty patterns in the sand, but the guys who actually know what’s up? Much more difficult. I got a good stalker photo (above) of Dom Schramm watching his wife Jimmie perform her test, which was quite lovely, landing her in 7th place on a score of 55.2. Dom’s focus on Jimmie’s test this afternoon was laser-like, but when we caught up with the couple later in the afternoon, Dom assured us that cross-country day tomorrow will be much different: “I’m going to start drinking as soon as she leaves the start box.”
Jimmie Schramm and Bellamy. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
My stalkerazzi lens also captured this image of Ryan Wood playing Candy Crush ringside during his girlfriend Caitlin Silliman’s test aboard Catch A Star. Just kidding! He’s totally filming her test on his iPad. What a good boyfriend. Caitlin did the best she could with the less-than-consistent horse that showed up for her today, and Ryan is doing well for himself too, sitting in 6th on his 1* horse Woodstock Wallaby and 9th on Woodstock Bennett, and 12th on his 2* horse Fernhill Classic.
Ryan Wood, Candy Crush master! Photo by Leslie Wylie.
– We were all feeling today for Leah Lang-Gluscic and AP Prime, her superstar thoroughbred who just came a bit unglued during his CCI3* test. He seemed to take exception to a scattered handful of spectators and decided that he couldn’t possibly perform under such unreasonable circumstances, HE JUST COULDN’T. AP has a tendency toward tenseness in the dressage ring and Leah has been working hard on it of late — as she noted in a pre-Bromont EN blog post, she arrived in Canada a couple days early to get some lessons in with Peter Gray in Ontario. “Peter not only helps me get incredible quality of gaits from AP, but no one is more particular about the truly correct riding of movements, planning within your test, and of what the judges really want to see,” she wrote.
I know Leah was hoping to be more competitive in the dressage this weekend but a good, educational trip around his first CCI3* track tomorrow will feel better than any blue ribbon — when you’ve got a good horse, it’s all about the big picture. As Leah told AP on their way out of the ring today: “They’re just spectators — you’ve got to get used to them. There are going to be spectators at Rolex, too.” That’s the spirit, Leah — kick on!
Leah Lang-Gluscic and A.P. Prime. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
– The “Best Trot of the Day” award goes to Ashley Adams’ 1* horse, Lup The Loop. They check your bit, spurs and ear bonnet, but they don’t check if your horse has springs in its shoes? In all seriousness, you’ve got to watch this horse go. Ashley and the horse had a slight misunderstanding about the counter-canter, which dragged their otherwise drool-inducing test down the leader board a bit to a tie for 11th. (For the record, Loop The Loop, I’m on your side — they train you your whole life to pick up the inside lead and then it’s like, “Hey, let’s mix this thing up!”) Anyway, I took a video to show you guys how cool this horse is but the Internet here is about as fast as a glacier. Once I get it loaded, though, I’m going to GIF Lup The Loop’s trot so you can watch it over and over again forever.
Ashley Adams and Lup The Loop. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
– Jon Holling has some REALLY cool horses up his sleeve right now. I was impressed to the max with both Proper Timing, who’s sitting in 6th on a 52.4, and Zatopek B, who’s in 9th. He’s got to be happy with his tests today and, to channel some Oprah, I’d say about these horses: “When I look into the future, it’s so bright it burns my eyes.” Better invest in some of those funny yellow sunglasses all the cool kids are wearing, Jon!
Jon Holling and Zatopek B. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
-And since we’re on the subject of randomness, last but not least… there are, like, a million Canadian geese floating around in a pond in the cross-country field. I ran across them this morning and it was a seriously Canadian moment in my life. But the best thing is, I think it’s baby Canadian goose season. As my parting gift (until the next post in probably an hour), I offer these photos:
Totes adorbs. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
You can’t even handle it. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
#SOMUCHCANADIAN. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
Keep it locked on Eventing Nation for all the latest Bromont updates and baby goose photos. Alléz Concours Complet!!!
