World Cup Dressage 2005 - my point of view
Having never been to Las Vegas or a World Cup event I had a truly new experience. First Vegas, well there is nothing like it. Where else in the world do you go that all you do is tour and sightsee in hotels? My husband treated me to the Vegas trip as a part of our 1st anniversary celebration. (We tend to drag out celebrations and so far this one is lasting around a week and a half)
We stayed in the Bellagio hotel and I was blown away. Our room had to be near 1000sq/ft and had everything we possibly would want in a master bedroom not to mention a hotel room. Two favorites, the bed and the soaking tub!!! And if it wasn't for the horseshow I probably would not have left the hotel. We ate in the wonderful restaurants (Noodle being my favorite) and sat by the pool (it rained on me when I got to sit out there) and shopped in the finest high in stores. I went to Hermes and actually bought something.... saddle soap for $20. My guess it was the cheapest thing in the store. We did go see other hotels and if you are in for luxury then the Bellagio is it!
Now on to what this Blog is all about... dressage and horses. It took my breath away watching this level of riding and horses. To make it to this show has got to be a great achievement and honor. Just watching it was an honor! I felt like I should go down to each rider and thank them for letting me be in the same arena as them.
I arrived in Vegas on Wednesday but did not make it for the warm up. So my first experience was on Thursday. Team Encore (this is what my horse trainers calls her students and clients) arranged a limo to the arena. Not a bad way to travel the full 5 miles! Once inside the arena the vendors were all set up around the breezeway. Some where good and most were pretty disappointing. Der Dau did set up and had on display their pink jods and half chaps. Now had they been in purple I would have had to buy them. However my riding buddy warned me that if I came home with them she would no longer ride with me. I say... what a piss poor attitude!!! (Just kidding).
I did get suckered into purchasing the reversible logo vest. One side says 2005 World Cup Jumping and the other 2005 World Cup Dressage. Unfortunately the side that says Dressage is the yellow side, which against my skin makes me look like I might throw up. But hey you gotta do it and buy the merchandise.
We all finished up our shopping at the vendors and grabbed a hot dog and a beer and found our seats. I noticed as soon as I walked in how small the arena was and how they had to work at getting the dressage ring in there. Imagine a basketball stadium. There are always a section of seats around the court that fold up and go under the Permanente seats to give the players more room to practice and for other events to be held in the arena. The dressage ring was set up and there couldn't have been 20 feet on the outside of the long side and only 5 feet on the short sides. So the riders had to "warm up" inside the dressage ring. I was disappointed in that there was no car set up inside the arena as they do at most European shows. But again it was just too small.
The best thing was the overhead big screens. They used them through out the show, they videoed the rides as they were happening and showed the scores as they got them and even instant replays. That was pretty cool.
Okay, by now you have read all about the results and most opinions of those there. So I will not go into all that. However if you want I will post all the scores if you add a comment.
Here is who I liked and why... because after all it is my blog and I can do that. My favorite horse of the show was one that ended up 9th after the Grand Prix (note: I am doing this from memory so I may be wrong about the placement) his name was Hardthof's Ludewig. He is a large leggy bey gelding and can move. When I say "move" I don't mean his knees come way up and very animated, but he does spring off the floor and move forward. His collected trot is the speed of most horses working or medium trot. He just floats. And yes the main reason I like him is that he reminds me of my horse. The coloring, legs and presence. Dublin probably will never really look like that but it is fun to dream!
Also another favorite is Aramis. This horse is an elegant horse. I don't know how to describe him, but he just moves with very little effort and with such a "flow".
For me the best part of World Cup was just seeing riders of that level and quality. These riders made hardly any mistakes and each horse was "shown" not just ridden. What an experience for me. I of course am all fired up to ride harder, better and more often. Dublin has no idea what he is in for once I get back in the saddle.
We stayed in the Bellagio hotel and I was blown away. Our room had to be near 1000sq/ft and had everything we possibly would want in a master bedroom not to mention a hotel room. Two favorites, the bed and the soaking tub!!! And if it wasn't for the horseshow I probably would not have left the hotel. We ate in the wonderful restaurants (Noodle being my favorite) and sat by the pool (it rained on me when I got to sit out there) and shopped in the finest high in stores. I went to Hermes and actually bought something.... saddle soap for $20. My guess it was the cheapest thing in the store. We did go see other hotels and if you are in for luxury then the Bellagio is it!
Now on to what this Blog is all about... dressage and horses. It took my breath away watching this level of riding and horses. To make it to this show has got to be a great achievement and honor. Just watching it was an honor! I felt like I should go down to each rider and thank them for letting me be in the same arena as them.
I arrived in Vegas on Wednesday but did not make it for the warm up. So my first experience was on Thursday. Team Encore (this is what my horse trainers calls her students and clients) arranged a limo to the arena. Not a bad way to travel the full 5 miles! Once inside the arena the vendors were all set up around the breezeway. Some where good and most were pretty disappointing. Der Dau did set up and had on display their pink jods and half chaps. Now had they been in purple I would have had to buy them. However my riding buddy warned me that if I came home with them she would no longer ride with me. I say... what a piss poor attitude!!! (Just kidding).
I did get suckered into purchasing the reversible logo vest. One side says 2005 World Cup Jumping and the other 2005 World Cup Dressage. Unfortunately the side that says Dressage is the yellow side, which against my skin makes me look like I might throw up. But hey you gotta do it and buy the merchandise.
We all finished up our shopping at the vendors and grabbed a hot dog and a beer and found our seats. I noticed as soon as I walked in how small the arena was and how they had to work at getting the dressage ring in there. Imagine a basketball stadium. There are always a section of seats around the court that fold up and go under the Permanente seats to give the players more room to practice and for other events to be held in the arena. The dressage ring was set up and there couldn't have been 20 feet on the outside of the long side and only 5 feet on the short sides. So the riders had to "warm up" inside the dressage ring. I was disappointed in that there was no car set up inside the arena as they do at most European shows. But again it was just too small.
The best thing was the overhead big screens. They used them through out the show, they videoed the rides as they were happening and showed the scores as they got them and even instant replays. That was pretty cool.
Okay, by now you have read all about the results and most opinions of those there. So I will not go into all that. However if you want I will post all the scores if you add a comment.
Here is who I liked and why... because after all it is my blog and I can do that. My favorite horse of the show was one that ended up 9th after the Grand Prix (note: I am doing this from memory so I may be wrong about the placement) his name was Hardthof's Ludewig. He is a large leggy bey gelding and can move. When I say "move" I don't mean his knees come way up and very animated, but he does spring off the floor and move forward. His collected trot is the speed of most horses working or medium trot. He just floats. And yes the main reason I like him is that he reminds me of my horse. The coloring, legs and presence. Dublin probably will never really look like that but it is fun to dream!
Also another favorite is Aramis. This horse is an elegant horse. I don't know how to describe him, but he just moves with very little effort and with such a "flow".
For me the best part of World Cup was just seeing riders of that level and quality. These riders made hardly any mistakes and each horse was "shown" not just ridden. What an experience for me. I of course am all fired up to ride harder, better and more often. Dublin has no idea what he is in for once I get back in the saddle.
posted by Dressage Princess @ 3:15 PM
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