Practice, practice, practice....

This week has been a wild one with the rehearsals for the Christmas Fiesta. Now that Mario's working students, from last summer, have come home from college for their Christmas break the Fiesta's program is really coming together. With the additional riders and help,it continues to evolve day by day; getting the riders matched to their mounts, the music sorted out then timed to the routines. The days have been long and COLD but amazing!

Initially I was given the task of a"dancer" for my Curly boy's routine. For those of you who know me, please hold back the laughter! Picture this, Mario and I standing just outside the quarter lines, center arena. My job was simple enough, to mirror Mario's moves. HA HA! My mimicking him is a much better description. Had he known I not only have 3 left feet, but how dyslexic I am, Mario certainly would have asked someone else to dance! I looked like a disaster....but was having a blast!

I will go out on a limb here, but I believe that's what prompted Mario to ask me if I would like to ride one of my boys in the show instead of dancing. I jumped at that opportunity. He suggested I get on Mac, but I was determined to ride my baby, Ahote. Mario kept suggesting he believed Ahote was spookier. No way, not my baby! He obviously doesn't know their personalities very well yet...nor the bond Ahote and I have. Then Mario asked me if I had ever cantered a horse. LOL. Of course I have....OK maybe not in a few years, and never on either of my stallions, but why share that tiny detail and lose out on the chance to be the next super star???

Let's say just say that 1) it was assumed that I knew the routine-ahhh, at least 1/2 of it is been done behind me while I am dancing and that which is done in front of me, well, I am too busy trying stay in step with Mario and the follow the dance routine to watch; 2) throw in that dyslexia I mentioned earlier and even a 3 minute routine will not be memorized simply by your speaking latin to me--dressage speak might as well be latin...trot the quarter line, cross the center line, diagonal to X , shoulder in at the corner, diagonal to M and so on is still a foreign language to me (I would need to write it down and ride it several times)--besides at this point of the game I am too busy trying to ride correctly; and 3) yes, I can canter, it just ain't pretty yet! But it was a BLAST cantering 20 meter circles around Mac's 15 meter circles in the opposite direction!

Consequently Mario made me practice cantering and cantering and cantering some more...."leg closer to the girth", "hands quiet", "inside leg, outside rein (or was it the other way around???)", "more leg", "keep those hands quiet", "stay in the saddle", "tap-tap him, tap-tap him..." It seemed like an eternity of bliss and gibberish. Trying to maintain balance alone was my goal, that and staying clear of all the other stallions and mares that were working in the arena. But as I said, I had a BLAST!

When we finished I must have had the same look on my face that I had many years ago when I returned from a test ride on a Kawasaki GPZ 750 Turbo cafe racer (the salesman said "scared ya, didn't it?" I replied "I'll take it"!:~) I say that because Mario looked at me kind of funny and said "if you are uncomfortable riding this, it's OK, I want you to feel and be safe first and foremost." I told him "I'll ride it.' OK once the adrenaline rush left and I came back to my senses I realized that Mario was probably being kind in asking if I REALLY wanted to ride. So I decided to let his students ride the boys...it would be a much better showcase of the Curly Horses and their abilities. I will work up to the next show.

The following day I was back on center stage as the dancer. It's all good--and safer--maybe not prettier, OK, debatable, but I was loosening up a bit of my inhibitions and simply having fun. Thankfully there is NO video of that!

I did, however, manage to get a little tape of Ahote and Mac after we realized that my "oh so calm and 'bomb proof'" Curlies found the additional dancer Mario added to the routine to be nothing shy of an attacking cougar!!!

OK, must have been something in the air. First it was the Friesians spooking at everything (go figure) so we spent a good hour trying to desensitize them to a make believe audience (four of us acting goofy along the viewing gallery; walking back and forth at various speeds, shaking jingle bells, hats, change in our pockets, jumping up and down, etc.) They as gorgeous, but need serious work on this big scary world!

Next it was the Andalusians turn to freak. A bit more understandable; two frisky stallions working with a mare in-between them.

But my Curlies being spooked??? Almost unbelievable. LOL. So I took the time to capture their antics while Mauricio and Juan rode it out. Mario and I cracked up....and it was obvious my baby Ahote was NOT the spooky one! He showed his little bro how to handle a monster! You can see how apprehensive he was, but after all, as big bro, he had to behave like the brave one!....and sorry if it's a bit choppy, the original was 110MB and I had to get it down to 100 for it to load...frustrating for sure...hope it is viewable....OK and it still won't load...back to the original and a link to view it on youtube:

SO SORRY, 45 minutes, so will post link at another time...

With all the antics we finally go around to practicing the routine, again and again....I will give you a little preview of what's to come...

Doesn't Mac look thrilled???

Ahote seems to feel the same as his brother, but likes to pose for a photo op

More to come....