JRHA Bridleless Qualifier - WS Reining Latin Gold by ChrisWildsong on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Carolina Sommerfelt
WS Reining Latin Gold #ws_reininglatingold
JRHA RFAM-Q Bridleless Reining, Level 3
[Instagram]
🏅4th Place Level 3
[08.07.2022]
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I adjusted my seat and played around with the neckrope, trying to find a good position for it to grip. Trifle beneath me was stretching out and downwards, licking his lips.

We just finished our warm up so we were waiting for our number. "Number 81, please hold." I clicked him into a walk towards the alley and halted there, watching the run before us. Dark rain clouds were dawning on us in the background and I hoped everyone could make their run before it started raining.

Applause was thundering through the air as Lisa finished her run and exited the arena. "Next up, WS Reining Latin Gold, bred and ridden by Carolina Sommerfelt. Number 81."

Tapping his side and springing into a jog, we entered the large arena. I kept the neckrope loose, knowing he didn't really like that much pressure from it. Turning him towards the left fence with my seat, I halted him at the center.

Flashlights sprung on with a loud buzzing sound, the team probably turning them on due to the looming, dark weather. Trifle just flicked his ear and awaited further instructions.

Turning my hip and weight towards the right, we kicked off our pattern with four strong spins to the right. The stud kept his head low and pivoted on his hind effortlessly.

We stopped square after four, accompanied by loud whistles. I took a deep breath, before mirroring the maneuver to the left. Another beautiful set of four left spins later, Trifle stopped again to face the left fence.

I bit the inside of my lip in concentration, moving my legs back accordingly and let the dun move out in a left lead gallop. Our first two circles were large and fast, Trifle sending it in long strides.

He grunted with every step, causing me to chuckle. Upon closing the second large, I sat down and tucked the neck rope a little to slow him to a lope.A little dust cloud flew up as the dug his hind, slowly loping a third and small circle to the right to finish it off with a lead change to the right. The crowd was loudly cheering us on as Trifle sped up to a gallop again.

Rounding out two large circles to the right, we breezed through the arena, dust slowly settling behind us. Trifle seemed content circling, tough he listened very well when I told him to slow down for a third, slow.

He swished his tail as he fell back into a lope, finishing the last circle nicely. We swapped the lead back to the left, beginning a large circle to the left.

But we didn't close it, instead we ran up the right side of the arena to approach the stop. Trifle's ear flicked forward as he realised what was coming. "Easy boy." I whispered, keeping him back a little with my seat.

He threw another sassy tail swish, but complied. We increased our speed throughout the long side, before sliding to a stop past the center marker.

We had a split second to catch ourselves for the next, difficult maneuver. The rollbacks were still tricky for us in only a neckrope, but luckily it worked out alright as we rolled back to the right.

It was a hair sloppy, but he nicely loped out of it and followed the tracks we just made. Trifle licked his lips as we continued around the top of the arena.

I asked him to turn a little early and clicked him to speed up. We approached another stop, initiating it just shortly behind of the center marker.

Fluidly rolling back to the left about six metres from the fence, we moved on with our pattern. Trifle snorted loudly as we continued back around the previous circle.

Once again, not closing this circle as we turned the corner short, just a track left of our previous stop marks. Trifles head came up a little, but it didn't bother me.

A slight tuck and deep seat later, the dun slid into a beautiful sliding stop past the center. We finished off our pattern with a back up to said center, an estimated 4 or 5 metres.

Trifle lowered his head and snorted loudly as I pat his sweaty neck, dismounting to show that we were finished.• Caro