Sunday the 26th was a perfect day for showing horses.
The temperature got to the mid 20's and the light cloud cover filtered the sun's
glare. The grounds at Hidden Valley were in very good condition considering the
drought and the greenery was refreshing and a rare treat as we have become used to seeing
brown grass everywhere. The going had the hard edge taken away by the watering
program The Hidden Valley estate is fortunate to be self sufficient regarding
irrigation water.
The work arena was set
out to give the competitors plenty of room to show off the horses and we saw some very
impressive work with flowing extensions and serpentine loops which helped the judges to
assess the suppleness and training of the horses.
I think that the
galloways of today are very difficult to judge as they vary in type from the heavier, most
'old fashioned' type of weight carrying galloway to the modern of small thoroughbred
refined with riding pony blood. This exhibits are gorgeous and usually have movement
to match their good looks. No wonder their is a lot of interest in 'pony dressage'
this type of horse could excel in this discipline as well as in the show ring. |
