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Description
SM Brazen Birdie 's show jumping entry at FdV Valentines Classic

Presley grabbed a cup of coffee groggily from the hotel coffee bar. Today was the final day of the FdV Valentine Classic, and Presley couldn't wait to head back to Jorvik. She had seriously underestimated how tired a day of doing all the showing, grooming, feeding, and mucking out all by herself would be on top of a 6 hour time difference.
She hopped in the truck and made the short drive over to the Fattorie di Vigneti stables. The grounds were simply stunning. She enjoyed the beauty of the Italian countryside one more time before the craziness of the day began. She put the truck in park near her horse trailer and walked to the barn. Birdie was near the end of the aisle and nickered slowly as he saw Presley approach. She stopped to give the stallion a pat along the nose and continued to the neighboring stall, where all of Birdie's feed and tack were stored for the show. Presley prepared the horse's morning feed as she watched her through the bars of the stall. She walked around to his stall door and quickly gave him his food. They had another early showing today and Presley still had several chores to do.
She went back to the tack stall and grabbed a washcloth out of her trunk. Today was the dressage class, and her bridle needed a good clean after the previous day's show jumping round. She wiped the dried horse sweat and saliva as she hummed to the relaxing music playing over the stable speakers.
After about 20 minutes of fervently cleaning the tack, Presley glanced at her watch and realized there was only half an hour left before her and Birdie's test. She put the stallion's halter on and snapped the cross ties on while she groomed him. Thankfully, the sheet she left on him the night before left his coat shiny and slink, near perfect. She tacked Birdie up swiftly as he continued to snack on the hay net Presley made for him.
After wrapping the final polo wrap, she glanced over the tack one more time. She walked back over to the tack trunk to grab her dressage coat, a shade of light green that matched the colors of Jorvik Stables and put it on. Grabbing Birdie's reins, she led him down the barn aisle. Birdie perked his ears up as he walked by the other horses.
Presley continued to lead the stallion down to the outdoor warm-up area. Birdie, still a bit tired from yesterday's round and the traveling, stayed calm as the other horses went around him as they approached the mounting block. She swung a leg over the horse and adjusted the stirrups. She cued Birdie to walk off and kept contact on the rein, adjusting to the feeling of being back in the dressage saddle. After a walk, trot, and canter circle in each direction, Presley asked the stallion for some basic moves apart from the test. Starting with some lead changes and extensions.
Once Presley felt Birdie was warmed up and focusing on her cues, she gave him another pet along the neck and walked toward the indoor arena. Probably should have practiced more the indoor, Presley thought to herself. The indoor arena at Fattorie di Vigneti had a light pink hue and the large windows flaunted the stunning landscaping of the grounds.
She took a deep breath and cued Birdie to trot in the arena.

(578 words)

------------------------------------------------

WHEW! This is one piece I am happy to be done with. I made a little oopsie and deleted the entire layer group with the horses's coat and shading *which was done beautifully I might add*, and didn't catch it for a while because I was working on the background. Alas, I left it for a couple days and decided I had to finish it since i had put so much time into the background and tack already.

------------------------------------------------

+3 competition entry
+5 full body
+3 full handler
+1 tack
+2 advanced shading
+2 advanced background
+5 literature
= 21 total

Description
SM Brazen Birdie 's show jumping entry at FdV Valentines Classic

Presley grabbed a cup of coffee groggily from the hotel coffee bar. Today was the final day of the FdV Valentine Classic, and Presley couldn't wait to head back to Jorvik. She had seriously underestimated how tired a day of doing all the showing, grooming, feeding, and mucking out all by herself would be on top of a 6 hour time difference.
She hopped in the truck and made the short drive over to the Fattorie di Vigneti stables. The grounds were simply stunning. She enjoyed the beauty of the Italian countryside one more time before the craziness of the day began. She put the truck in park near her horse trailer and walked to the barn. Birdie was near the end of the aisle and nickered slowly as he saw Presley approach. She stopped to give the stallion a pat along the nose and continued to the neighboring stall, where all of Birdie's feed and tack were stored for the show. Presley prepared the horse's morning feed as she watched her through the bars of the stall. She walked around to his stall door and quickly gave him his food. They had another early showing today and Presley still had several chores to do.
She went back to the tack stall and grabbed a washcloth out of her trunk. Today was the dressage class, and her bridle needed a good clean after the previous day's show jumping round. She wiped the dried horse sweat and saliva as she hummed to the relaxing music playing over the stable speakers.
After about 20 minutes of fervently cleaning the tack, Presley glanced at her watch and realized there was only half an hour left before her and Birdie's test. She put the stallion's halter on and snapped the cross ties on while she groomed him. Thankfully, the sheet she left on him the night before left his coat shiny and slink, near perfect. She tacked Birdie up swiftly as he continued to snack on the hay net Presley made for him.
After wrapping the final polo wrap, she glanced over the tack one more time. She walked back over to the tack trunk to grab her dressage coat, a shade of light green that matched the colors of Jorvik Stables and put it on. Grabbing Birdie's reins, she led him down the barn aisle. Birdie perked his ears up as he walked by the other horses.
Presley continued to lead the stallion down to the outdoor warm-up area. Birdie, still a bit tired from yesterday's round and the traveling, stayed calm as the other horses went around him as they approached the mounting block. She swung a leg over the horse and adjusted the stirrups. She cued Birdie to walk off and kept contact on the rein, adjusting to the feeling of being back in the dressage saddle. After a walk, trot, and canter circle in each direction, Presley asked the stallion for some basic moves apart from the test. Starting with some lead changes and extensions.
Once Presley felt Birdie was warmed up and focusing on her cues, she gave him another pet along the neck and walked toward the indoor arena. Probably should have practiced more the indoor, Presley thought to herself. The indoor arena at Fattorie di Vigneti had a light pink hue and the large windows flaunted the stunning landscaping of the grounds.
She took a deep breath and cued Birdie to trot in the arena.

(578 words)

------------------------------------------------

WHEW! This is one piece I am happy to be done with. I made a little oopsie and deleted the entire layer group with the horses's coat and shading *which was done beautifully I might add*, and didn't catch it for a while because I was working on the background. Alas, I left it for a couple days and decided I had to finish it since i had put so much time into the background and tack already.

------------------------------------------------

+3 competition entry
+5 full body
+3 full handler
+1 tack
+2 advanced shading
+2 advanced background
+5 literature
= 21 total