Rosette

I have been very slack with the poor old blog and neglected it for over a week..oh dear...Alot of the week has been devoted to sporty actvities which are unavoidable in CA. I ride once a week and my teacher David persuaded me to take part in a dressage competition ( the lowest level of course) He said it would be good for me.(humbling certainly) With much resistance I put on my white shirt and breeches (compulsary attire at the Equestrian Centre) not to mention gloves and half chaps and braced myself to compete against various 6 year olds. Mercifully I was spared that humiliation as the other competitors were adults. We were asked to do a simple routine around the paddock , two circles at a trot and to bow to the judges.Luckily i managed to get round the track withut a major mishap and the judge said she liked my blouse which she thought "cute' I knew this was a bad sign as the shirt was obviously better than my riding.Any way i was then presented a with a rosette for 4th place( i think there were only 4 in the competion) but did not ask so that I could fantasise about being 4th in 20 or 30.
My next competative encounter was with my friend Shelly who is so gentle and sweet but turned out to be a fiend on the tennis court. She is one of those people who plead incompetant and turn out to be A1 athletes. (Was she in the 2001 Olympics?)We had a "friendly" game of tennis where she proceeded to wipe the floor with me.My teeth gritted throughout muttering to myself that I was raising my game..