A little BS outing to Vale View with Socks :)

[MandyMoo]

Popped Socks over to Vale View today to do the 95cm open class (running as A4 so against the clock) followed by the Bluechip Discovery Qualifier. Arrived in good time and in good spirits - albeit rather chilly!! - and entered the 95cm and 1m classes as planned. Didn't do the British Nervous (haha aren't I witty?) as I feel Socks has gone past that now and he doesn't really respect the height anymore and gets a bit c*cky! So 95cm starting point it was for us today!!

Walked the course and decided on a couple of tight turns I could do, and where I could pick up the pace (I never do speed classes, and am a wuss when it comes to jump offs so I was quite excited to do a speed class, and was feeling brave to go for it a bit!). Warmed him up and he was jumping lovely, really taking me to the fences but he was controllable - unlike last time....haha! Popped him round the 95cm with an unlucky four faults. DANG IT. I really went for it too - well....I felt like I was galloping and doing really tight turns, but on the video footage I don't actually look very fast...hey ho - but with my time I would've been around third or fourth...but unfortunately one down meant no placings for us! Never mind, he felt lovely and barely touched the pole, plus it was a warm up class so I put it behind me!

Shoved him back on the lorry for a while, it was quite busy there today. Walked the course for the Bluechip which seemed nice enough - was very up to height though - and eventually it was time for us to warm up. Again, Socks was feeling lovely, really forward and jumping HUGE over the warm up fences so I was feeling pretty confident!! Popped round second to last in the class, but sadly had a couple down (boo hiss) due to me being a numpty and pushing him forwards for a longer one when I should've sat still and waited...never mind (again!).

Hey...at least I didn't have to do the big scary jump off seeing as I knocked a couple down in the first round haha sneaky. Mayyyybe I actually did it on purpose eh? Or Socks knocked them on purpose to save me the stress of the jump off. What a sweetie haha

video of both classes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymcX6X0s-DY

So sadly no placings for us, but a really enjoyable day was had and Socks felt great! He is really fit at the moment and is loving life, bless him.

I shall be off to Vale View (again....never seem to go anywhere else these days haha!) on the 22nd and will be doing a 1m05 class hopefully. EEK, moving up a level ..scary.

Thanks for reading!!! :biggrin3:

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

I was there today too Well done


I watched the 95 speed and was a really good class to watch

 

[pipsqueek]

Well done Mandy Moo! I saw your round in the Blue Chip you both looked to be going fab, I was miles earlier in the class so in the warm up arena at different times or would have said hello! We came 6th in the 95 A4 speed, she was raring to go! Then we did the blue chip disco, last time at vale view she took exception to the cloud fence & we were eliminated so thought I would ride past it if I could, the competitor before me had a stop at the last fence & took a while to jump it second time, as they had already let me in to the arena took the opportunity to ride her past it a couple of times . Well she jumped really well in the disco but I did the opposite of you & let her chip one in between fences 2 & 3 so had the first part of the double at 3 down. Otherwise a lovely round, they were well up to height tho!! Aiming to do 1.05 very soon as she is more than capable and she feels ready! Very busy day, and freezing cold wind, we had a major panic when they decided to run class 2 drawn order but as it happens the late entries took up the first 10 places to go in the class, it is not easy when you haven't done the class before and you have to walk the course & warm up from scratch!

 

[MandyMoo]

I was there today too Well done I watched the 95 speed and was a really good class to watch

Thankyou were you riding or just watching?? But yes it was a very good class! I watched a few go before I got on to warm up, was good fun!!

Well done Mandy Moo! I saw your round in the Blue Chip you both looked to be going fab, I was miles earlier in the class so in the warm up arena at different times or would have said hello! We came 6th in the 95 A4 speed, she was raring to go! Then we did the blue chip disco, last time at vale view she took exception to the cloud fence & we were eliminated so thought I would ride past it if I could, the competitor before me had a stop at the last fence & took a while to jump it second time, as they had already let me in to the arena took the opportunity to ride her past it a couple of times . Well she jumped really well in the disco but I did the opposite of you & let her chip one in between fences 2 & 3 so had the first part of the double at 3 down. Otherwise a lovely round, they were well up to height tho!! Aiming to do 1.05 very soon as she is more than capable and she feels ready! Very busy day, and freezing cold wind, we had a major panic when they decided to run class 2 drawn order but as it happens the late entries took up the first 10 places to go in the class, it is not easy when you haven't done the class before and you have to walk the course & warm up from scratch!

Thank you he felt like he was going fab - he isn't a flashy horse and doesn't look anything amazing, but he gets the job done and we both have smiles on our faces!! Well done in the 95! :biggrin3: It was a good class, and haha I also had a major panic when they announced it was a drawn order....as Socks was asleep on the lorry and I was just about to walk the course and was praying not to be at the beginning of the class!! Luckily I was 15th to go in the drawn order so ended up with plenty of time but ah what a shame in the bluechip qualifier, never mind! to be honest the double (no.3) was very flimsy/not much to make them look at, so a lot had it down! onwards and upwards! I'll see you in the 1m05's next time :biggrin3:

 

[spookypony]

Sounds like a positive day for everyone involved!

 

[glamourpuss]

Booooo! Can't watch the video on my phone
Still a great report...very positive

 

[MandyMoo]

Sounds like a positive day for everyone involved!

Thanks

Booooo! Can't watch the video on my phone
Still a great report...very positive

haha don't worry - it's nothing spectacular But thank you

 

[pipsqueek]

Thankyou were you riding or just watching?? But yes it was a very good class! I watched a few go before I got on to warm up, was good fun!!



Thank you he felt like he was going fab - he isn't a flashy horse and doesn't look anything amazing, but he gets the job done and we both have smiles on our faces!! Well done in the 95! :biggrin3: It was a good class, and haha I also had a major panic when they announced it was a drawn order....as Socks was asleep on the lorry and I was just about to walk the course and was praying not to be at the beginning of the class!! Luckily I was 15th to go in the drawn order so ended up with plenty of time but ah what a shame in the bluechip qualifier, never mind! to be honest the double (no.3) was very flimsy/not much to make them look at, so a lot had it down! onwards and upwards! I'll see you in the 1m05's next time :biggrin3:

Thank you! 1.05's here we both come then :biggrin3:

 

[Bazzel]

great looking rounds, what a shame about the poles. Well done

 

[Supanova]

Well done - he looks to be jumping lovely!

 

[MandyMoo]

great looking rounds, what a shame about the poles. Well done

Well done - he looks to be jumping lovely!

Thanks both

 

[HufflyPuffly]

great looking rounds, what a shame about the poles. Well done

Second this ^, love your attitude makes going out much less stressful when you go for a nice trip out rather than a *must win* mentality!
As they say onwards and upwards, and hopefully more reports.

x x x

 

[PaddyMonty]

Nice rounds and as other said, shame about the poles but big plus that you didn't let it affect the rest of your round. Interestingly on all 3 poles down you got a little ahead of the movement at takeoff point. Is he easily unbalanced?

 

[MandyMoo]

Second this ^, love your attitude makes going out much less stressful when you go for a nice trip out rather than a *must win* mentality!
As they say onwards and upwards, and hopefully more reports.

Thank you I definitely do it for the love of it, rather than the winnings - they're just an added bonus when they do happen!! I'm not good enough/don't have enough time to compete or train often enough to get too serious and competitive about it all, so its just a bit of weekend fun for us!

Nice rounds and as other said, shame about the poles but big plus that you didn't let it affect the rest of your round. Interestingly on all 3 poles down you got a little ahead of the movement at takeoff point. Is he easily unbalanced?

Thanks and yes he is a bit, he is naturally built slightly downhill and so it is quite difficult to keep him balanced and "up and from behind" as he should be - but he is slowly getting there. When I am doing flat work I can keep him together more effectively than when I jump, as I try and get him moving forwards and then sit up/leave him alone to run and jump as he goes better that way without me interfering. But yes he is easily unbalanced!

 

[blood_magik]

well done :smile3:

 

[claire_p2001]

Well done he looks lovely and you are now a really confident partnership. He makes it look easy so I think you will be fine to step up to 1m05. Before you have asked for ideas for schooling at home and from watching the video he looks slightly rushed through his jump and tight behind I would try to get him to look down and lift his shoulders so he can then release his back end. You can do this by using low wide oxers or oxer of cross poles, also short placing pole to upright with V poles would help him snap off the floor with the front end and hopefully help the back end. Hope you don't mind me making those comments, I think you are both coming on really well but this might help with the odd pole.

 

[MandyMoo]

well done :smile3:

Thank you

Well done he looks lovely and you are now a really confident partnership. He makes it look easy so I think you will be fine to step up to 1m05. Before you have asked for ideas for schooling at home and from watching the video he looks slightly rushed through his jump and tight behind I would try to get him to look down and lift his shoulders so he can then release his back end. You can do this by using low wide oxers or oxer of cross poles, also short placing pole to upright with V poles would help him snap off the floor with the front end and hopefully help the back end. Hope you don't mind me making those comments, I think you are both coming on really well but this might help with the odd pole.

Thank you! and no I don't mind at all, all good advice, and it's always nice to hear of schooling ideas I don't often have access to a half decent school unfortunately though (the surface at my yard is always horrendously boggy and deep), I can hack to a nearby one but am avoiding so at the moment as a yard near that yard has strangles............
But yes, good ideas on the low and wide oxers and V poles, I do try and get some schooling in when I can but I do struggle!!! I shall remember your ideas next time I manage to do some jumping