Santa_Claus
Well-Known Member
Ok first attempt at posting disappeared as well brain is not functioning so this may be brief(er)! 
So yes woke up this morning feeling like death warmed up. Any other day I would have been straight back to sleep but seeing as this was the event I had spent all year aiming towards I dragged myself out of bed. In all honesty with a thumping head, clogged chest, croaky voice and regular desire to be ill I shouldn't have gone but hey I did!
Arrived and parked next to Laura Collett who's lorry made our lorry look very inadequate.
Declared and walked course and overall it was nice enough. Sj was bigger than the PC and RC challenges and time tighter but generally nice enough with exception to last fence the skinny trizone fence which was placed on undulating ground and fell down even if breathed on never mind touched!
after sitting and watching a few (whilst trying not to be ill) went to lorry. Friend/instructor and my mum primped and preened Fleur whilst I again tried not to be ill!
got on started warming up and met the lovely Kelpie. Start of warm up was well dire, I had no energy etc and was lolloping about but thankfully friend/instructor came along and started shouting at me so I got my act together at least a little bit!
I was given the opportunity to go early so jumped (well as must as I could muster
) at the chance and got in the ring.
She spooked at first but as soon as we started she concentrated on the job at hand and was a star plain and simple. Got me out of a trouble when I put her on a shocking stride and just jumped her little socks off. I did bring her right back for the last and I thought she had cleared it but apparently breathed on it (most likely caused by me looking back slightly a tad too soon
) and it fell 
but considering the fact I felt very much like a passenger and came out of the ring completely out of breathe (to anyone watching I'm not unfit promise!) I was actually very happy with our result.
In the end I think there were about 6 clears inside the time and a further 6 with time faults who jumped off.
We finished on 6 penalties (you got 6 for the last fence) and so was essentially =14th ish disregarding time or 25th ish if the 6 faulters were ranked closest to the optimum time. I couldn't have asked for more from her and I don't think I would have changed how I rode to the last ultimately it wasn't to be our day today
Now for some photos thanks to my mum which are well a tad blurry
Fence1
Fence 4a
The table
first of skinny lion brush fences
Skinny triple brush
With our HUMONGOUS 'completed' rosette which Fleur was far too scared of to actually have put on her!
There are some pro photos but won't post those for obvious reasons. Also if lucky may get a video from a HHOer who came to watch
After sorting out Fleur and leaving her to snooze in the lorry headed off to watch the Highjump and bareback competitions before heading home still feeling like death warmed up but having had a great day soon.
Must say was lovely to see several HHOers today both new and old including the lurkers
For those interested my photos from last 4 days!
Day 1 including mostly RC challenge plus demos
Day 2 including PC challenge and CIC and CCI dressage
Day 3 including foggy CIC Showjumping and CCI cross country
Day 4 including High jump & Bareback classes plus my tri-zone pics!
So yes woke up this morning feeling like death warmed up. Any other day I would have been straight back to sleep but seeing as this was the event I had spent all year aiming towards I dragged myself out of bed. In all honesty with a thumping head, clogged chest, croaky voice and regular desire to be ill I shouldn't have gone but hey I did!
Arrived and parked next to Laura Collett who's lorry made our lorry look very inadequate.
Declared and walked course and overall it was nice enough. Sj was bigger than the PC and RC challenges and time tighter but generally nice enough with exception to last fence the skinny trizone fence which was placed on undulating ground and fell down even if breathed on never mind touched!
after sitting and watching a few (whilst trying not to be ill) went to lorry. Friend/instructor and my mum primped and preened Fleur whilst I again tried not to be ill!
got on started warming up and met the lovely Kelpie. Start of warm up was well dire, I had no energy etc and was lolloping about but thankfully friend/instructor came along and started shouting at me so I got my act together at least a little bit!
I was given the opportunity to go early so jumped (well as must as I could muster
) at the chance and got in the ring.She spooked at first but as soon as we started she concentrated on the job at hand and was a star plain and simple. Got me out of a trouble when I put her on a shocking stride and just jumped her little socks off. I did bring her right back for the last and I thought she had cleared it but apparently breathed on it (most likely caused by me looking back slightly a tad too soon
) and it fell but considering the fact I felt very much like a passenger and came out of the ring completely out of breathe (to anyone watching I'm not unfit promise!) I was actually very happy with our result.In the end I think there were about 6 clears inside the time and a further 6 with time faults who jumped off.
We finished on 6 penalties (you got 6 for the last fence) and so was essentially =14th ish disregarding time or 25th ish if the 6 faulters were ranked closest to the optimum time. I couldn't have asked for more from her and I don't think I would have changed how I rode to the last ultimately it wasn't to be our day today
Now for some photos thanks to my mum which are well a tad blurry
Fence1
Fence 4a
The table
first of skinny lion brush fences
Skinny triple brush
With our HUMONGOUS 'completed' rosette which Fleur was far too scared of to actually have put on her!
There are some pro photos but won't post those for obvious reasons. Also if lucky may get a video from a HHOer who came to watch
After sorting out Fleur and leaving her to snooze in the lorry headed off to watch the Highjump and bareback competitions before heading home still feeling like death warmed up but having had a great day soon.
Must say was lovely to see several HHOers today both new and old including the lurkers
For those interested my photos from last 4 days!
Day 1 including mostly RC challenge plus demos
Day 2 including PC challenge and CIC and CCI dressage
Day 3 including foggy CIC Showjumping and CCI cross country
Day 4 including High jump & Bareback classes plus my tri-zone pics!
