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Well-Known Member
Anyone who has been around these forums a while will know that my jumping history is a little chequered having not had the keenest of show jumpers in the past. A few years ago I was carted off from Merrist Wood with blue lights flashing and spent 3days in the Royal Surrey courtesy of my old horse in a 2ft3 class - those were my limits back then.
A few years later I got my hands on my super duper orange horse and he taught me jumping can be fun to the extent where I finally felt confident enough to push my comfort zone that little bit further and entered the Novice JAS at Merrist Wood on Saturday.
So, Saturday came round and the weather nearly gave me good enough excuse to bottle it completely but I told myself to get a grip and get on with it. The weather might not be perfect at Badminton and we need all the practice we can get.
So, we started with the BE100 class which I thought looked nicely within height comfort zone (that is an achievement in itself!). He pinged the show-jumping section pretty neatly and then I clearly got a rush of adrenaline to my head for the XC section, kicked on and forgot he can have a cheeky run out when the mood takes him, freewheeled round the corner to the arrowhead and the little ****** grabbed the bit, stuck his head in the air and bloody ran out. A few choice words and a smack on the bum and he flew over it no questions 2nd attempt, took a flyer at the corner and whizzed round the rest no probs. Very frustrating as otherwise would have been a nice double clear. Rather he reminded me about his little habit now though - more time to work on that before Badders!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49BKGWCYJn4
pro pics: http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=17896#image=807815
Quick break and then onto the Novice - he warmed up well and I went in with the aim of getting round, riding each fence correctly and not worrying about the time. It started well with a good stride to the big oxer at the first until I heard it go thud on the floor - hmmm, not so good! Nicely over the 2nd and then I saw a bit of a forwards one to the 3rd which he flattened over but cleared but then landed too flat and forwards to fit in the related 3 strides to 4 and related 4 strides to 5 so had both of those down. Had a word with him round the corner and then completely failed to ride forwards to the planks so crashed through those as well! He got in deep to the biggest oxer on the course at 7 but cleared it so then took a deep breath and onto the XC - flew the big brush oxer, over the skinny brush and round to the arrowhead (which was now minus the nice trees either side and looked rather stupidly skinny!), kept him nicely between hand and leg and he sailed over without a 2nd thought, rode forwards to the corner to try and get the same nice forwards stride as in the 100 but it had got a bit skinnier and a bit wider since then and he decided it would be best to chip in the smallest stride in the world - no idea how he cleared it! Then round to the bounce - never done a bounce in competition before so had a little practice a few days previously and it paid off nicely as he popped through in copybook fashion. Saw a flyer at the gate and then he pinged through the last 4 fences all on related strides no probs. We were home and in one piece. No ambulances required and I'd completed my first 1m10 class. 16 faults not so good on paper but I know I still have loads to work on and all those fences and related distances are a serious question for my inexperienced SJ brain and my plucky little horse.
Video is here - I know it's far from perfect but I'm well chuffed to have knocked a few demons on the head and completed. Every girl should have a wonderful orange horse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1YmmjIxLAw
pro pics: http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=17897#image=807900
Onwards now to the BD Winter Regionals. We've got 3 classes to do on Saturday, Sunday and next Wednesday so it's time to swap his pingy shoes for his dancing shoes and then got everything crossed that Aston goes ahead and we get our first run of the season. No more rain pleeeeease!
A few years later I got my hands on my super duper orange horse and he taught me jumping can be fun to the extent where I finally felt confident enough to push my comfort zone that little bit further and entered the Novice JAS at Merrist Wood on Saturday.
So, Saturday came round and the weather nearly gave me good enough excuse to bottle it completely but I told myself to get a grip and get on with it. The weather might not be perfect at Badminton and we need all the practice we can get.
So, we started with the BE100 class which I thought looked nicely within height comfort zone (that is an achievement in itself!). He pinged the show-jumping section pretty neatly and then I clearly got a rush of adrenaline to my head for the XC section, kicked on and forgot he can have a cheeky run out when the mood takes him, freewheeled round the corner to the arrowhead and the little ****** grabbed the bit, stuck his head in the air and bloody ran out. A few choice words and a smack on the bum and he flew over it no questions 2nd attempt, took a flyer at the corner and whizzed round the rest no probs. Very frustrating as otherwise would have been a nice double clear. Rather he reminded me about his little habit now though - more time to work on that before Badders!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49BKGWCYJn4
pro pics: http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=17896#image=807815
Quick break and then onto the Novice - he warmed up well and I went in with the aim of getting round, riding each fence correctly and not worrying about the time. It started well with a good stride to the big oxer at the first until I heard it go thud on the floor - hmmm, not so good! Nicely over the 2nd and then I saw a bit of a forwards one to the 3rd which he flattened over but cleared but then landed too flat and forwards to fit in the related 3 strides to 4 and related 4 strides to 5 so had both of those down. Had a word with him round the corner and then completely failed to ride forwards to the planks so crashed through those as well! He got in deep to the biggest oxer on the course at 7 but cleared it so then took a deep breath and onto the XC - flew the big brush oxer, over the skinny brush and round to the arrowhead (which was now minus the nice trees either side and looked rather stupidly skinny!), kept him nicely between hand and leg and he sailed over without a 2nd thought, rode forwards to the corner to try and get the same nice forwards stride as in the 100 but it had got a bit skinnier and a bit wider since then and he decided it would be best to chip in the smallest stride in the world - no idea how he cleared it! Then round to the bounce - never done a bounce in competition before so had a little practice a few days previously and it paid off nicely as he popped through in copybook fashion. Saw a flyer at the gate and then he pinged through the last 4 fences all on related strides no probs. We were home and in one piece. No ambulances required and I'd completed my first 1m10 class. 16 faults not so good on paper but I know I still have loads to work on and all those fences and related distances are a serious question for my inexperienced SJ brain and my plucky little horse.
Video is here - I know it's far from perfect but I'm well chuffed to have knocked a few demons on the head and completed. Every girl should have a wonderful orange horse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1YmmjIxLAw
pro pics: http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=17897#image=807900
Onwards now to the BD Winter Regionals. We've got 3 classes to do on Saturday, Sunday and next Wednesday so it's time to swap his pingy shoes for his dancing shoes and then got everything crossed that Aston goes ahead and we get our first run of the season. No more rain pleeeeease!
