charlimouse
Well-Known Member
Jem was first. She did a decent enough dressage (ignoring the massive spook and sideways canter at a flower pot) for 32.5.
On to the SJ. Only jumped a cross, upright and oxer as the ground was very holding. She jumped well, in fact the sticky ground made her try a bit harder than normal! Just had the front rail of the oxer into the double to finish on 4 penalties.
The XC was pretty meaty I thought for a 100, definitely top end of the level. There were a lot of ditches and decent hedges, Jem was a little spooky in places (she is that way out at the moment, the fitter she gets the more spooky she is!), but jumped clear for 5. something time penalties, having not pushed for time due to sticky ground.
This was not the world's tiniest log, there was actually a rather spooky ditch (with water running through) with a slight drop behind!
So bit pats for Jem, and a quick change over on to Pickle. In the dressage (P hates dressage, I am currently completely overhauling it with a new trainer), he actually looked in danger of enjoying himself at moments (please ignore my horrific hands, they need chopping off)!
The test was going sweetly until my free walk. P tends to get very tense in the walk, and is a big thing I have been working on . Unfortunately the horse in the next arena finished it's test at the exact moment I was doing a pretty tactful job of keeping a reasonable free walk, que about 10 supporters of the other horse breaking into a round of applause right next to P
. Bless him, he tried so hard, but a sideways jog was inevitable, and he slightly lost focus for the next couple of movements. Still scored 34.5, which I thought was about right, but very annoying as I reckon without the distraction we could have got around 32.
I was worried about the SJ. If you have seen my previous threads P's SJ has recently had a pretty major blip, with both of us loosing confidence. However in the last month, things have really started improving and although it isn't perfect yet, it is getting so much better. This was going to be P's first time SJ on very sticky ground since our issues, so I was a bit unsure how he would react. I took the same tactic as with Jem, and did a minimal warm up due to the conditions, and in we went. P was awesome. Jumped a lovely round, giving fences plenty of room (he doesn't half give you one hell of a feeling over a fence!).
This was full up 1.05, not that you would realise given the air P gave it!
Unfortunately we managed to knock the last. We had a decent shot (but I think P just ran out of petrol slightly, having put in some big jumps out of the sticky ground) but P just touched it with a hind hoof. So 4 penalties to add, but I was so pleased with P, he was amazing!
Just about melting we set off XC. Not much to say really other than P was incredible! He flew round. I was disappointed to see 8.something time penalties, but having said that I wasn't pushing for time. I guess I just forget he isn't a TB, so I need to remember to kick on a bit more after the fences rather than cruise round!
P was a little more exuberant over the ditch than Jem!
I was so pleased with him, he feels incredible. Just need to get the SJ a little more secure and dressage a bit more relaxed (although he is better in a trickier test), before we move him up a level. Next time out I plan to kick on for a time a little more!
Next stop BUCS Nationals.........................................
On to the SJ. Only jumped a cross, upright and oxer as the ground was very holding. She jumped well, in fact the sticky ground made her try a bit harder than normal! Just had the front rail of the oxer into the double to finish on 4 penalties.
The XC was pretty meaty I thought for a 100, definitely top end of the level. There were a lot of ditches and decent hedges, Jem was a little spooky in places (she is that way out at the moment, the fitter she gets the more spooky she is!), but jumped clear for 5. something time penalties, having not pushed for time due to sticky ground.
This was not the world's tiniest log, there was actually a rather spooky ditch (with water running through) with a slight drop behind!
So bit pats for Jem, and a quick change over on to Pickle. In the dressage (P hates dressage, I am currently completely overhauling it with a new trainer), he actually looked in danger of enjoying himself at moments (please ignore my horrific hands, they need chopping off)!
The test was going sweetly until my free walk. P tends to get very tense in the walk, and is a big thing I have been working on . Unfortunately the horse in the next arena finished it's test at the exact moment I was doing a pretty tactful job of keeping a reasonable free walk, que about 10 supporters of the other horse breaking into a round of applause right next to P
. Bless him, he tried so hard, but a sideways jog was inevitable, and he slightly lost focus for the next couple of movements. Still scored 34.5, which I thought was about right, but very annoying as I reckon without the distraction we could have got around 32. I was worried about the SJ. If you have seen my previous threads P's SJ has recently had a pretty major blip, with both of us loosing confidence. However in the last month, things have really started improving and although it isn't perfect yet, it is getting so much better. This was going to be P's first time SJ on very sticky ground since our issues, so I was a bit unsure how he would react. I took the same tactic as with Jem, and did a minimal warm up due to the conditions, and in we went. P was awesome. Jumped a lovely round, giving fences plenty of room (he doesn't half give you one hell of a feeling over a fence!).
This was full up 1.05, not that you would realise given the air P gave it!
Unfortunately we managed to knock the last. We had a decent shot (but I think P just ran out of petrol slightly, having put in some big jumps out of the sticky ground) but P just touched it with a hind hoof. So 4 penalties to add, but I was so pleased with P, he was amazing!
Just about melting we set off XC. Not much to say really other than P was incredible! He flew round. I was disappointed to see 8.something time penalties, but having said that I wasn't pushing for time. I guess I just forget he isn't a TB, so I need to remember to kick on a bit more after the fences rather than cruise round!
P was a little more exuberant over the ditch than Jem!
I was so pleased with him, he feels incredible. Just need to get the SJ a little more secure and dressage a bit more relaxed (although he is better in a trickier test), before we move him up a level. Next time out I plan to kick on for a time a little more!
Next stop BUCS Nationals.........................................
