Addington SJ Report with Vids...

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NewHeights_SJ

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www.newheights-showjumping.co.uk
I took both Fee and Wester to Addington on tues. I put Wester in the BN and thought i would also jump him in the Disco if all went well (though its just for practise as he isnt registered yet!) and Fee in the disco and the 1.05m.

I jumped Wester first and have to say wasn't as nervous as i thought i would be as he warmed up really well. He jumped fab and jumped DC!!



So i decided to put him in the disco too and once again i felt quite good. He warmed up really well again but in the ring my canter wasn't great to the first fence and we had that down. The next few came better until the 7th and 8th fences on a three stride distance, where i was a little too quick this time and took the top rail of the upright out.



Still really pleased as i have only owned Wester for two weeks or so, and i am very excited as he is already giving me an awesome feel.

On to Fee. She didnt warm up so well, i think she needs a bit more time to take the leap from jumping outdoors to being inside. The disco should of been easy for her, but i found we put extras strides in both one stride doubles and four strides in the three stride distance, causing us to have a fence and finish on 4 faults. Not the end of the world but i was determined to sort the striding out in our next round.



The 1.05m was a speed class so i decided to ride it as one and hopefully it would up our canter along the way and help with our distances. I have to say, on walking the course i was a little shocked to find one double on almost 9 yards, and thought no wonder we were having problems!! She went really well up until the 6th fence where i took an inside line and Fee stopped
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Came round again and jumped it, the rest came OK, but had a slight problem at the long double and had the first fence, incidentally putting two strides in again too. Not too disappointed though, as it was much more flowing and forward overall.



CC welcome, especially on my rounds with Fee!!
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N xx
 
I've not been on here long, but I thought I recognised you from your signature! You weren't the only one to find some of the striding tricky- and at least you got over the first unlike a surprising number!

I thought Fee looked lovely- didn't see your other, or at least didn't recognise him, as I say, only recognised Fee from your signature! It was a shame about the pole though.
 
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I've not been on here long, but I thought I recognised you from your signature! You weren't the only one to find some of the striding tricky- and at least you got over the first unlike a surprising number!

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You should of said hello!!!

To be honest i was a little shocked at how many people were having trouble, glad it wasn't just little Fee that counldnt make the distances!! I also overheard that a very well known rider was complaining too, so not just me that thought the distances were on the long side!!
 
There were some rather loud complaints issuing from most sides....

I would like to know who the smallish lady on the massive chestnut was....it ground to a halt at the first twice in the Disco, getting eliminated, and then ground to the halt at the the 1st again in the 1.05m, and then ground to a halt at I think fence 3 in the 1.05m to get eliminated again! Not critising as such as I don't know her or her horse, but you have to wonder if you're having that much trouble- as frankly, her seat was very defensive, and from her expression I doubt this was a one off- why you wouldn't down size course wise?

I also know one of the younger girls riding a rather smart bay gelding.....not naming names but you might have noticed her- looked a prat in a red coat when frankly is nowhere near good enough to be making herself obvious in a funky coloured outfit...was horrifed to see her whalloping all the way round the course. If it had been PC there would have been disciplinary action.

I didn't think you'd have a clue who I was! As I haven't been on her long, and currently haven't got a horse, I don't post much.

Is it you that competes at Weston Lawns a lot?
 
Well done, it sounds like you had a really good day! Fee does like to get in a bit close to her fences at times doesn't she! Although striding doesn't look the best as you say. Is your new boy by Orame? The one in my avatar is by him too, but I sold him last year.
 
Llanali - Yeah, i go to weston lawns alot through summer, looks like Addington will be the best through winter. I didnt see many other people compete but hear dthere was alot of trouble!! I probably wouldnt of known who you were, but its always nice to meet someone from the forum!!

Oofsdoofa - Yes, Wester is by Orame, how come you sold your boy? Fee doesnt normally like to get THAT close....
 
I saw Wester advertised and noticed him because he looked very much like the one I sold! I sold him because he was great about 80% of the time - but could be a complete arse! Lovely temperament otherwise though and a lovely looking horse. The one I have now is only 6 and thinks he knows it all sometimes - and gets himself in rather close on occassions, that's why I commented about Fee!
 
If I PMed you, Fee-fee, would you be able to tell me if you ever see or hear of a particular rider and her horse, that I know often compete there? I totally understand if you don't know them, I'm sure WL is as busy as Addington can be, though I've not ever been.
 
Ok here goes with my cc, for what its worth!! lol!

Wester's rounds looked great, esp considering your such a new combo.

In Fee's round you look to be doing what i do alot. You seem to be holding her too close to the fence, hence getting so deep. If i were you id try to hold round the corner and then sit to the fence. Hope this makes sense?
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Also re doubles and distances, let her flow down then, less checking. Also in doubles squeeze with your leg to get out on the one stride (or 2 whichever it is!) My horse struggles with distances and on landing from the first part i have to always opush to get out of them.

The speed class looked much better, more forward rythm, and more flowing, with better distances too. Re the stop tbh i think you would have been a long way off it, and then dropped your hand to in, letting her stop.

Hope i dont sound mean, just you had the same probs that day that i have alot!! lol
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In my opinion, which isnt really worth anything!

I think that you didnt have fee in front of your leg enough, she wasnt taking you.

Its going to take you a bit to get used to changing your riding styles for them. Your first horse is big and you do such a good job of keeping him together, if you pushed him on, he would become unbalanced and have a pole like he did in the related distance. However I think your mare needs more forward riding to find a nice stride.

The problem you had with fee is similar to what can happen with my horse. My horse is small and agile but she can have trouble making the distances too and being smart they know its safer to put in a small one! I need to make sure the engine is really running and I can feel her taking me in to the fence, then I can just sit and hold the rythm and it goes much better.

Im no expert by any shape or form so wether im correct or not I dont know!

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Both horses are really lovely!
 
It looked like you yanked her in the mouth to stop at the end when you finished which looked a little brutal, maybe because you were annoyed about the stop...? I think you just need to get her moving forward more to encourage her to flow and stop getting quite so close to everything. As Firewell says, I also have a compact horse who used to find it hard making the distances and would prefer to chip in a small one. I just found riding more forward (not fast, just thinking forward and getting him off my leg) made him a lot more confident to start reaching a bit more for the distances.

They're nice horses. How old are they?
 
We were also at Addington on Tuesday
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It was our first time at Addington jumping
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and was a special day for me as we were taking my own homebred 4yr old stallion, who was backed a few months ago.

I watched my baby boy pop round with my eyes half closed and a nervious tummy ache ! LOL caused by a mixture of worry, excitment and responsibility
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But he was a good boy, getting a double clear and I got to buy/take home a photo of the occassion
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.... it was lovely to hear his name announced as he entered the ring
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, but I dare say all you 'seasoned' jumpers are used to that ! lol
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I was surprised at how busy the collecting ring was
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but maybe this is usual.

Does anybody know how the girl who came off & had to be taken to hospital is ?
 
OK so my turn!!

As i know you quite well hun, and have seen you have much better rounds on Fee than these i think your problem is just getting used to riding both of them.

You have little, short strided Fee and you now have bigger, and longer strided Wester to ride and as he is new you havnt sussed him out completly yet!
As you always try so damn hard (and you know you do!) i think your Disco round on Fee was a little scrappy because you had just got off Wester and you then rode Fee how you rode Wester - a little on the quiet side! - fine for Wester with his strides but Fee needed to be more forwards!

You will get it - i have the same problem going from Robbie to Sniff with their height and stride difference!
 
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It looked like you yanked her in the mouth to stop at the end when you finished which looked a little brutal, maybe because you were annoyed about the stop...?

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Of course i was annoyed at the stop. I pulled her up but didnt yank her. To be honest, i hardly think that this is CC and a little un-necessary.
 
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As i know you quite well hun, and have seen you have much better rounds on Fee than these i think your problem is just getting used to riding both of them.

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Thaks hun, your opinion is really valued, i feel you know me (and Fee) better than anyone on here!! Perhaps your right, i have found it a little hard after having just one horse for so long. I guess it would be better if i could ride Fee first, but its more likely that Fee will be jumping the bigger classes.

I guess i need a little bit more time to get used to things.

xx
 
Having watched both rounds with Fee, I'd be inclined to agree with the other people, who have said you rode Fee like you ride Wester and that just doesn't work. Although the distances might have been long, it looked to me like the reason you got the chipped in strides and the stop is because you didn't ride forward enough - I think she would have made the distance easily but you got a chip into the first part so she didn't land with enough forward energy to make the stride out.

I think you just need to ride her a bit more positively to commit her to going on a longer stride instead of a chip. Wester is lovely by the way, gorgeous canter.
 
well done on wester - what a fantastic start to a new competitive partnership
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with fee - you know yourself how the round was - all i'd say is echo what vicki said in that you need to have fee a little more forwards, i have to make sure I do this with my bay mare who is 15.3 unlike my other novice horse who is 17hh and has a bigger stride!
 
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