MillbrookSong
Well-Known Member
So as soon as our season has started its ended and a winter of dressage and point to pointing await!!
Set off at 9 on friday morning which was nice as it meant i could have had a lie in (30mins!) as i had a day off work. Got to Aldon in plenty of time to pick up numbers, have a look over the course and get ready for dressage. He warmed up ok but i didnt think it was as nice as at sommerford, although he has had his back and teeth done this week - the result was no head tilting as his atlas had rotated (a very normal thing for song when hes in more work). Went in to the dressage and i thought we would have to do a nice positive test as this is how he goes best at home. For our entry we got a 8 - "postive entry". He made me ride every inch of the test and i was a little bit tired at the end! We got a good collection of 7s with a few 8s - most pleased with out 2 8's for our counter canter loops.
On to SJing. Well to start with i got ready and went over an hour early!
So we watch a few and headed back to the lorry!! On our actual time we went over and he warmed up well enough. Went in wishing i didnt know my dressage score! He jumped and i rode the 1st part of the course well and then it came to the final line and we had 3 out of the 4 down
We were unlucky for the 1st 2 and then i tried far to hard at the last.
On to the best bit XC. As i thought i had no chance of a place i was going to go the straight route at the 2nd water just to try somthing harder as it was causing some problems. Song set off just as well as last week and was flying! 1st question was at 4, a double of houses off a turn - set him up a little too much so wasted time but he jumped well. 5 was a wall, i had spotted a long one a way out so went for it and he was amazing! 8 would have been the next question - 2 steps down to a skinnie 2/3 strides away. We again set up too much, trotted the last few strides, jumped the steps well and on to the skinnie Lucinda Green style with reins round our ears!! 10 was the 1st water and after his slight hesitation last week i was very determind and he popped in and up over the step and skinnie. 13 was the 2nd water. You ad 12 just before hand then round right handed in to the pond and out over a corner - saw a good one to the corner and he was fab over it! 14 was a skinnie on top of a hill that we should have jumped better - we got too close and had a very steep landing - but this was our only off jump of the round. 15 was a step up 2/3 strides to a skinnie - reoccuring theme - i set up too much resulting in song trotting up the step but got a good shot to the skinnie. Checked my watch for the 1st time before 16 and had 1.03 to get home. 17 was a new double of uprights on 1 stride which he jumped well. That just left the trakaner and last fence. Before the last we had 12 seconds left so finished up with 2.4 time. I was over the moon with how he felt and how straight he was over all the skinnies and combinations.
I now cant wait to get out and do some dressage with him and get the pointer in to canter work and then next season step back up to Int and **!
To make the day even better finished up with 9th place (30 dressage, 3 down SJ, 2.4 time pens XC) so 2 top 10 placings in 2 events!!
Heres some pic and thanks for reading
All done!!
Thanks again, Beth
Set off at 9 on friday morning which was nice as it meant i could have had a lie in (30mins!) as i had a day off work. Got to Aldon in plenty of time to pick up numbers, have a look over the course and get ready for dressage. He warmed up ok but i didnt think it was as nice as at sommerford, although he has had his back and teeth done this week - the result was no head tilting as his atlas had rotated (a very normal thing for song when hes in more work). Went in to the dressage and i thought we would have to do a nice positive test as this is how he goes best at home. For our entry we got a 8 - "postive entry". He made me ride every inch of the test and i was a little bit tired at the end! We got a good collection of 7s with a few 8s - most pleased with out 2 8's for our counter canter loops.
On to SJing. Well to start with i got ready and went over an hour early!
On to the best bit XC. As i thought i had no chance of a place i was going to go the straight route at the 2nd water just to try somthing harder as it was causing some problems. Song set off just as well as last week and was flying! 1st question was at 4, a double of houses off a turn - set him up a little too much so wasted time but he jumped well. 5 was a wall, i had spotted a long one a way out so went for it and he was amazing! 8 would have been the next question - 2 steps down to a skinnie 2/3 strides away. We again set up too much, trotted the last few strides, jumped the steps well and on to the skinnie Lucinda Green style with reins round our ears!! 10 was the 1st water and after his slight hesitation last week i was very determind and he popped in and up over the step and skinnie. 13 was the 2nd water. You ad 12 just before hand then round right handed in to the pond and out over a corner - saw a good one to the corner and he was fab over it! 14 was a skinnie on top of a hill that we should have jumped better - we got too close and had a very steep landing - but this was our only off jump of the round. 15 was a step up 2/3 strides to a skinnie - reoccuring theme - i set up too much resulting in song trotting up the step but got a good shot to the skinnie. Checked my watch for the 1st time before 16 and had 1.03 to get home. 17 was a new double of uprights on 1 stride which he jumped well. That just left the trakaner and last fence. Before the last we had 12 seconds left so finished up with 2.4 time. I was over the moon with how he felt and how straight he was over all the skinnies and combinations.
I now cant wait to get out and do some dressage with him and get the pointer in to canter work and then next season step back up to Int and **!
To make the day even better finished up with 9th place (30 dressage, 3 down SJ, 2.4 time pens XC) so 2 top 10 placings in 2 events!!
Heres some pic and thanks for reading
All done!!
Thanks again, Beth
