Sarah_Jane
Well-Known Member
Well in light of other HHO reports we did not avoid the excitement on the way to the event. First off whilst stuck in a jam on the M5 Smartie dog decided to eat a wasp - I told him not to! He then proceeded to vigorously try and spit it out Wasp out and I thought he had got away with it until I saw his lip start to droop and swell - still stuck in jam I am now worrying I have a dying dog who would stop breathing or get his airway obstructed. Luckily it was just his lip and he looked like someone had given him a hefty whack, no other ill effects and no lesson learnt!
As if that wasn't enough shortly before arriving we nearly had a nasty accident, a car decided to pull out of the junction on my left, it realised it was too tight but was committed and then the stupid car stopped in the middle of my side! I braked hard and then realising I was never going to stop managed to swerve round onto wrong side of road and miss car. Luckily only damage was one bust kindle! I was shaking when we pulled up at the stabling.
My experience of Aston was that their courses were usually on the softer side and ideal first timer (this was our third but wanted an easier one). Typically not this time, the event was being used as a trial for the U21s and had a variety of testing combinations including a big double of corners, ski jump with drop on landing to skinny brush and big hedge to 2 skinnies on the turn. Course pictures on my website. There was nothing that I didn’t think we couldn’t do but plenty of places to make a mistake.
So a good nights sleep and arrived at Aston. Quick walk round the course again and check of the ground. The night before it had been quite hard but they had only just started spiking, by the next morning it was very good. Dressage was a bit mediocre, I was slightly late getting down there and we were just 10 minutes short of being properly warmed up and I needed to be looser for my sitting trot as I still really struggle with this! A 37.3 adequately reflected our test and is our worst score to date at this level.
Show jumping was on a surface a decent track but not the technicality of Pontispool and Salperton earlier in the season. She jumped a super round, we were just a bit off the treble going in and had that but I was pleased with 4 faults.
[video=youtube;WZmgqz08aJE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZmgqz08aJE[/video]
So onto XC and as they were short of competitors I changed quickly and made my way across. Considering the bigger events coming up and our already over 40 score I decided to take it steady cross country and focus on a good clear (well that was the theory would it work in practice!)
Set out and jumped the first 4 nicely. Turned to the water and up the ramp where she went a little green and looky but kept my leg on and popped, cantered through the water and up the second ramp before jumping the naked lady!
A house on the mound to another skinny house we did on 3 1/2 rather than 3 but she was clever and quick. A simple if not rather large brush and ditch followed before perhaps the most difficult combination an acutely angled double of corners.
There had been much head scratching as what the best route through was you could go left to left, right to right or left to right. I chose right to right using the hedge to help me line up, this seemed to be the popular early route although later left to left was preferred. I got a good stride to the first corner, she kept very straight and made it easily in 3. A simple fence before the *big hedge to two skinnies the second on a curve.
Jumped the hedge well and kept straight to the skinny, had to take more of a yank than I wanted to the 3rd element but it was effective!
Totally missed her at the next plain fence and gave it a rattle and then onto another new question for Pip a ski jump with a sheer slope on landing with 5 strides to a triple brush.
Got a really good bouncy SJ canter and pushed the last two strides she took off then I suddenly felt her draw her knees up and peer at where she should be landing, I slipped the reins to the buckle and kicked towards the skinny and she flew it - lots of pats again. Cruised over the market stall and then onto the coffin with you guessed it skinny elements at a and c, jumped this super slightly more forward than I would usually jump a fence like this but the profile of the fences encouraged this
A decent brush into water had me sitting tight after 20 penalties at Salperton water, gave her a tap on take off and hailed a cab but stayed firmly in place easily meeting the c element out.
Popped the last to finish clear with 17 odd time but that didn’t matter on the day. Wanted a good solid round before Blair CCI* and the CIC** at Gatcombe. So really pleased with her. Finished about 20th Thanks for the pictures to Nick Perry
However we are starting to have a little travelling issue. About 30 minutes before we get home always after eventing but irrespective of whether the journey is 2hrs or as in this case 7hrs she starts banging. On each journey the banging has started sooner and been more vigorous, she is pawing ad giving it what for with front and back feet as well as head butting the haynets! She is in serious danger of damaging herself and the lorry and it is quite frightening to drive with. She won't do this on short jouneys at home. I have hobbles but loath to use them as she is the panicy type with something like that plus I would need to put them on front and back and I am still not sure it would stop it. Anyone had anything similar or have any ideas?
As if that wasn't enough shortly before arriving we nearly had a nasty accident, a car decided to pull out of the junction on my left, it realised it was too tight but was committed and then the stupid car stopped in the middle of my side! I braked hard and then realising I was never going to stop managed to swerve round onto wrong side of road and miss car. Luckily only damage was one bust kindle! I was shaking when we pulled up at the stabling.
My experience of Aston was that their courses were usually on the softer side and ideal first timer (this was our third but wanted an easier one). Typically not this time, the event was being used as a trial for the U21s and had a variety of testing combinations including a big double of corners, ski jump with drop on landing to skinny brush and big hedge to 2 skinnies on the turn. Course pictures on my website. There was nothing that I didn’t think we couldn’t do but plenty of places to make a mistake.
So a good nights sleep and arrived at Aston. Quick walk round the course again and check of the ground. The night before it had been quite hard but they had only just started spiking, by the next morning it was very good. Dressage was a bit mediocre, I was slightly late getting down there and we were just 10 minutes short of being properly warmed up and I needed to be looser for my sitting trot as I still really struggle with this! A 37.3 adequately reflected our test and is our worst score to date at this level.
Show jumping was on a surface a decent track but not the technicality of Pontispool and Salperton earlier in the season. She jumped a super round, we were just a bit off the treble going in and had that but I was pleased with 4 faults.
[video=youtube;WZmgqz08aJE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZmgqz08aJE[/video]
So onto XC and as they were short of competitors I changed quickly and made my way across. Considering the bigger events coming up and our already over 40 score I decided to take it steady cross country and focus on a good clear (well that was the theory would it work in practice!)
Set out and jumped the first 4 nicely. Turned to the water and up the ramp where she went a little green and looky but kept my leg on and popped, cantered through the water and up the second ramp before jumping the naked lady!
A house on the mound to another skinny house we did on 3 1/2 rather than 3 but she was clever and quick. A simple if not rather large brush and ditch followed before perhaps the most difficult combination an acutely angled double of corners.
There had been much head scratching as what the best route through was you could go left to left, right to right or left to right. I chose right to right using the hedge to help me line up, this seemed to be the popular early route although later left to left was preferred. I got a good stride to the first corner, she kept very straight and made it easily in 3. A simple fence before the *big hedge to two skinnies the second on a curve.
Jumped the hedge well and kept straight to the skinny, had to take more of a yank than I wanted to the 3rd element but it was effective!
Totally missed her at the next plain fence and gave it a rattle and then onto another new question for Pip a ski jump with a sheer slope on landing with 5 strides to a triple brush.
Got a really good bouncy SJ canter and pushed the last two strides she took off then I suddenly felt her draw her knees up and peer at where she should be landing, I slipped the reins to the buckle and kicked towards the skinny and she flew it - lots of pats again. Cruised over the market stall and then onto the coffin with you guessed it skinny elements at a and c, jumped this super slightly more forward than I would usually jump a fence like this but the profile of the fences encouraged this
A decent brush into water had me sitting tight after 20 penalties at Salperton water, gave her a tap on take off and hailed a cab but stayed firmly in place easily meeting the c element out.
Popped the last to finish clear with 17 odd time but that didn’t matter on the day. Wanted a good solid round before Blair CCI* and the CIC** at Gatcombe. So really pleased with her. Finished about 20th Thanks for the pictures to Nick Perry
However we are starting to have a little travelling issue. About 30 minutes before we get home always after eventing but irrespective of whether the journey is 2hrs or as in this case 7hrs she starts banging. On each journey the banging has started sooner and been more vigorous, she is pawing ad giving it what for with front and back feet as well as head butting the haynets! She is in serious danger of damaging herself and the lorry and it is quite frightening to drive with. She won't do this on short jouneys at home. I have hobbles but loath to use them as she is the panicy type with something like that plus I would need to put them on front and back and I am still not sure it would stop it. Anyone had anything similar or have any ideas?
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