loopiesteff
Well-Known Member
So after a good run at Keysoe's unaff ODE last week, we were entered in for A-L-W yesterday in the Pre-Intro.
Dressage: 45.5. Shocking. Should have hung up the riding boots and gone home then! Didn't help that I forgot my test - TWICE! Only did it last week
Once I'd forgotten it the 2nd time, it all went to pot 
not helped by the ground being rock hard and Bob feeling like a cripple! (he HATES hard ground, just as he HATES firmer arenas!) Hey ho, dressage done, back to the trailer and off to walk the XC and watch some SJ.
SJ has been our nemesis with run outs/stops of late. Keysoe we went clear but had 2 poles down, so was feeling fairly confident as felt that Aston's course was nowhere near as bright as Keysoe!
SJ: 12 faults, 13 time penalties. Also, shocking. We had a stop at the grey wall thing, fence 6. He felt like he was going, then last minute ducked out, spun round and went again, stopped in front of it, then launched it from a standstill, amazingly not knocking it down! Then had another stop at the purple first part of the double. I think I was riding a bit lazy and he dribbled out the side. Circled round and went on a long one, then somehow managed 1 stride (in a 2 stride double) to the 2nd part, and cleared it!
XC has improved greatly for us recently, clearly bootcamp is working for Bob and myself! This was the true test. I've never been to Aston before, either comp or schooling, so had never seen any of the fences before. I liked the course, didn't see any real problems, just planned to take it steady and enjoy it!
XC: 20 penalties, 9.6 time. Absolutely chuffed! To me, this was a clear round. Our stop came at fence 10. I was galloping up the hill with the hedge to my right. Somehow lost BOTH stirrups as I turned the corner to present the fence to him. About 5 strides out I had less than an inch of left toe in 1 stirrup, and still had no right one. He would have jumped, but I chickened out due to lack of leg support! So we ducked out last minute. Got stirrups back, circled and popped it. He backed off the Aston snail fence, but a lot of growling and kicking, we clambered over! Flew over the last chase/brush fence very nicely!
So our ending score was 100.1 *I hear you all laugh!* but I'm very pleased - I feel we've finally broken our spell of big E's! 2 outings in 2 weeks, and we've completed
I will have a helmet cam video later on when I get home and edit it
Dressage: 45.5. Shocking. Should have hung up the riding boots and gone home then! Didn't help that I forgot my test - TWICE! Only did it last week
Once I'd forgotten it the 2nd time, it all went to pot not helped by the ground being rock hard and Bob feeling like a cripple! (he HATES hard ground, just as he HATES firmer arenas!) Hey ho, dressage done, back to the trailer and off to walk the XC and watch some SJ. SJ has been our nemesis with run outs/stops of late. Keysoe we went clear but had 2 poles down, so was feeling fairly confident as felt that Aston's course was nowhere near as bright as Keysoe!
SJ: 12 faults, 13 time penalties. Also, shocking. We had a stop at the grey wall thing, fence 6. He felt like he was going, then last minute ducked out, spun round and went again, stopped in front of it, then launched it from a standstill, amazingly not knocking it down! Then had another stop at the purple first part of the double. I think I was riding a bit lazy and he dribbled out the side. Circled round and went on a long one, then somehow managed 1 stride (in a 2 stride double) to the 2nd part, and cleared it!
XC has improved greatly for us recently, clearly bootcamp is working for Bob and myself! This was the true test. I've never been to Aston before, either comp or schooling, so had never seen any of the fences before. I liked the course, didn't see any real problems, just planned to take it steady and enjoy it!
XC: 20 penalties, 9.6 time. Absolutely chuffed! To me, this was a clear round. Our stop came at fence 10. I was galloping up the hill with the hedge to my right. Somehow lost BOTH stirrups as I turned the corner to present the fence to him. About 5 strides out I had less than an inch of left toe in 1 stirrup, and still had no right one. He would have jumped, but I chickened out due to lack of leg support! So we ducked out last minute. Got stirrups back, circled and popped it. He backed off the Aston snail fence, but a lot of growling and kicking, we clambered over! Flew over the last chase/brush fence very nicely!
So our ending score was 100.1 *I hear you all laugh!* but I'm very pleased - I feel we've finally broken our spell of big E's! 2 outings in 2 weeks, and we've completed
I will have a helmet cam video later on when I get home and edit it
