jester_ben
Well-Known Member
We had a Eureka moment!
I was slightly unsure if the pony (all 17.1hh of him) would be rushed for his first event, as we haven't been out as much as we had hoped to due to our lovely winter just passed. But by the end of the day, I was glad to have entered.
Anywho...arrived, the sun was out and I went off to walk the course; I applaud Aston for how well they have kept the ground going, especially after day 5. Lovely course, not too many questions; the only two I was a little weary of was the Corner and the jump before the water (pony is not a fan of cantering into water just yet, so I thought this might make him back off if he see's what's behind it!).
So off we pop to the Dressage were he warmed up very nicely. Going down for our test, he had his baby moment of 'OMG where am I? tensing and the contact on the left rein was no more. Poop. Although he semi-composed himself as we entered at A, the test was quite nice with things to improve on (our walk could have been better which brought down marks but we did get a square halt!) so overall quite happy.
Show jumping is something we both need to work on. Wednesday, we took him to a clear round and he was slightly exuberant and loved bashing the poles around. I took him back in and the second round was so much better, this time with control, but it made my mind up with what bit I was going to put him in. But today, he felt like a pro in the warm up and wasnt tanking me into the fences. Our round was lovely, he was listening and I was the one to get in too close at fence 3. Sack the jockey. So four faults but could not have been happier. Dressage scores up and I feel we scored a respectable 32.3 + 4 faults, we was going into the XC with 36.3...eek!!
I live for the XC. And soon the countdown began does anyone ever feel like a rocket going off once you hit the start box? I cant remember much of the course, except for smiling and squeaking Good boy! I felt like I was in a Lucinda Green game. No fear over the corner, and the course was jumping really nicely. He trotted into the water and out we galloped. Could not have been prouder of him; sunken road? Fine. Big roll top with half a Christmas tree in front of it? Fine! Skinny-ish log with a ditch after it? What ditch? Then it was all go to the last splashing through the mud, we flew the brush and through to the finish. Big pats for the giant!
So as you see it all went very well for our first time together and his first time ever out considering everything; I also had only one contact in as the other had broken, opps and had to buy new socks as walking the course drenched the old ones...so much for superstition. We were 7 seconds inside the time, yippee, so we finished on the score of 36.3 to finish 9th (We got a frilly!!!).
I certainly cannot wait for the next one. Cup of tea and a biscuit to anyone who makes it!!
I was slightly unsure if the pony (all 17.1hh of him) would be rushed for his first event, as we haven't been out as much as we had hoped to due to our lovely winter just passed. But by the end of the day, I was glad to have entered.
Anywho...arrived, the sun was out and I went off to walk the course; I applaud Aston for how well they have kept the ground going, especially after day 5. Lovely course, not too many questions; the only two I was a little weary of was the Corner and the jump before the water (pony is not a fan of cantering into water just yet, so I thought this might make him back off if he see's what's behind it!).
So off we pop to the Dressage were he warmed up very nicely. Going down for our test, he had his baby moment of 'OMG where am I? tensing and the contact on the left rein was no more. Poop. Although he semi-composed himself as we entered at A, the test was quite nice with things to improve on (our walk could have been better which brought down marks but we did get a square halt!) so overall quite happy.
Show jumping is something we both need to work on. Wednesday, we took him to a clear round and he was slightly exuberant and loved bashing the poles around. I took him back in and the second round was so much better, this time with control, but it made my mind up with what bit I was going to put him in. But today, he felt like a pro in the warm up and wasnt tanking me into the fences. Our round was lovely, he was listening and I was the one to get in too close at fence 3. Sack the jockey. So four faults but could not have been happier. Dressage scores up and I feel we scored a respectable 32.3 + 4 faults, we was going into the XC with 36.3...eek!!
I live for the XC. And soon the countdown began does anyone ever feel like a rocket going off once you hit the start box? I cant remember much of the course, except for smiling and squeaking Good boy! I felt like I was in a Lucinda Green game. No fear over the corner, and the course was jumping really nicely. He trotted into the water and out we galloped. Could not have been prouder of him; sunken road? Fine. Big roll top with half a Christmas tree in front of it? Fine! Skinny-ish log with a ditch after it? What ditch? Then it was all go to the last splashing through the mud, we flew the brush and through to the finish. Big pats for the giant!
So as you see it all went very well for our first time together and his first time ever out considering everything; I also had only one contact in as the other had broken, opps and had to buy new socks as walking the course drenched the old ones...so much for superstition. We were 7 seconds inside the time, yippee, so we finished on the score of 36.3 to finish 9th (We got a frilly!!!).
I certainly cannot wait for the next one. Cup of tea and a biscuit to anyone who makes it!!
