Hoof_Prints
Well-Known Member
wow! what a day it was 
Four of us spoke over Facebook after reading a post about team chasing. None of us had met before, and none of us or our horses had chased before! We had a practise run XC two weeks before and hoped to just get round safely.
Saturday was spent cleaning tack, getting everything ready for the morning and walking the course. we entered the Novice optimum time and the fences were very full up 3'3, and wide! I couldn't sleep thinking about the drops and fence 23 which had a ditch and big wide hedge behind.
We arrived in good time, tacked up and warmed up, Finn was very excited and was bouncing in the canter! flew over the big warm up fence so was sure he'd jump well. Before long we were called to the start, I was set to go infront so took the lead and headed out on course with the other three following. Finn was a bit shocked at the width of the first hedge but soon took it all in his stride and flew around, I got a terrible stride in to one of the larger fences so wimped out and held back ending up as the second horse but that was early on and the rest went so well first drop was a shock and I prepared well for the second one (by letting my reins go on landing!) but good, honest finn thought nothing of it.
Then the drama started turned to a smaller hedge (fence 21 if you were there) with a small ditch in front, and Finn slipped on his hind leg on take off- so he twisted himself to get over and I was out the side door... almost. I was hanging on for dear life with no stirrups and nobody knows how I stayed on but I scrambled back and continued to the dreaded 23, he flew it easier than any of the others. Got ver the last and was (and still am! ) buzzing we ended up coming 12th out of around 35-40 people , or so im told.
Here are lots and lots of photos for you, taken by my dad.
The "remarkable recovery" to quote the commentator
and one of my pretty boy
[Content removed]
So seems i'm being signed up for pytchley novice, heard its very big... so a bit unsure!
just uploading videos to youtube of my almost fall
Four of us spoke over Facebook after reading a post about team chasing. None of us had met before, and none of us or our horses had chased before! We had a practise run XC two weeks before and hoped to just get round safely. Saturday was spent cleaning tack, getting everything ready for the morning and walking the course. we entered the Novice optimum time and the fences were very full up 3'3, and wide! I couldn't sleep thinking about the drops and fence 23 which had a ditch and big wide hedge behind.
We arrived in good time, tacked up and warmed up, Finn was very excited and was bouncing in the canter! flew over the big warm up fence so was sure he'd jump well. Before long we were called to the start, I was set to go infront so took the lead and headed out on course with the other three following. Finn was a bit shocked at the width of the first hedge but soon took it all in his stride and flew around, I got a terrible stride in to one of the larger fences so wimped out and held back ending up as the second horse but that was early on and the rest went so well
first drop was a shock and I prepared well for the second one (by letting my reins go on landing!) but good, honest finn thought nothing of it.Then the drama started
turned to a smaller hedge (fence 21 if you were there) with a small ditch in front, and Finn slipped on his hind leg on take off- so he twisted himself to get over and I was out the side door... almost. I was hanging on for dear life with no stirrups and nobody knows how I stayed on but I scrambled back and continued to the dreaded 23, he flew it easier than any of the others. Got ver the last and was (and still am! ) buzzing we ended up coming 12th out of around 35-40 people , or so im told.Here are lots and lots of photos for you, taken by my dad.
The "remarkable recovery" to quote the commentator
and one of my pretty boy
[Content removed]
So seems i'm being signed up for pytchley novice, heard its very big... so a bit unsure!
just uploading videos to youtube of my almost fall
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