jess_asterix
Well-Known Member
Here goes, this could be long!
I’m not going to lie I wasn’t overly excited when I entered Badminton Grassroots due to the fact we has been competing at 100 and I am itching to move onto Novices I even debated not going but mother persuaded me so we were entered and preparations were underway in the form of dressage lesson from Nicola Lickley at Kingswood Equestrian Centre.
Lorry was packed on Monday so first thing Tuesday we went for a dressage lesson to make sure everything was ok and he was great, ran through the test a few times and we were feeling confident. Back home to wash him and then put him on the walker for an hour before heading to Badminton.
Driving into Little Badminton the excitement kicked in when I saw the main arena and that was it I was grinning to myself in the lorry. We arrived and unloaded where he had his temperature taken and all was fine so made him comfy in his stable then parked up and set up camp with my friends. We went to walk the XC course where I think I turned a shade of green (not sure why when Herbie is a machine!)
The XC I thought was super technical for a 90, skinnies galore. The water was a tight curving left line with a jump into water and then there was a double of skinny brushes, skinny houses and a step up to a skinny before the quarry which also had a skinny in! Good job he’s pretty straight. I knew time wouldn’t be an issue so I wasn’t too concerned about having to set up for a few fences. We took the horses for a lovely hack around the fields and the woods and then schooled him for 20 minutes. At this point in the day he had worked for nearly 2 hours and been on the walker for 1 and he was STILL sharp!!!! So an early night called ready for a 6am wake up to go and exercise him pre-dressage.
We did lots of stretching and lateral work in this early exercise to really get him free and moving through his back without being tight and tense. He was then put away for a couple of hours and we both got spruced up then back on for our test warm-up, I allowed myself 40 minutes and it was mostly needed, I could have got away with 30 though I think. Warmed up well, again lots of lateral work especially big leg yields to really get him moving and transitions within this.
Went into the arena and the rider before me was being spoken to the judge, this worked to my advantage as I had time to go round the arena 4 times before the bell which was great as he was very spooky and tight the first time but managed to get him where I wanted. Basically I don’t get very excited about dressage but we did everything in the right place and it was all pretty fluent and obedient, the one thing that let us down and dropped us to a 6 was his left rein trot before the ½ 20 he swung his quarters and I felt like if I really tried to correct him he would block against me, so threw away a couple of marks there but the rest was really pleasing and he was SO rideable which feels like a great achievement too me and it has been a battle to get him to this point.
Came out pleased with test, gave him cuddles put him away and the scores were up (why can’t they be this quick all the time!) we had a 30 dressage which was good with 1/3 of the section gone so still a lot to change.
I walked the XC course again this time with my parents, Mum was nervous, Dad told me to stop being stupid and I’d fly round it because were both awesome, got to love a confidence giving Dad despite the fact he knows nothing about XC.
Watched some SJ and it was causing carnage in the 2012 BE90, was beginning to worry me slightly after our fence down at Kelsall, I didn’t walk the SJ until the next morning though so I didn’t overthink it. I then walked the XC for the 3rd time on the course walk with Nick Gauntlett and it was really helpful, good tips on what lines to ride and how to ride certain parts of the course. I think these are a great idea for people that were there without their entourage of trainers!!! Found out I was equal 7th overnight in the dressage so not too shabby out of 69.
Went out for dinner that night and could feel myself getting progressively more nervous which is something I don’t normally do, I don’t think I was worried I think I was feeling the pressure as I had a lot of people wishing me to do well and my parents put so much into it I really wanted to make them proud. Bed time came and it wasn’t for sleeping that night, I tossed and turned all night and everything that could possibly go wrong on the XC course did, therefore of course our round would be perfect!! Woke up at 5:30am and thought I may as well go to feed and muck out then I took him for a walk for half an hour and gave him a pep talk haha.
Walked the SJ and tbh I didn’t think there was anything that should be a problem if it was rode correctly and I used my head. Got to the warm up and he was KEEN, I could barely hold him and going round with his mouth open despite a crank and flash was the order of the day, never mind can’t knock him for wanting to get on with it.
Jumped 1 great, slowed him down to 2 the planks downhill, then round to 3 a vertical which he popped should have got a bigger canter to it as added a stride to 4, flew through the double at 5 and a sharp half halt was required after to 6 an oxer going downhill towards the collecting ring, turned inside to 7 the triple bar and he popped that, got the control for 8 a flimsy vertical on an angle then a dog leg to 9 another vertical then onto 10 an oxer on a dog leg which lots had ran out at and he stayed straight, I controlled the shoulder and he popped it sweetly, a clear round in the bag!!! Smiles all round!
[Content removed]
Photo Thanks to E-Venting
Continued......
I’m not going to lie I wasn’t overly excited when I entered Badminton Grassroots due to the fact we has been competing at 100 and I am itching to move onto Novices I even debated not going but mother persuaded me so we were entered and preparations were underway in the form of dressage lesson from Nicola Lickley at Kingswood Equestrian Centre.
Lorry was packed on Monday so first thing Tuesday we went for a dressage lesson to make sure everything was ok and he was great, ran through the test a few times and we were feeling confident. Back home to wash him and then put him on the walker for an hour before heading to Badminton.
Driving into Little Badminton the excitement kicked in when I saw the main arena and that was it I was grinning to myself in the lorry. We arrived and unloaded where he had his temperature taken and all was fine so made him comfy in his stable then parked up and set up camp with my friends. We went to walk the XC course where I think I turned a shade of green (not sure why when Herbie is a machine!)
The XC I thought was super technical for a 90, skinnies galore. The water was a tight curving left line with a jump into water and then there was a double of skinny brushes, skinny houses and a step up to a skinny before the quarry which also had a skinny in! Good job he’s pretty straight. I knew time wouldn’t be an issue so I wasn’t too concerned about having to set up for a few fences. We took the horses for a lovely hack around the fields and the woods and then schooled him for 20 minutes. At this point in the day he had worked for nearly 2 hours and been on the walker for 1 and he was STILL sharp!!!! So an early night called ready for a 6am wake up to go and exercise him pre-dressage.
We did lots of stretching and lateral work in this early exercise to really get him free and moving through his back without being tight and tense. He was then put away for a couple of hours and we both got spruced up then back on for our test warm-up, I allowed myself 40 minutes and it was mostly needed, I could have got away with 30 though I think. Warmed up well, again lots of lateral work especially big leg yields to really get him moving and transitions within this.
Went into the arena and the rider before me was being spoken to the judge, this worked to my advantage as I had time to go round the arena 4 times before the bell which was great as he was very spooky and tight the first time but managed to get him where I wanted. Basically I don’t get very excited about dressage but we did everything in the right place and it was all pretty fluent and obedient, the one thing that let us down and dropped us to a 6 was his left rein trot before the ½ 20 he swung his quarters and I felt like if I really tried to correct him he would block against me, so threw away a couple of marks there but the rest was really pleasing and he was SO rideable which feels like a great achievement too me and it has been a battle to get him to this point.
Came out pleased with test, gave him cuddles put him away and the scores were up (why can’t they be this quick all the time!) we had a 30 dressage which was good with 1/3 of the section gone so still a lot to change.
I walked the XC course again this time with my parents, Mum was nervous, Dad told me to stop being stupid and I’d fly round it because were both awesome, got to love a confidence giving Dad despite the fact he knows nothing about XC.
Watched some SJ and it was causing carnage in the 2012 BE90, was beginning to worry me slightly after our fence down at Kelsall, I didn’t walk the SJ until the next morning though so I didn’t overthink it. I then walked the XC for the 3rd time on the course walk with Nick Gauntlett and it was really helpful, good tips on what lines to ride and how to ride certain parts of the course. I think these are a great idea for people that were there without their entourage of trainers!!! Found out I was equal 7th overnight in the dressage so not too shabby out of 69.
Went out for dinner that night and could feel myself getting progressively more nervous which is something I don’t normally do, I don’t think I was worried I think I was feeling the pressure as I had a lot of people wishing me to do well and my parents put so much into it I really wanted to make them proud. Bed time came and it wasn’t for sleeping that night, I tossed and turned all night and everything that could possibly go wrong on the XC course did, therefore of course our round would be perfect!! Woke up at 5:30am and thought I may as well go to feed and muck out then I took him for a walk for half an hour and gave him a pep talk haha.
Walked the SJ and tbh I didn’t think there was anything that should be a problem if it was rode correctly and I used my head. Got to the warm up and he was KEEN, I could barely hold him and going round with his mouth open despite a crank and flash was the order of the day, never mind can’t knock him for wanting to get on with it.
Jumped 1 great, slowed him down to 2 the planks downhill, then round to 3 a vertical which he popped should have got a bigger canter to it as added a stride to 4, flew through the double at 5 and a sharp half halt was required after to 6 an oxer going downhill towards the collecting ring, turned inside to 7 the triple bar and he popped that, got the control for 8 a flimsy vertical on an angle then a dog leg to 9 another vertical then onto 10 an oxer on a dog leg which lots had ran out at and he stayed straight, I controlled the shoulder and he popped it sweetly, a clear round in the bag!!! Smiles all round!
[Content removed]
Photo Thanks to E-Venting
Continued......
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