Sarah_Jane
Well-Known Member
Well I promised pics etc from our trip to Portugal. Most of you will have read my orginal posts but a quick recap.
Been a goal since I badly broke my leg in July to get fit and do the two 2* events in Barroca, Portugal. Had a fab time generally a really nice event with a great atmosphere and everybody was so friendly and helpful.
The first week the CIC** we did a poor dressage that lacked concentration and focus. It is a phase we are really struggling with and in starting to try an develop the advanced movements we seem to have lost the basics.
Video at http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7041453491417380104
The XC seemed big with a very meaty table top stride rail bounce brush combination.
A decent coffin and some angled roll tops
Sarnie flew round really confident and jumped the course really well. I was particularly pleased with her in the water which had a fairly meaty double in. Probably the biggest we have jumped into water.
Video clip http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=6344535598957891712
Show jumping caused a lot of problems with only about a third clear which was surprising seeing there was a lot of advanced horses in the class. The course was very twisty but Sarnie jumped a really classy round for a clear.
Video http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1940162585286806194
So although we finished in the middle I was chuffed with a double clear and another 4 points.
A few days off and prep started for the 3 day 2 star. They were also running events a 1 and 3 star. We were walking the course on the Thursday and got half way round and couldnt find the next fence to later find that was because they hadnt finished despite the course being supposed to be open. The organisation was certainly laid back! There was also an incident cross country where an Irish rider had what appeared was a nasty fall. The ambulance and half the officials were there within 30 seconds and she received first class care. However nobody remembered to stop the following riders and the jump judge at the fence before just watched them jump his fence and then they pulled themselves up might have been interesting how they worked out their times.
Sarnie did another poor dressage test there were better bits but also more mistakes.
The good
The bad!
Video http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5074633581502036511
We were to towards the bottom after dressage. When I walked the 2* course I was dissapointed I thought it asked less questions than the week before and the great warm dry weather had started to bake the ground so there were some very firm patches. I decided that considering our low position there was too little to gain by running so withdrew. In retrospect it seems the right decision there were some slightly sore horses that night and even if we had added no more penalties to our score we wouldn't have been placed.
Rather a hairy journey home of over 1,500 mile (nothing will seem far away anymore). We were delayed for 24 hours at Calsis due to weather. I arrived home knackered I have to say Sarnie you wouldn't believe had been anywhere she if full of her own importance and fit as a fiddle. I even took her SJing on Sunday because I was starting to think she might damage herself at home and she came 3rd in a substantial 1.20 open with a lovely double clear.
More pictures if you are interested
Sarnita - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/Sarnita%20in%20action/?start=all
Barroca generally - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/Barocca%20General/
CIC** course - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/CIC%202%20star/
CCI** course (all out of order) - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/CCI%202%20Star%20Course/
Also took a bit of video of 3 star course http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7079088071629639325
Been a goal since I badly broke my leg in July to get fit and do the two 2* events in Barroca, Portugal. Had a fab time generally a really nice event with a great atmosphere and everybody was so friendly and helpful.
The first week the CIC** we did a poor dressage that lacked concentration and focus. It is a phase we are really struggling with and in starting to try an develop the advanced movements we seem to have lost the basics.
Video at http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7041453491417380104
The XC seemed big with a very meaty table top stride rail bounce brush combination.
A decent coffin and some angled roll tops
Sarnie flew round really confident and jumped the course really well. I was particularly pleased with her in the water which had a fairly meaty double in. Probably the biggest we have jumped into water.
Video clip http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=6344535598957891712
Show jumping caused a lot of problems with only about a third clear which was surprising seeing there was a lot of advanced horses in the class. The course was very twisty but Sarnie jumped a really classy round for a clear.
Video http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1940162585286806194
So although we finished in the middle I was chuffed with a double clear and another 4 points.
A few days off and prep started for the 3 day 2 star. They were also running events a 1 and 3 star. We were walking the course on the Thursday and got half way round and couldnt find the next fence to later find that was because they hadnt finished despite the course being supposed to be open. The organisation was certainly laid back! There was also an incident cross country where an Irish rider had what appeared was a nasty fall. The ambulance and half the officials were there within 30 seconds and she received first class care. However nobody remembered to stop the following riders and the jump judge at the fence before just watched them jump his fence and then they pulled themselves up might have been interesting how they worked out their times.
Sarnie did another poor dressage test there were better bits but also more mistakes.
The good
The bad!
Video http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5074633581502036511
We were to towards the bottom after dressage. When I walked the 2* course I was dissapointed I thought it asked less questions than the week before and the great warm dry weather had started to bake the ground so there were some very firm patches. I decided that considering our low position there was too little to gain by running so withdrew. In retrospect it seems the right decision there were some slightly sore horses that night and even if we had added no more penalties to our score we wouldn't have been placed.
Rather a hairy journey home of over 1,500 mile (nothing will seem far away anymore). We were delayed for 24 hours at Calsis due to weather. I arrived home knackered I have to say Sarnie you wouldn't believe had been anywhere she if full of her own importance and fit as a fiddle. I even took her SJing on Sunday because I was starting to think she might damage herself at home and she came 3rd in a substantial 1.20 open with a lovely double clear.
More pictures if you are interested
Sarnita - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/Sarnita%20in%20action/?start=all
Barroca generally - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/Barocca%20General/
CIC** course - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/CIC%202%20star/
CCI** course (all out of order) - http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/sarnita/Portugal/CCI%202%20Star%20Course/
Also took a bit of video of 3 star course http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7079088071629639325
