Baydale
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the tardy submission of this report, Miss,
but my candle has been burning at both ends and it's only a bout of insomnia that has made time for this.
Last event of the season and a local one, thankfully, so not too early a start - or not compared with the cubbing alarm calls anyway. The very gorgeous Ralphie G was on first doing the Novice, his second ever, although he'd had a whizz around Lt Downham Intro with his owner which he loved. My dressage warm-up was reminiscent of our first outing of the season, with much grunting, a little bit of planting and less-than-gentlemanly behaviour from he with the huge ego - "don't tell me what to do" about summed it up, so to say I struggled in the test is an understatement! His owner and I were gutted at the thought of his mark starting with a 4...
My showjumping warm-up wasn't a lot better as he was so strong and it makes you want to hook for England! Eventually we put up a max height oxer and I just let go....he stopped pulling then, funny that. In the ring the second half was definitely better than the first, again because he stopped pulling, and we left them all up. I do wish they wouldn't tell you your dressage mark as you're heading to the trickiest part of the course though, even if I did just manage to squeak in sub-40 with a 39.5.
This is my favourite photo, look at those knees (scroll to and fro for some more):
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...gory/SundayNoviceSJ0840to0930/photo/D70_6018/
It seemed like a very loooooong time since I did Lt Downham(1) Novice, and I've not ridden him xc since. Ho hum, he seemed up for anything so I employed my usual simplistic approach of "let 'em run and jump". Oh. My. God. He is just awesome. I would have happily gone round the Intermediate track on him as he just kept galloping and jumping, feeling like a much more experienced horse, especially through the water where he was foot perfect. I was grinning from ear to ear the whole way round, and only did a few re-balances here and there as I felt I ought to, I'm sure he'd have managed perfectly well without tbh. Cute photos here (scroll for more):
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ndayNoviceXCFeeders0930to1030/photo/N69_5618/
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...XCFootbridge0930to1030Camera1/photo/M70_3777/
I got 9.6 time but he is only ickle and I need to learn to trust him - seeing as he's such a clever clogs - and not waste any time anywhere. Woo hoo for another shiny point though: two double clears in his first two Novices, not too shabby.
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ndayNoviceXCFeeders0930to1030/photo/N69_5618/
A quick break for a bacon butty and a whizz round the Intermediate course and then it was time for Mr Ego Mk II, although Jup looks positively mousey after Ralph. Jup showed his usual disdain for dressage with a slightly surly demeanour, kinda sulky teenager, and made me work my butt off (I thought dressage was supposed to look effortless?) We had a misunderstanding in a counter canter but other than that it was an okay test, just uninspiring and 35.5 was about right.
The showjumping didn't look too big or too tricky or too spooky, but Joooopiter was so laid back as to be almost horizontal, a little switched-off even, so I had to alert him to the thing in front of him without chasing, not that you can tell that from this photo where we had a....ahem....more forward stride.
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...undayIntermediateSJ1310to1430/photo/D70_6525/
He's so bloomin' capable but just has a bit of CBA about him. We were clear anyway, so I shouldn't complain.
Off to the xc warm-up and then he woke up! He often reminds me of another huge Baydale horse... Off we set and it's funny that I rarely feel nervous on him so I ride much better from the off, rather than taking a few fences to settle into it. However, a heavy week at work, two weeks of Woman Flu and a course of antibiotics for my gammy leg had completely removed any ability I may have had to see a stride, so I had to hand over that responsibility to Jup - scary prospect, that. What a relief to find that he is as good as I think he is and he coped admirably with my buck-passing, not even bothering to have a peep at any of the ditches, nor ponder through the water and he was straight as a die at the double of corners near the end - oh how I love my pony, and I take back everything I ever said about him to the contrary (or I do for now, give it a week and I'll be back to hating his annoying-ness).
This is probably the nicest of the photos, other than my very unattractive squinting:
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ntXCStepDown1400to1500Camera1/photo/M70_4246/
Although this is quite cute too:
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...SundayIntXCBoxBrush1400to1500/photo/N69_5995/
I had 8 time and yes, of course I wish I'd gone faster, but I was more than happy with another two points for a double clear and so nearly got a rosette, being pipped by 0.1 so I was 11th, boo. Onwards and upwards though, I have a very cute 7yo who's done just enough this season to make me not want to hang my boots up, and whilst he's having a month off I'm having a bit of a rebuild ...expect built-in airbags to be the new fashion next season. I'm thinking I'll market them with the name PointyTwo, whadya think?
I have Bakewell Tart and posh coffee to offer if you've got this far - I'd done the ironing and I doubt my neighbour would have liked me hoovering at 7am on a Sunday so baking it was - enjoy!
but my candle has been burning at both ends and it's only a bout of insomnia that has made time for this. Last event of the season and a local one, thankfully, so not too early a start - or not compared with the cubbing alarm calls anyway. The very gorgeous Ralphie G was on first doing the Novice, his second ever, although he'd had a whizz around Lt Downham Intro with his owner which he loved.
My dressage warm-up was reminiscent of our first outing of the season, with much grunting, a little bit of planting and less-than-gentlemanly behaviour from he with the huge ego - "don't tell me what to do" about summed it up, so to say I struggled in the test is an understatement! His owner and I were gutted at the thought of his mark starting with a 4... My showjumping warm-up wasn't a lot better as he was so strong and it makes you want to hook for England! Eventually we put up a max height oxer and I just let go
....he stopped pulling then, funny that. In the ring the second half was definitely better than the first, again because he stopped pulling, and we left them all up. I do wish they wouldn't tell you your dressage mark as you're heading to the trickiest part of the course though, even if I did just manage to squeak in sub-40 with a 39.5. This is my favourite photo, look at those knees (scroll to and fro for some more):
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...gory/SundayNoviceSJ0840to0930/photo/D70_6018/
It seemed like a very loooooong time since I did Lt Downham(1) Novice, and I've not ridden him xc since. Ho hum, he seemed up for anything so I employed my usual simplistic approach of "let 'em run and jump". Oh. My. God. He is just awesome.
I would have happily gone round the Intermediate track on him as he just kept galloping and jumping, feeling like a much more experienced horse, especially through the water where he was foot perfect. I was grinning from ear to ear the whole way round, and only did a few re-balances here and there as I felt I ought to, I'm sure he'd have managed perfectly well without tbh. Cute photos here (scroll for more):http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ndayNoviceXCFeeders0930to1030/photo/N69_5618/
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...XCFootbridge0930to1030Camera1/photo/M70_3777/
I got 9.6 time but he is only ickle and I need to learn to trust him - seeing as he's such a clever clogs - and not waste any time anywhere. Woo hoo for another shiny point though: two double clears in his first two Novices, not too shabby.
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ndayNoviceXCFeeders0930to1030/photo/N69_5618/
A quick break for a bacon butty and a whizz round the Intermediate course and then it was time for Mr Ego Mk II, although Jup looks positively mousey after Ralph.
Jup showed his usual disdain for dressage with a slightly surly demeanour, kinda sulky teenager, and made me work my butt off (I thought dressage was supposed to look effortless?) We had a misunderstanding in a counter canter but other than that it was an okay test, just uninspiring and 35.5 was about right.The showjumping didn't look too big or too tricky or too spooky, but Joooopiter was so laid back as to be almost horizontal, a little switched-off even, so I had to alert him to the thing in front of him without chasing, not that you can tell that from this photo where we had a....ahem....more forward stride.
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...undayIntermediateSJ1310to1430/photo/D70_6525/
He's so bloomin' capable but just has a bit of CBA about him.
We were clear anyway, so I shouldn't complain.Off to the xc warm-up and then he woke up! He often reminds me of another huge Baydale horse...
Off we set and it's funny that I rarely feel nervous on him so I ride much better from the off, rather than taking a few fences to settle into it. However, a heavy week at work, two weeks of Woman Flu and a course of antibiotics for my gammy leg had completely removed any ability I may have had to see a stride, so I had to hand over that responsibility to Jup - scary prospect, that. What a relief to find that he is as good as I think he is and he coped admirably with my buck-passing, not even bothering to have a peep at any of the ditches, nor ponder through the water and he was straight as a die at the double of corners near the end - oh how I love my pony, and I take back everything I ever said about him to the contrary (or I do for now, give it a week and I'll be back to hating his annoying-ness).This is probably the nicest of the photos, other than my very unattractive squinting:
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ntXCStepDown1400to1500Camera1/photo/M70_4246/
Although this is quite cute too:
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...SundayIntXCBoxBrush1400to1500/photo/N69_5995/
I had 8 time and yes, of course I wish I'd gone faster
, but I was more than happy with another two points for a double clear and so nearly got a rosette, being pipped by 0.1 so I was 11th, boo. Onwards and upwards though, I have a very cute 7yo who's done just enough this season to make me not want to hang my boots up, and whilst he's having a month off I'm having a bit of a rebuild ...expect built-in airbags to be the new fashion next season. I'm thinking I'll market them with the name PointyTwo, whadya think? I have Bakewell Tart and posh coffee to offer if you've got this far - I'd done the ironing and I doubt my neighbour would have liked me hoovering at 7am on a Sunday so baking it was - enjoy!
