Gamebird
Well-Known Member
Got to be one of my favourite events ever! Especially on a lovely sunny day like today. It just makes everything so civilised
Although I had a lie in (4.30am
) sadly I didn't manage much sleep as I didn't get back from work until 12.30am so my driving-whilst-pouring-hot-coffee-into-a-mug-held-between-my-knees skills have improved immeasureably this week!
Carthorse did one of his nicer tests, spoilt mostly by far too much neck bend in the first half 10m circle. Scored 40.5 and was extremely disappointed. No comment on my test sheet
so I'm not fully enlightened as to where we went wrong
. In my defence it was a hard scoring section - Brook Staples had the only sub-30 score and the rest were scattered between 35 and 45.
Baydale turned up to 'motivate' us (at least that's what she called it
) before the SJ. Didn't touch a pole in the warm up, went into the rather spooky ring (lots of flowers, extra jumps and flapping marquees) and Carthorse thought that the first fence was trying to eat him. He put his head between his knees going over so that he could keep an eye on it
and inevitably had it down. He wasn't entirely willing to trust any of the fences not to attack him so he had the second part of the double too....
. The pictures look lovely - knees tucked right up, ears forwards etc.
. I have a plan involving even more parts of sheep decorating his bridle so that he can't look down!
XC at Belton is what it's all about really. The course was slightly more technical than last year and still pretty darn huge. The second last fence, a carrot table thingy, remains the biggest Novice fence I have ever jumped
.
He was fab over 1 and 2, got a bit close to 3, screwed slightly and I lost my stirrup, jumped the related distance to the next with one stirrup, retrieved its friend and continued to 5 - two skinny houses on an angle and off a turn (the intermediate equivalent was SOOOO much nicer
). Popped through this fine. Big telegraph oxer - fine, double of wavy narrow branches - fine. Through the water like a pro then to the coffin. They'd changed this this year and we had a very upright narrow brush then we jumped the ditch part of the Adv/3* coffin on a 45 degree angle. Not one for the babies! Carthorse sailed through this
. Big trakhener, poley oxer, double of narrow sheep feeders on an angle, double of arrowheads (are you spotting a theme yet?
). The sunken road is deep and very narrow - barely room for a stride in the bottom
and full of water
I don't think it has rained for about 3 weeks!. Anyway this was fine, double of angled upright brushes was fine, skinny pig and pig arc was also fine, took a pull rather than a flier at the ENORMOUS second last fence and home over the last
Steering between fences still rather suspect - absolutely fine in combinations/angled fences etc., just hampered by wide open spaces
.
Was amazed to find that we were inside the time
. Only a couple were! Was good enough for 13th or so (again
) but boy, those were expensive show-jumps! I didn't count exactly but 10th place was 2 pens ahead of me so one down would have left me well placed and a clear would have been a top 4ish finish
.
Oh well, that's the whole fun of the game I suppose
. Am back at work now so you guys are welcome to a Pimm's. I believe Baydale has some to spare
Thanks to Baydale for the 'motivation' and Kerilli for the videoing (of which more, possibly, later
).
Although I had a lie in (4.30am
Carthorse did one of his nicer tests, spoilt mostly by far too much neck bend in the first half 10m circle. Scored 40.5 and was extremely disappointed. No comment on my test sheet
Baydale turned up to 'motivate' us (at least that's what she called it
XC at Belton is what it's all about really. The course was slightly more technical than last year and still pretty darn huge. The second last fence, a carrot table thingy, remains the biggest Novice fence I have ever jumped
He was fab over 1 and 2, got a bit close to 3, screwed slightly and I lost my stirrup, jumped the related distance to the next with one stirrup, retrieved its friend and continued to 5 - two skinny houses on an angle and off a turn (the intermediate equivalent was SOOOO much nicer
Steering between fences still rather suspect - absolutely fine in combinations/angled fences etc., just hampered by wide open spaces
Was amazed to find that we were inside the time
Oh well, that's the whole fun of the game I suppose
Thanks to Baydale for the 'motivation' and Kerilli for the videoing (of which more, possibly, later
)
