Billy goes to Badminton and boy am I proud of him! :D

[Twiglet]

wGreat report, and what a week you had! Love his face in the last one, what a dude.

I'm so sorry we didn't get a chance to 'chat' when I saw you - I was the wroooong side of cider and dancing, I'm not sure either of us would have made much sense

So glad you got Jo Davies'd beforehand, she is great isn't she? Although she did spend most of the weekend jealous of all you lucky grassrootsers....that girl needs a horse

 

[jenbleep]

Fantastic report - looks and sounds like you both had such a lovely time

 

[Branna]

Brilliant report! Well done for getting there and completing, and having such a great attitude even though it didn't all go to plan!

 

[Orangehorse]

Very well done for achieving your goal, it was a great report. Badminton cocktail party - how lucky was that!

 

[1life]

What a lovely report! A great read - you could really feel your emotions at each stage. It sounds like you have a lovely, honest relationship with your horse and know when it's ride error, horse error or a bit of both . Very inspirational too! The pictures tell the whole story brilliantly

Very, very Well Done to you both

 

[RunToEarth]

I really enjoy your reports - you have a wonderful little horse there

 

[lex2501]

Amazing report that had my eyes leaking, what an utterly fabulous experience and a brilliant achievement for you both Looking forward to next years already

thank you! Replies like yours make writing these reports totally worthwhile! It's so lovely to hear that you enjoyed reading about our adventure!

What a lovely report! Well done for getting there and for coming away with so many positives! Good luck qualifying for next year's champs, hopefully I will be able to get there one day

Thank you Clare! Fingers crossed he gets the ticket to next year's championships as he really deserves to be there! And best of luck in qualifying yourself! It took me 5 years to qualify so don't give up!

Great report, well done on qualifying and completing. Very jealous of the cocktail party!

Thank you! Retiring didn't even cross my mind - and I was so lucky to be able to carry on and enjoy the rest of the course as some poor people didnt get past the dreaded coffin

Fab report. Well done on getting there, getting round and most importantly having fun! I love Billy, his little face looks so happy

He has the cutest little face and he is ALWAYS smiling which makes him a complete joy to own and ride! Thank you!

What a brilliant report and what a fantastic little horse. You both did so well and achieved what you set out to - with the added bonus of the cocktail party, which I am sooo envious about! Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us.

Thanks Dollysox! I couldn't quite believe we got to the cocktail party! A really incredible experience, and I have to say that had I have been SO lucky this year with the Horseware support that I didnt really deserve the added luck of winning the title!

I don't post much in here but had to reply to this thread - what a wonderful report! You both look like you had an absolute ball Shame about the stop but it doesn't sound like you could have been anymore prepared, sometimes things just don't quite go to plan despite our best efforts. It looks as though it was a great learning experience and you've finished full of smiles, so positive overall Billy is lovely, enjoying every minute of it!

Thank you so much - I genuinely appreciate every single response to my reports so thank you! I will keep them coming

massive big huge well done!!! sounds like a brilliant couple of days and apart from one tiny whoopsie at the coffin (which actually could be looked at as useful as you have learned from it) he made the rest of the course look so easy and he obviously had an amazing time by the look of those super pricked ears!

Thank youuuu!! He definitely ate up the rest of the course so I really am proud of him. The whoopsy could have rattled his confidence, but he got better and better and I really think he will come out a better horse for it. I can't wait for his mini- holiday to finish so I can get cracking again!!

Love all the photos. fab report sounds like you had lots of fun, love the champagne while walking the XC!
and I love the horseware name banners

Hehe thank you! Team Billy had so much fun! There are some hilarious photos from the whole weekend and I laugh every time I look at some of them! The banners are amazing! Need to work out where I can put them up at home! I have a great one for the lorry too

Wow - Lex - amazing report!!!!!!! I loved reading it. Lovely pics and what a great time you had. Huge well done! Such a super experience for both of you and it really sounds like the event of a lifetime. Now chop chop to qualify for 2015, please....!

Ahhh Praise indeed coming from the queen of the HHO reports!! Not quite as much wit as yours but hopefully I gave everyone an insight into our experience, and I try to be as frank and honest as I can be about our confidence.
Don't panic! Billy's mini holiday draws to an end this weekend and then we are back out on a mission to qualify for next year so fingers crossed!!

Fantastic report, I really enjoyed reading that, and love the photos and video!

Thank you! Makes all the typing worthwhile to hear people enjoy reading my reports!!

echo what everyone else has said, fantastic report, brought a tear to my eye reading it all. Well done for getting back on and finishing in such wonderful style. You and Billy are a real inspiration to the rest of us with "ordinary" horses with perhaps not such perfect confirmation, that you can acheive anything if you work hard and put your mind to it. Loved the hatcam as well, felt like we were there with you !!! Very much looking forward to seeing you ( and Star ) qualify for 2015

Thank you! There is no better feeling than arriving at an event feeling outclassed in the warm up to find that your little hero has kept up with the big boys on the leader board! He really is a superstar!

Fantastic report and fabulous photos. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Love the video cam too, really brings it to life.
Best of luck for re qualifying, I look forward to reading your report next year!

Thanks Dixie! I shall keep you all posted with our progress in trying to qualify!

Lovely report and well done on qualifying and completing and even more so for making the most of and enjoying the whole experience. It is so easy to forget that it is supposed to be fun and to miss out on making the most of such things. Good luck for qualifying again.

That's really kind of you to say - and that was what I was desperately worried about forgetting so I'm really proud of myself for shaking off the mini-disasters and laughing my way through the weekend!

 

[lex2501]

wGreat report, and what a week you had! Love his face in the last one, what a dude.
I'm so sorry we didn't get a chance to 'chat' when I saw you - I was the wroooong side of cider and dancing, I'm not sure either of us would have made much sense
So glad you got Jo Davies'd beforehand, she is great isn't she? Although she did spend most of the weekend jealous of all you lucky grassrootsers....that girl needs a horse

Agh I can't believe we didnt see more of each other! The complete lack of phone reception/battery meant there were so many people I didnt catch up with in the end, so it was really nice to see you - albeit briefly, drunken and on the dancefloor!!
Jo was awesome - I will definitely be seeing more of her! and yes she DEFINITELY needs a horse!!

Fantastic report - looks and sounds like you both had such a lovely time

Thank youuu!

Brilliant report! Well done for getting there and completing, and having such a great attitude even though it didn't all go to plan!

Thanks Branna!

Very well done for achieving your goal, it was a great report. Badminton cocktail party - how lucky was that!

So lucky! Horseware are very very good to me! Thank you!

What a lovely report! A great read - you could really feel your emotions at each stage. It sounds like you have a lovely, honest relationship with your horse and know when it's ride error, horse error or a bit of both . Very inspirational too! The pictures tell the whole story brilliantly
Very, very Well Done to you both

What a lovely message - thank you! 99% of the time they are my errors but occasionally he teaches me the odd lesson about complacency which is no bad thing!! thank you, really appreciate it!

I really enjoy your reports - you have a wonderful little horse there

Ahh that's great to hear! Thank you! I shall keep writing

 

[lex2501]

A very kind HHOer has been in touch with the video from our "whoopsy" at the coffin so I'm being very brave and sharing it with you for your thoughts....

On watching again, I would say that the issue was in my position and being ahead of the movement which caused the fall. I would also say my coffin canter needed a bit more punch - but with a fence of 90cms he *could* have jumped from what we had. It is also quite clear that I had no warning of the stop until point of take off - so I dont think riding any more aggressively would have helped. I genuinely believe that he was perhaps a little distracted by the volume of people watching, and so the ditch took him by surprise and from the hat cam you can see that he would only sight it at point of take off. Had there been an extra stride, or it been on flatter ground I am confident he would have gone. I think it was just too much for him to work out and hence anchors down! I needed to ride aggressively at that second attempt - but that wouldn't have been appropriate first time looking at how he leaves his legs behind. Thoughts??

[video=youtube;BRrIhdWd2xI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRrIhdWd2xI[/video]

 

[Rach_W]

I'm not sure there is any more you could have done! As you say there was no warning of the stop and a more defensive position might have stopped the fall, but I think it was just simply that it took him by surprise and he couldn't work it out! I agree I don't think more aggressive riding would have got him over the first time!

 

[lex2501]

I'm not sure there is any more you could have done! As you say there was no warning of the stop and a more defensive position might have stopped the fall, but I think it was just simply that it took him by surprise and he couldn't work it out! I agree I don't think more aggressive riding would have got him over the first time!

Gosh that has made me feel better!! I am a bit mortified that I look like a sack of spuds I need to get a bit stronger through the core. I think it was a genuine mistake from him - he is a very honest XC horse so I am confident it just all came up a bit quick and brain couldn't quite engage!! Bless him for not letting it rattle him though! Thank you!

 

[Carefreegirl]

Wow, wow and wow :biggrin3:

Tbf there was heck of a lot going on fence wise as you approached the coffin ! I've not seen any other videos and as you approached I was thinking where the hell do you go here.

 

[lex2501]

Wow, wow and wow :biggrin3:

Tbf there was heck of a lot going on fence wise as you approached the coffin ! I've not seen any other videos and as you approached I was thinking where the hell do you go here.

Thank you! Yes I think he just didn't have time to work it all out. He is such a genuine and honest boy!!

 

[Nicnac]

Think he was bundling along quite nicely and got a bit distracted by the peeps and then saw what was in front of him and being a bloke, just couldn't multi-task quickly enough to sort out brain AND feet! Nicely done second time & great to hear the appreciative audience.

You almost saved yourself from the fall! Who was saying 'sit up Alexis'??

Very weird - when I clicked on vid to see it again, it comes up with Star's SJ round!

 

[Mrs Pink]

Lovely report and pics, love the rainbow one, well done

 

[Ellie2893]

First off - what am amazing report (had me a bit emotional at the end!) those photos are gorgeous too!!

Secondly, a strange question but where did you get your stall guard and stable drapes from? They're gorgeous!

 

[lex2501]

Think he was bundling along quite nicely and got a bit distracted by the peeps and then saw what was in front of him and being a bloke, just couldn't multi-task quickly enough to sort out brain AND feet! Nicely done second time & great to hear the appreciative audience.
You almost saved yourself from the fall! Who was saying 'sit up Alexis'??
Very weird - when I clicked on vid to see it again, it comes up with Star's SJ round!

The video was very kindly taken by a mutual friend of mine and Star's - hence the link to her round!! It was her who was willing me to stay in the plate!
Hehehe LOVE the rationale - bloke brain just couldn't quite cope with it all! He was probably totally preoccupied by the thought of 3 bags of carrots back at his stable!!!! Little monkey

Lovely report and pics, love the rainbow one, well done

Thank you! Fab photos aren't they! MDR is really brilliant at capturing special moments

First off - what am amazing report (had me a bit emotional at the end!) those photos are gorgeous too!!
Secondly, a strange question but where did you get your stall guard and stable drapes from? They're gorgeous!

Ahh thank you!! It's hard not to get a bit emosh about dear Billykins - he is SUCH a sweetheart!
I am very lucky as Horseware are sponsoring me this year and they made up the stable drapes and stopper for me - They are stunning! I am very very lucky!

 

[charlie8879]

I just wanted to say such a fantastic report, I have loved following you and the wonderfull Billy fulfill your dreams and love how honestly you write your report! Really pleased you acheived your goal and look forward to seeing you and Billy out and about for the rest of the season!