MissDeMeena
Well-Known Member
Not really sure where to start with this one, esp as the week has gone in a total blur and i can't really remember half of it..
We arrived on Wed late morning ish, to be met by Helen and Kirsty and a nice saved parking space within easy walking distance of the stabling.. Went for a hack around the park with Helen and Max before coming back and getting ready for the trot-up.. passed that and then continued to set up camp for the rest of the week..
Thurs was a quiet day for us, as i didn't have dressage till Friday morning.. so mum took the boy for some grass while i went off for my first course-walk with the lovely Louise Skelton.. then took him for another leg stretch before having a go at some dressage/flatwork, we had some nice moments as well as some not so nice.. no point in worrying about it now tho, what would be would be tomorrow.. so put the boy away/back out for some more grass.. and at some point had a look round the trade stands.
Friday morning, dressage was at 10:40, with a good 20 min hack to get to the main arena.. so i needed to be on in plenty of time... When i got to the warm-up i decided that we were going to do plenty of long and low, with nothing too stressfull inbetween.. however, moving from one collecting ring to the next was too much for him and he really tensed up, with the one in before me already half way through their test, there wasn't alot i could do about it..
So, on our call, we cantered into the main arena, cantered round the edge of it and circled down at the bottom end, with each circle he seemed to settle a bit.. the judge seemed to take for ages to ring the bell, so i just kept cantering a circle, with him on the last circle finally letting go and relaxing, just in time to canter down the centre line
He managed to keep it together for most the trot movement, obviously it wasn't great, but then it never is, however we did get several 7s which is a first for us (all be it, from one judge, who i'm now in love with haha).. then came the walk part, which he also managed most of, before deciding that we really ought to be cantering several markers before the test said.. so i thought it easier to just go with what Ernie wanted and cantered there instead of where the test wanted me to
he thought the judge realy needed some entertainment, so squealed in his flying changes, to which i saw the judge at 'E' giggle
haha, they should have given him some extra marks for it
So, we got a 69.6
which i'm sure 'most' people would be really upset with, however i was thrilled!!
The boy managed to hold it together at last.
After the dressage was another course walk.. this time i managed to catch up with Andrew N. at the fences i didn't like (through carefull judgment of walking speed haha) he was so helpfull, and very approchable.. with his advice ringing in my ears i was happy for one more course walk on my own on Sat morning..
XC day.. He had his breakfast early, followed by an early morning leg stretch and a munch of grass before i went up to the riders tent to watch the first people set out.. I watched Jean-Luc G (however you spell his name?) ride an amazing [if a little fast] round, and that was all i wanted to see, so it was back to the lorry to get ready..
In the warm-up area Ernie really started to get wound up, the purple haze came down and i truely couldn't hold him.. thoughts were going through my mind of jumping a few fences and having to pull up due to total break failure
I gave up with jumping any practice fences and tried to just 'lob' round the outside untill my time..
Mum had to lead us into the start box, managed to get the timing spot on and off we set..
Luckily for me there was a long gallop from the first fence to the second.. so i went with the idea that "it takes two to fight" and i dropped the reins, hoping that with no contact he might settle.. it worked
I did have to strangle him 3 strides out from the first few fences, but he soon settled into a lovely rhythm.. we gallopped and jumped our way round the rest of the course like that
We did have one iffy moment, while taking the long route at the big table to the corner, we hit the corner and put in a bit of a screw jump over it
but with Ernie being the athlete that he is, we were soon on our way again..
I never once asked him to gallop the whole way round, apart from a little from the second last fence to the last, where i thought that having galloped for 10mins i might be able to hold him if i encouraged him forwards a bit more, so with a little niggle from me, he shot off towards the last
The vet in the D box was very impressed with him, saying that on the very first listening that his heart rate was already going down again, and that he looked a million dollars, which was good because he felt a million dollars too!!
We finished with 10.4 time faults
maybe if i had kicked on i could have gone faster, but then again, if i had kicked on, i probably would have waisted alot more time and energy fighting him infront of every fence.
Anyway, i'm still rather shattered from the whole week, (i've written loads already
so i'm going to cut the last bit short)..
He passed the trot-up.. and went on to SJ clear, making a certain SJing steward blub
We managed to climb 47 places in the end.. from 74th after the dressage to end up 27th
I was presented with a made to measure Patey Top-Hat, for the rider climbing the most places after the dressage.
Many thanks to teapot for taking these pics..
First fence, so far so good..
Second fence, please excuse the size of my behind!! Wanted to carry him over this one, as alot seemed to be having it down.
Ooooops, saw a bit of a long one here, typical eventer
Another large bum shot.
Clearing the last.. Wooohooo, doesn't his face look cute here
We arrived on Wed late morning ish, to be met by Helen and Kirsty and a nice saved parking space within easy walking distance of the stabling.. Went for a hack around the park with Helen and Max before coming back and getting ready for the trot-up.. passed that and then continued to set up camp for the rest of the week..
Thurs was a quiet day for us, as i didn't have dressage till Friday morning.. so mum took the boy for some grass while i went off for my first course-walk with the lovely Louise Skelton.. then took him for another leg stretch before having a go at some dressage/flatwork, we had some nice moments as well as some not so nice.. no point in worrying about it now tho, what would be would be tomorrow.. so put the boy away/back out for some more grass.. and at some point had a look round the trade stands.
Friday morning, dressage was at 10:40, with a good 20 min hack to get to the main arena.. so i needed to be on in plenty of time... When i got to the warm-up i decided that we were going to do plenty of long and low, with nothing too stressfull inbetween.. however, moving from one collecting ring to the next was too much for him and he really tensed up, with the one in before me already half way through their test, there wasn't alot i could do about it..
So, on our call, we cantered into the main arena, cantered round the edge of it and circled down at the bottom end, with each circle he seemed to settle a bit.. the judge seemed to take for ages to ring the bell, so i just kept cantering a circle, with him on the last circle finally letting go and relaxing, just in time to canter down the centre line
He managed to keep it together for most the trot movement, obviously it wasn't great, but then it never is, however we did get several 7s which is a first for us (all be it, from one judge, who i'm now in love with haha).. then came the walk part, which he also managed most of, before deciding that we really ought to be cantering several markers before the test said.. so i thought it easier to just go with what Ernie wanted and cantered there instead of where the test wanted me to
So, we got a 69.6
The boy managed to hold it together at last.
After the dressage was another course walk.. this time i managed to catch up with Andrew N. at the fences i didn't like (through carefull judgment of walking speed haha) he was so helpfull, and very approchable.. with his advice ringing in my ears i was happy for one more course walk on my own on Sat morning..
XC day.. He had his breakfast early, followed by an early morning leg stretch and a munch of grass before i went up to the riders tent to watch the first people set out.. I watched Jean-Luc G (however you spell his name?) ride an amazing [if a little fast] round, and that was all i wanted to see, so it was back to the lorry to get ready..
In the warm-up area Ernie really started to get wound up, the purple haze came down and i truely couldn't hold him.. thoughts were going through my mind of jumping a few fences and having to pull up due to total break failure
I gave up with jumping any practice fences and tried to just 'lob' round the outside untill my time..
Mum had to lead us into the start box, managed to get the timing spot on and off we set..
Luckily for me there was a long gallop from the first fence to the second.. so i went with the idea that "it takes two to fight" and i dropped the reins, hoping that with no contact he might settle.. it worked
I never once asked him to gallop the whole way round, apart from a little from the second last fence to the last, where i thought that having galloped for 10mins i might be able to hold him if i encouraged him forwards a bit more, so with a little niggle from me, he shot off towards the last
The vet in the D box was very impressed with him, saying that on the very first listening that his heart rate was already going down again, and that he looked a million dollars, which was good because he felt a million dollars too!!
We finished with 10.4 time faults
Anyway, i'm still rather shattered from the whole week, (i've written loads already
He passed the trot-up.. and went on to SJ clear, making a certain SJing steward blub
We managed to climb 47 places in the end.. from 74th after the dressage to end up 27th
I was presented with a made to measure Patey Top-Hat, for the rider climbing the most places after the dressage.
Many thanks to teapot for taking these pics..
First fence, so far so good..
Second fence, please excuse the size of my behind!! Wanted to carry him over this one, as alot seemed to be having it down.
Ooooops, saw a bit of a long one here, typical eventer
Another large bum shot.
Clearing the last.. Wooohooo, doesn't his face look cute here
