AutumnRose
Well-Known Member
Today was our first BE since March last year for various reasons...including having a baby! We did Pulborough unaff a couple of weeks ago so second event back out. Hoping for a confident run as we have his first PN at Mattingley unaff next weekend 
Thanks to the kind entries sec we had the middle of the day times i'd asked for but still required leaving at 6.30am. After putting H, baby AR and the kitchen sink in the lorry (and B obviously!) we set of half an hour late! Luckily the journey i'd planned 2 hours for only took 1.5hours so we arrived on time! Quick feed for baby AR then off to walk the xc. Ground was super considering all the rain and it was a nice track. They'd taken out the section through the woods as it was too wet so it was quite twisty as they been clever with using the fields. Enough to think about but nothing worrying.
On for dressage warm up. Has historically been a good phase for B, he averages about 30 at BE but its what he did the least of whilst i was off and he and i are a bit rusty plus he was VERY excited to be out at Pulb and got 40!! Warmed up nicely, if a bit more interested in the xc which had started over the hedge. Did a lovely settled test though (unlike pulb where he boiled over) and was pleased with him. Got 32 which was 2nd out of over 40 starters and included a 9!!!!!!!!! For his halt, hehe
Another baby-AR feed in the back of the lorry (bless her!) and then on to sj. Feeding left me a bit late so i quickly warmed up and was told it was 1 until me. Course wasn't big but was was causing a lot of problems. Lots of tricky lines, not your average BE figure of 8 and fences were coming up very quickly on turns. It didn't feel that tidy but we got the job done for a clear. He's really getting a tad cocky at this height now and we had a couple of minor disagreements but can't argue with a clear
Quick change for xc and headed over. He gets SO excited in warm ups now for xc so we stood quietly in the corner to watch. He will stand or bounce but not walk sensibly near the start! Nearly our go so i thought i'd pop one fence and nearly big the dust when he stopped dead 4 strides out snorting at the white gravel they'd put down in front of fence. Booted him and he went a popped fence so did it again to be sure! Quick chat with the starter about the weather and off we went.
Nice shot to 1, 2 and 3 which were straight forward. 4 was a trakhena which looks very innocuous but caused So many stops! B isn't ditchy but i am so i sat up a bit but he popped it fine. Half coffin next, slowed down more than i needed to because of my ditch fear but he popped it and then the skinny second part. Nice hop over the blue house at 6, 7 was a sunken road with ramp down step up to skinny house. Bottom was filled with the horse eating white gravel so he had a good spook but jumped up the step and house fine. 8 was a log on top of a little mound with a drop, bit close but nice. Sheep feeder next which he flew then water, splash though and bit close to fence on way out but he got his toes out the way for me. Gallop up towards the finish then turned to a dog kennel to skinny brush combo which he did confidently. Down the 2 steps at 12. Oxer next, nicely out his stride. 15 was a set of rails at about 2'6 which he sort of skipped over. Roll top in his stride again. Second last i saw a bit of a long one and changed my mind, B did same thing and we didn't get a very nice jump but he got us safely over and then popped the last for a lovely clear!
Really pleased with him as the course, despite looking straight forward cause lots of problems and time faults. We got 2 time which was annoying (you'll see why in a sec
) but i'm not worried as without my pull at the coffin, his spooking at the gravel and the dodgy second last moment we'd have been easily inside.
Went to check the results to find we'd come second! Yay!!! Very pleased with him. My highest ever placing at a BE event...without the time we'd have won but nevermind! Got a free photo voucher and a £33 horses in sport tradestand voucher which thought was a fab prize!
All in all a good day out and not a bad BE comeback!!! We get to have a crack at a regional final now too which will be fun, better get the dressage back in the 20s for that i think!!! I've said it before my pony is a dude!!! He feels very ready to step up to PN so fingers crossed for next week!! All being well then we have Brightling BE 100 entered too
A photo and some videos for reading.....
Snap from dressage warm up. None from the test i'm afraid as baby AR was bored with dressage by then and my photographer had to leave! Hehe
Show jumping. Not tidiest round but clear!
First few xc fences
Middle of xc..
Thanks to the kind entries sec we had the middle of the day times i'd asked for but still required leaving at 6.30am. After putting H, baby AR and the kitchen sink in the lorry (and B obviously!) we set of half an hour late! Luckily the journey i'd planned 2 hours for only took 1.5hours so we arrived on time! Quick feed for baby AR then off to walk the xc. Ground was super considering all the rain and it was a nice track. They'd taken out the section through the woods as it was too wet so it was quite twisty as they been clever with using the fields. Enough to think about but nothing worrying.
On for dressage warm up. Has historically been a good phase for B, he averages about 30 at BE but its what he did the least of whilst i was off and he and i are a bit rusty plus he was VERY excited to be out at Pulb and got 40!! Warmed up nicely, if a bit more interested in the xc which had started over the hedge. Did a lovely settled test though (unlike pulb where he boiled over) and was pleased with him. Got 32 which was 2nd out of over 40 starters and included a 9!!!!!!!!! For his halt, hehe
Another baby-AR feed in the back of the lorry (bless her!) and then on to sj. Feeding left me a bit late so i quickly warmed up and was told it was 1 until me. Course wasn't big but was was causing a lot of problems. Lots of tricky lines, not your average BE figure of 8 and fences were coming up very quickly on turns. It didn't feel that tidy but we got the job done for a clear. He's really getting a tad cocky at this height now and we had a couple of minor disagreements but can't argue with a clear
Quick change for xc and headed over. He gets SO excited in warm ups now for xc so we stood quietly in the corner to watch. He will stand or bounce but not walk sensibly near the start! Nearly our go so i thought i'd pop one fence and nearly big the dust when he stopped dead 4 strides out snorting at the white gravel they'd put down in front of fence. Booted him and he went a popped fence so did it again to be sure! Quick chat with the starter about the weather and off we went.
Nice shot to 1, 2 and 3 which were straight forward. 4 was a trakhena which looks very innocuous but caused So many stops! B isn't ditchy but i am so i sat up a bit but he popped it fine. Half coffin next, slowed down more than i needed to because of my ditch fear but he popped it and then the skinny second part. Nice hop over the blue house at 6, 7 was a sunken road with ramp down step up to skinny house. Bottom was filled with the horse eating white gravel so he had a good spook but jumped up the step and house fine. 8 was a log on top of a little mound with a drop, bit close but nice. Sheep feeder next which he flew then water, splash though and bit close to fence on way out but he got his toes out the way for me. Gallop up towards the finish then turned to a dog kennel to skinny brush combo which he did confidently. Down the 2 steps at 12. Oxer next, nicely out his stride. 15 was a set of rails at about 2'6 which he sort of skipped over. Roll top in his stride again. Second last i saw a bit of a long one and changed my mind, B did same thing and we didn't get a very nice jump but he got us safely over and then popped the last for a lovely clear!
Really pleased with him as the course, despite looking straight forward cause lots of problems and time faults. We got 2 time which was annoying (you'll see why in a sec
) but i'm not worried as without my pull at the coffin, his spooking at the gravel and the dodgy second last moment we'd have been easily inside. Went to check the results to find we'd come second! Yay!!! Very pleased with him. My highest ever placing at a BE event...without the time we'd have won but nevermind! Got a free photo voucher and a £33 horses in sport tradestand voucher which thought was a fab prize!
All in all a good day out and not a bad BE comeback!!! We get to have a crack at a regional final now too which will be fun, better get the dressage back in the 20s for that i think!!! I've said it before my pony is a dude!!! He feels very ready to step up to PN so fingers crossed for next week!! All being well then we have Brightling BE 100 entered too
A photo and some videos for reading.....
Snap from dressage warm up. None from the test i'm afraid as baby AR was bored with dressage by then and my photographer had to leave! Hehe
Show jumping. Not tidiest round but clear!
First few xc fences
Middle of xc..
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