ElleJS
Well-Known Member
PHEW.... what a weekend. Prepare yourselves as this is a long one!
Before I go on you have prob seen result- doesn't look great but the mare was incredible! In fact so bold and incredible that I need sticky bum breaches for the future. We are over the moon
with her.
(click on link for fence 3 pic) http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t266/ElleJS/Bramham/BramhamFence3.jpg
So....
Arrived with best mate who was also in the under 25's on Wednesday morning to set up camp. Tents, BBQ and marquees! We had it all! Had a nice relaxing ride round Bramham Park and then terrified are selves by walking the course. My word it was HUGE and LONG. Took us hours to walk it!
This is what I mean. We only got to fence 3 and we felt ill!
Was absolutely physically terrified after walking the course and I tell you, even after I rode it when I walked it again (!) it still looked huge. I thought what am I doing, this is a seriously long course and every single fence is massive. The water at fence 4 with all the angled steps came up quick and was sharp.
(fence 4 pics below)
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t266/ElleJS/Bramham/BramhamFence4.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t266/ElleJS/Bramham/BramhamFence4d.jpg
My mare would have not come across a course like this before, and although we have done lots of 2*'s clear inside the time, this was a different story, I just prayed I got her fit enough.
Anyway she was happy and chilled out, and knew exactly her routine.
Thursday.
Trot up and briefing. All pretty straight forward stuff, felt great trotting up in front of all the crowds and all young rider horses passed bar one which was such a shame. Walked course again. Still terrified as was the mother, the chain smoking began. Fab party tho that night!
Friday. D day....
Had afternoon dressage, so lunged her and rode her calmly in the morning. She was chilled and felt good in the warm up, but in her typical style she got overwhelmed by the atmosphere and made alot of errors than she usually does and got over tense in the last lot of canters. She didn't totally blow, but we undid all our good marks by having tension.
Friend did an incredible test and was lying in 11th after the dressage.
Walked course again with trainer. Was now jumpable but still terrified. I knew all my back up plans, all my lines and decided to go long at the middle water incase like she did in the dressage she got overwhelmed by the crowds, as the log in was very big and unforgiving.
(oh how I regretted that the joy of heinsight!)
Could barely sleep that night.... and had butterflies all morning.
Trainer went down to the course to give us feedback on the fences with debatable striding and another friend was early to go so to watch him. He had the benefit of scorching round Blenheim last year, and true to form had a fab albeit hairy ride round for a clear and few time penalties. The time was proving impossible and tbh was the last thing on my mind! She was proving very keen in the practice arena and felt amazing. My other friend was 3 to go before me so only saw her over the first fence, she was pleased with her horse but had a run out and circle at the big log to palisade and time penalties. Still, a good round considering she is only 19.
Me next..... got held in the start box when the girl before me hit the deck at the first water at fence 4! So finally off we a went... got the most crap stride to fence 1, she wasn't even looking at it! Was a good sharpener and flew the square carrot box at fence 2, flew the big parallel at 3 flew the water at 4, flew the next flew the next.... I could just go on. She was incredible. Got seriously long stride at the double of wide rhombuses but she sorted it out for me.
Got to the double of grey palisades that were a very long 3 or short 4 and she popped thru on 4 altho we could have easily done it on 3, flew the next, flew the big trailer,
10 seconds up on the stop watch. Came out of the wood over the wide skinny
no problem then on to the big angled corners that were causing problems.
She was AMAZING! spot on and I heard the cheers and the commentator say it was copy book. Unfortunately so had Connie and was beginning to get strong and cocky. I was at the 5 min marker ahead of schedule but I was beginning to tire and feel sick with all the pulling Connie was doing as she wanted to go faster and faster. We jumped thru the massive log piles on incredible strides!
One of the YR selectors has some very cool pics of the mare thru there! Lets just say my position was getting very defensive!
Onto the big BIG BIIIIIIIG log that had haunted me!. and that my friend had some probs with I was checking and (over) checking and checking but nothing and Connie bounded over it and before I knew it we had turned and were completely off the skinny, but she had seen the flags and flew over it with no help from me!
Really started to struggle to hold her by now and had bridged my reins. We were still getting to minute markers ahead of schedule so I knew I had time to set her up. flew the next few fences and then came back to the big crowds to jump the hedge to the ditch bounce complex. showjump canter was needed to negotiate this one. I tried to slow her but nothing and she skipped thru it like it was nothing albeit far to speedy, but alas another big cheer and the mare was off again! She was not backing off and I was KNACKERED!
Came to the 8 minute marker at 7mins 52 so was ready to take the long route into the water as had plenty of time (I had 10sec built in). This is where I fell off. Basically she went to go straight at the big wall before the water and locked on, and I panicked and pulled her to the angled part of the big wall, she bashed her knee hard and left her leg. I went kerput after hanging on as tight as I could. On my feet then onto bum. Very harmless but I was gutted as you can imagine as her round was awesome and we were getting the time. Some one in the crowd caught her for me, jumped back on and breezed thru the water like nothing had happened! Put it behind me and carried on, albeit exhausted as she was still pulling like a train. Next onto this horrid stone wall. You either jumped onto it and off it or over a very very wide part. As she has endless scope and wasn't tired I jumped the corner part and she flew on a perfect stride again.
Next onto another tough complex! A very wide trakhener (which if u did the straight route you had to angle) to one stride to wall to big palisade in water,
she was awesome doing the straight route perfecto although nearly unseated me again when we took a stride out at the water, have great video footage of that! Then cruised home, over a few more with me very tired, Connie still wanting to go faster and to the finish, where I jumped off and pretty much passed out on the floor. Connie cooled off really well in the heat but her knee had now swollen to epic proportions. ice ice ice ice ice was the order of the rest of the day! She wasn't lame and the vets were amazing but it was huge.
Before I go on even more, she was sore this morning, not 100% and we w/d. Vets reckoned I could have presented but it would have been 50/50. tbh I wouldn't have wanted to jump her with a leg that big anyway. She has had some bute and is now cantering round her field sound as a pound. *rolleyes*
Totally impressed with her, she is incredible, but lessons learnt.
*New brakes.
*New brakes.
and new brakes. oh and I will get more upper body strength!
On the dvd you can see me taking a pull before the wall, Con chucking her head up in disgust, not listening, thinking she knows best and getting to close. As one very professional rider said she is typical cocky young horse- talented and 4* material. Hoping she will listen to me next time!
A huge well done for reading this!
I just can't believe how cool my pony is. I will try and get video of her (and of our minor parting of company!)
Before I go on you have prob seen result- doesn't look great but the mare was incredible! In fact so bold and incredible that I need sticky bum breaches for the future. We are over the moon
with her.
(click on link for fence 3 pic) http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t266/ElleJS/Bramham/BramhamFence3.jpg
So....
Arrived with best mate who was also in the under 25's on Wednesday morning to set up camp. Tents, BBQ and marquees! We had it all! Had a nice relaxing ride round Bramham Park and then terrified are selves by walking the course. My word it was HUGE and LONG. Took us hours to walk it!
This is what I mean. We only got to fence 3 and we felt ill!
Was absolutely physically terrified after walking the course and I tell you, even after I rode it when I walked it again (!) it still looked huge. I thought what am I doing, this is a seriously long course and every single fence is massive. The water at fence 4 with all the angled steps came up quick and was sharp.
(fence 4 pics below)
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t266/ElleJS/Bramham/BramhamFence4.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t266/ElleJS/Bramham/BramhamFence4d.jpg
My mare would have not come across a course like this before, and although we have done lots of 2*'s clear inside the time, this was a different story, I just prayed I got her fit enough.
Anyway she was happy and chilled out, and knew exactly her routine.
Thursday.
Trot up and briefing. All pretty straight forward stuff, felt great trotting up in front of all the crowds and all young rider horses passed bar one which was such a shame. Walked course again. Still terrified as was the mother, the chain smoking began. Fab party tho that night!
Friday. D day....
Had afternoon dressage, so lunged her and rode her calmly in the morning. She was chilled and felt good in the warm up, but in her typical style she got overwhelmed by the atmosphere and made alot of errors than she usually does and got over tense in the last lot of canters. She didn't totally blow, but we undid all our good marks by having tension.
Friend did an incredible test and was lying in 11th after the dressage.
Walked course again with trainer. Was now jumpable but still terrified. I knew all my back up plans, all my lines and decided to go long at the middle water incase like she did in the dressage she got overwhelmed by the crowds, as the log in was very big and unforgiving.
Could barely sleep that night.... and had butterflies all morning.
Trainer went down to the course to give us feedback on the fences with debatable striding and another friend was early to go so to watch him. He had the benefit of scorching round Blenheim last year, and true to form had a fab albeit hairy ride round for a clear and few time penalties. The time was proving impossible and tbh was the last thing on my mind! She was proving very keen in the practice arena and felt amazing. My other friend was 3 to go before me so only saw her over the first fence, she was pleased with her horse but had a run out and circle at the big log to palisade and time penalties. Still, a good round considering she is only 19.
Me next..... got held in the start box when the girl before me hit the deck at the first water at fence 4! So finally off we a went... got the most crap stride to fence 1, she wasn't even looking at it! Was a good sharpener and flew the square carrot box at fence 2, flew the big parallel at 3 flew the water at 4, flew the next flew the next.... I could just go on. She was incredible. Got seriously long stride at the double of wide rhombuses but she sorted it out for me.
Got to the double of grey palisades that were a very long 3 or short 4 and she popped thru on 4 altho we could have easily done it on 3, flew the next, flew the big trailer,
Onto the big BIG BIIIIIIIG log that had haunted me!. and that my friend had some probs with I was checking and (over) checking and checking but nothing and Connie bounded over it and before I knew it we had turned and were completely off the skinny, but she had seen the flags and flew over it with no help from me!
Really started to struggle to hold her by now and had bridged my reins. We were still getting to minute markers ahead of schedule so I knew I had time to set her up. flew the next few fences and then came back to the big crowds to jump the hedge to the ditch bounce complex. showjump canter was needed to negotiate this one. I tried to slow her but nothing and she skipped thru it like it was nothing albeit far to speedy, but alas another big cheer and the mare was off again! She was not backing off and I was KNACKERED!
Came to the 8 minute marker at 7mins 52 so was ready to take the long route into the water as had plenty of time (I had 10sec built in). This is where I fell off. Basically she went to go straight at the big wall before the water and locked on, and I panicked and pulled her to the angled part of the big wall, she bashed her knee hard and left her leg. I went kerput after hanging on as tight as I could. On my feet then onto bum. Very harmless but I was gutted as you can imagine as her round was awesome and we were getting the time. Some one in the crowd caught her for me, jumped back on and breezed thru the water like nothing had happened! Put it behind me and carried on, albeit exhausted as she was still pulling like a train. Next onto this horrid stone wall. You either jumped onto it and off it or over a very very wide part. As she has endless scope and wasn't tired I jumped the corner part and she flew on a perfect stride again.
Next onto another tough complex! A very wide trakhener (which if u did the straight route you had to angle) to one stride to wall to big palisade in water,
she was awesome doing the straight route perfecto although nearly unseated me again when we took a stride out at the water, have great video footage of that! Then cruised home, over a few more with me very tired, Connie still wanting to go faster and to the finish, where I jumped off and pretty much passed out on the floor. Connie cooled off really well in the heat but her knee had now swollen to epic proportions. ice ice ice ice ice was the order of the rest of the day! She wasn't lame and the vets were amazing but it was huge.
Before I go on even more, she was sore this morning, not 100% and we w/d. Vets reckoned I could have presented but it would have been 50/50. tbh I wouldn't have wanted to jump her with a leg that big anyway. She has had some bute and is now cantering round her field sound as a pound. *rolleyes*
Totally impressed with her, she is incredible, but lessons learnt.
*New brakes.
*New brakes.
and new brakes. oh and I will get more upper body strength!
On the dvd you can see me taking a pull before the wall, Con chucking her head up in disgust, not listening, thinking she knows best and getting to close. As one very professional rider said she is typical cocky young horse- talented and 4* material. Hoping she will listen to me next time!
A huge well done for reading this!
