Nickymac
Well-Known Member
I don't normally post but had such a fun day I thought I ought to!
Took OH's hunter-turned-eventer, Fraser (nearly 6yr old, Irish, laid back to the point of being horizontal) and also Austin (5yr old, belongs to a friend, Irish with a bit of pony we reckon, as he has tiny ears and a mealy muzzle like an Exmoor), both doing PN.
Lovely setting for an event, old parkland, beautiful house, plenty of atmosphere with tradestands round SJ arena, beautifully built XC - a real mini version of one of the posh ones like Chatsworth or Belton.
So Fraser goes in with his I-hate-dressage face on, and I come out with a face like thunder, having spent the whole test struggling get him vaguely accepting the bit and him ducking and diving trying to avoid the issue! He's got a neck like a bull so he thinks he has an excuse for not being able to flex, but he can go really sweetly if he can be bothered to try. I then go and showjump and he immediately becomes Mr Nice. I had a bit of a deep spot to the double and he did such a huge jump on the way out I nearly got jumped off, particularly as he then thought we were turning left as my body was trying to turn him right - that would've been an embarrassing way to fall eh? Gives the last fence about 3ft (v cool photo of it), and I decide I'm not so annoyed with him after all, particularly as I hear I got a 34 dressage and am lying 2nd! Get ready to go xc and have to really stoke him up over the first couple, but then he switched on a bit. He just loves to take his time (lazy I call it, or lazy with a bit of careful too), so I have to pressure him to motor on a bit. He had a little peep at the drop into water - not his favourite thing - and was careful at the sunken road and log after, but bowled over everything else doing huge jumps and spending ages in the air (he's not scared particularly, just powerful and careful, which is quite a nice feeling). So another double clear for the chunky hunter, and ready for a novice outing at Little Downham. I ended up 8th (again!), but only 3 marks between 1st and 8th so a pretty tight section. OH very happy but a bit worried he won't get him back to hunt.
So on to Austin, cocky 5 yr old who, having done Keysoe PN as his first foray into the world of eventing, now thinks he knows it all! He was pretty tense in his dressage as he wanted to watch all the other ponies rather than concentrating, but at least we got correct strike offs today and bits that were quite nice, got 38.5. Went to SJ and had major steering problems warming up, mainly cos the xc ran across the back of the warm up and he was intent on going that way and that way only. Got him in there and he was ok to fence 4, a bit spooky and zig-zagging on the way in, but jumping cleanly. After 4 it was 4 strides to 5 and he set his jaw and tried to go past it, so I yanked him back and was determined to get him between the wings which I did at a hell of an angle, and he left it up, don't ask me how! He wobbled a bit into the double too, and then at the next related distance he just dropped a hind leg when he saw the next fence and had that, but that was all he had down, so not bad for a green pony. It must have looked like hard work as a few people said "well ridden" or "well done" when I came out. Off to cross country and he wobbled a bit when we set off but became more purposeful and focussed as we went round. I think it's a game, the dodging and zig-zagging a couple of strides out as he's very bold, so maybe he's just checking I'm still awake?! He was cute through the sunken road and then trotted to the log in the hollow after it, so pleased he can do that if need be. Finished over the last couple on a really nice forward stride, so very chuffed with him. Finished 12th, so one better than Keysoe on his first outing. Next stop Houghton Hall BYEH.....
Well done if you've got through all that, I just had such a fun day and remembered just why I'm addicted to eventing!
Took OH's hunter-turned-eventer, Fraser (nearly 6yr old, Irish, laid back to the point of being horizontal) and also Austin (5yr old, belongs to a friend, Irish with a bit of pony we reckon, as he has tiny ears and a mealy muzzle like an Exmoor), both doing PN.
Lovely setting for an event, old parkland, beautiful house, plenty of atmosphere with tradestands round SJ arena, beautifully built XC - a real mini version of one of the posh ones like Chatsworth or Belton.
So Fraser goes in with his I-hate-dressage face on, and I come out with a face like thunder, having spent the whole test struggling get him vaguely accepting the bit and him ducking and diving trying to avoid the issue! He's got a neck like a bull so he thinks he has an excuse for not being able to flex, but he can go really sweetly if he can be bothered to try. I then go and showjump and he immediately becomes Mr Nice. I had a bit of a deep spot to the double and he did such a huge jump on the way out I nearly got jumped off, particularly as he then thought we were turning left as my body was trying to turn him right - that would've been an embarrassing way to fall eh? Gives the last fence about 3ft (v cool photo of it), and I decide I'm not so annoyed with him after all, particularly as I hear I got a 34 dressage and am lying 2nd! Get ready to go xc and have to really stoke him up over the first couple, but then he switched on a bit. He just loves to take his time (lazy I call it, or lazy with a bit of careful too), so I have to pressure him to motor on a bit. He had a little peep at the drop into water - not his favourite thing - and was careful at the sunken road and log after, but bowled over everything else doing huge jumps and spending ages in the air (he's not scared particularly, just powerful and careful, which is quite a nice feeling). So another double clear for the chunky hunter, and ready for a novice outing at Little Downham. I ended up 8th (again!), but only 3 marks between 1st and 8th so a pretty tight section. OH very happy but a bit worried he won't get him back to hunt.
So on to Austin, cocky 5 yr old who, having done Keysoe PN as his first foray into the world of eventing, now thinks he knows it all! He was pretty tense in his dressage as he wanted to watch all the other ponies rather than concentrating, but at least we got correct strike offs today and bits that were quite nice, got 38.5. Went to SJ and had major steering problems warming up, mainly cos the xc ran across the back of the warm up and he was intent on going that way and that way only. Got him in there and he was ok to fence 4, a bit spooky and zig-zagging on the way in, but jumping cleanly. After 4 it was 4 strides to 5 and he set his jaw and tried to go past it, so I yanked him back and was determined to get him between the wings which I did at a hell of an angle, and he left it up, don't ask me how! He wobbled a bit into the double too, and then at the next related distance he just dropped a hind leg when he saw the next fence and had that, but that was all he had down, so not bad for a green pony. It must have looked like hard work as a few people said "well ridden" or "well done" when I came out. Off to cross country and he wobbled a bit when we set off but became more purposeful and focussed as we went round. I think it's a game, the dodging and zig-zagging a couple of strides out as he's very bold, so maybe he's just checking I'm still awake?! He was cute through the sunken road and then trotted to the log in the hollow after it, so pleased he can do that if need be. Finished over the last couple on a really nice forward stride, so very chuffed with him. Finished 12th, so one better than Keysoe on his first outing. Next stop Houghton Hall BYEH.....
Well done if you've got through all that, I just had such a fun day and remembered just why I'm addicted to eventing!
