X
xspiralx
Guest
After my last post where I promised to update more often, I've actually been out and about a bit recently which means I have some more interesting news to share.
Managed to borrow a lorry for the week so headed off to Bury Farm last Thursday for the British Novice and Discovery - Fallon's 2nd BN and first ever Discovery, so it was a big day. My friend kindly offered to ride him for me - I'm lacking match practice, and she's produced her own horse to jump at GP level - so he was in very safe hands, and much better off with a rider not crippled with nerves!
He hasn't been out since August so was quite tense at first in the warm up, but when he went into the ring relaxed and popped round with just an unlucky pole down in the jump off. Then it was time for the Discovery- which was quite a tough course - but he jumped even better than the first round - and so nearly jumped a DC, except that he got a bit tired by the end of the jump off and just touched the last fence which came down.
Couple of pictures;
After this I was firmly told I have no excuse and need to crack on with him myself, which led to a 6am start on Sunday morning to go and jump the British Novice at Merrist Wood. I was petrified - it's been years since I've really competed or been out and about, and I was utterly convinced that humiliation and elimination were certainly heading my way.
We walked the course - which was built big for a BN. First two fences looked okay, an oxer on 8 strides to an upright. Number 3 was another oxer, and then - horror - a short 4 strides to a stile - and then a curving line of 8 or 9 strides to a 1 stride double. I should pause here to add that Fallon hasn't jumped a stile before, and two things we've struggled with are short related distances, and doubles. He has a penchant for rushing them, often taking strides out (I've bounced doubles far more often than I'm comfortable with), or, if you don't keep him straight, then slipping out the side door at the second element. So a 4 stride related distance to a skinny stile was basically my nemesis.
'This is it', I thought. This is where I'll be eliminated. We walked the rest of the course, my friend giving me advice about where to turn and how to ride the fences, whilst I mostly thought about the futility of such advice when there's no chance I'd get that far.
I got on and warmed up, and then went into the ring, feeling like I was in an out of body experience. We jumped the first fence. Normally Fallon lands and either gets strong and runs through the hand, or backs right off the bridle. I waited for one of these to happen. We landed and kept cantering in an even rhythm. I looked down to check I was riding the right horse. Had a slight wobble off the line. Jumped the second fence.
Then it was round to the line I'd been dreading. Jumped the oxer quite nicely. Spotted the stile. 'WTF is that' said Fallon, backing off. 'A STILE' I said, allowing him to back off. We ground to a halt. 'Right,' I thought. Round again, kick or it all ends here! We circled, I kicked, Fallon scrambled over it, somehow leaving it up. Oh god, the double was next. 'Are you sure you want to jump that' said Fallon. 'Yes,' I said, 'I am actually.' We jumped through the double. Suddenly I realised I only had 3 jumps left of the course and might actually finish. We came round to a big oxer. I saw a long one, Fallon decided to give it a good foot of air space just in case. Then the planks, on a 5 stride dog leg to the last fence. Easy peasy - we flew it. Then it sank in - we'd made it round a British Novice. Ear splitting grins all around - big pats for the pony.
Loaded him back up and went to see the professional pictures. Whilst waiting, watched a Billy Stud horse refuse the stile. Felt slightly vindicated.
Here's the video - don't judge too harshly please, bearing in mind I'm very out of match practice and this is only Fallon's 3rd show - I know a bit more canter is needed in the first half of the course.
[video=youtube;1SPVT6gd3mw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SPVT6gd3mw[/video]
And a couple more photos here:
Sorry for the long post - anyone who gets to the end of it I can offer mini packets of chocolate fingers and cold and flu tablets?!
Managed to borrow a lorry for the week so headed off to Bury Farm last Thursday for the British Novice and Discovery - Fallon's 2nd BN and first ever Discovery, so it was a big day. My friend kindly offered to ride him for me - I'm lacking match practice, and she's produced her own horse to jump at GP level - so he was in very safe hands, and much better off with a rider not crippled with nerves!
He hasn't been out since August so was quite tense at first in the warm up, but when he went into the ring relaxed and popped round with just an unlucky pole down in the jump off. Then it was time for the Discovery- which was quite a tough course - but he jumped even better than the first round - and so nearly jumped a DC, except that he got a bit tired by the end of the jump off and just touched the last fence which came down.
Couple of pictures;
After this I was firmly told I have no excuse and need to crack on with him myself, which led to a 6am start on Sunday morning to go and jump the British Novice at Merrist Wood. I was petrified - it's been years since I've really competed or been out and about, and I was utterly convinced that humiliation and elimination were certainly heading my way.
We walked the course - which was built big for a BN. First two fences looked okay, an oxer on 8 strides to an upright. Number 3 was another oxer, and then - horror - a short 4 strides to a stile - and then a curving line of 8 or 9 strides to a 1 stride double. I should pause here to add that Fallon hasn't jumped a stile before, and two things we've struggled with are short related distances, and doubles. He has a penchant for rushing them, often taking strides out (I've bounced doubles far more often than I'm comfortable with), or, if you don't keep him straight, then slipping out the side door at the second element. So a 4 stride related distance to a skinny stile was basically my nemesis.
'This is it', I thought. This is where I'll be eliminated. We walked the rest of the course, my friend giving me advice about where to turn and how to ride the fences, whilst I mostly thought about the futility of such advice when there's no chance I'd get that far.
I got on and warmed up, and then went into the ring, feeling like I was in an out of body experience. We jumped the first fence. Normally Fallon lands and either gets strong and runs through the hand, or backs right off the bridle. I waited for one of these to happen. We landed and kept cantering in an even rhythm. I looked down to check I was riding the right horse. Had a slight wobble off the line. Jumped the second fence.
Then it was round to the line I'd been dreading. Jumped the oxer quite nicely. Spotted the stile. 'WTF is that' said Fallon, backing off. 'A STILE' I said, allowing him to back off. We ground to a halt. 'Right,' I thought. Round again, kick or it all ends here! We circled, I kicked, Fallon scrambled over it, somehow leaving it up. Oh god, the double was next. 'Are you sure you want to jump that' said Fallon. 'Yes,' I said, 'I am actually.' We jumped through the double. Suddenly I realised I only had 3 jumps left of the course and might actually finish. We came round to a big oxer. I saw a long one, Fallon decided to give it a good foot of air space just in case. Then the planks, on a 5 stride dog leg to the last fence. Easy peasy - we flew it. Then it sank in - we'd made it round a British Novice. Ear splitting grins all around - big pats for the pony.
Loaded him back up and went to see the professional pictures. Whilst waiting, watched a Billy Stud horse refuse the stile. Felt slightly vindicated.
Here's the video - don't judge too harshly please, bearing in mind I'm very out of match practice and this is only Fallon's 3rd show - I know a bit more canter is needed in the first half of the course.
[video=youtube;1SPVT6gd3mw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SPVT6gd3mw[/video]
And a couple more photos here:
Sorry for the long post - anyone who gets to the end of it I can offer mini packets of chocolate fingers and cold and flu tablets?!
