Michen
Well-Known Member
At the end of January B and I went to our first SJ comp (his first proper one ever and my first for years) where I practically had a panic attack at the thought of jumping a 70cm! He jumped double clear. Just over three months later after he fulfilled a horsey dream and took me round Broadway BE80.
My friend had warned me that perhaps I should come with her and look at a BE80 course as it would not be what you would expect from an unaffiliated 80.... She was right. The XC course whilst not at all technical but was as wide as it was big and I was totally distraught, thinking I was a complete idiot to be taking a horse round it that had never even done a ODE in his life (he had done a 2'3 hunter trial and an eventers challenge as prep...) and a rider who still suffers horrendous nerves and has never done a full on cross country course, bar the tiny hunter trial.
The dressage was rather poor, he warmed up beautifully and then it all went wrong in the ring but we came out with a 39 which I was actually very pleased with as I didn't think we deserved it! Back to the lorry for a change and a break as my friend went SJ. I tied B up outside and quickly went to change my top whereby he chose that exact moment to snap his bailing twine and get loose, so I fit in very well with the serious eventers running across the lorry park to retrieve this overgrown hairy pony in my bra, jodphurs and socks. Little s***.
He redeemed himself with a beautiful clear SJ, not batting an eyelid at the marquees and things going on around the ring. On to the XC. I had walked this course twice. The steward asked me if I knew the course. Of course I knew it, I walked it twice! B shot out of the start box and I had the ride of my life. He was so, so honest and brave. He's very green and I had to really ride most of the fences but even when we seemed very close to having a stop he pulled it out of the bag and cleared everything. I just love that his attitude when he is scared or nervous is, on the whole, so incredibly genuine. So lots of pats and cheers for him after every jump which was commented on! Until idiot rider here managed to get us elminated by missing an XC fence. The horse actually clocked on to the fence but I had missed it in my course walk (s) and pulled him away from it, it was the third to last so I heard at the end we had been elminated. What an idiot!!!! We would have come 10th had it not been for my lack of ability to count and remember fences.
His greenness weirdly gave me confidence because I had to pretend that I was, even though I was utterly terrified. I could not have asked for more of him that day, he really is my horsey soulmate. Here are some pics (with use for social media!).
My friend had warned me that perhaps I should come with her and look at a BE80 course as it would not be what you would expect from an unaffiliated 80.... She was right. The XC course whilst not at all technical but was as wide as it was big and I was totally distraught, thinking I was a complete idiot to be taking a horse round it that had never even done a ODE in his life (he had done a 2'3 hunter trial and an eventers challenge as prep...) and a rider who still suffers horrendous nerves and has never done a full on cross country course, bar the tiny hunter trial.
The dressage was rather poor, he warmed up beautifully and then it all went wrong in the ring but we came out with a 39 which I was actually very pleased with as I didn't think we deserved it! Back to the lorry for a change and a break as my friend went SJ. I tied B up outside and quickly went to change my top whereby he chose that exact moment to snap his bailing twine and get loose, so I fit in very well with the serious eventers running across the lorry park to retrieve this overgrown hairy pony in my bra, jodphurs and socks. Little s***.
He redeemed himself with a beautiful clear SJ, not batting an eyelid at the marquees and things going on around the ring. On to the XC. I had walked this course twice. The steward asked me if I knew the course. Of course I knew it, I walked it twice! B shot out of the start box and I had the ride of my life. He was so, so honest and brave. He's very green and I had to really ride most of the fences but even when we seemed very close to having a stop he pulled it out of the bag and cleared everything. I just love that his attitude when he is scared or nervous is, on the whole, so incredibly genuine. So lots of pats and cheers for him after every jump which was commented on! Until idiot rider here managed to get us elminated by missing an XC fence. The horse actually clocked on to the fence but I had missed it in my course walk (s) and pulled him away from it, it was the third to last so I heard at the end we had been elminated. What an idiot!!!! We would have come 10th had it not been for my lack of ability to count and remember fences.
His greenness weirdly gave me confidence because I had to pretend that I was, even though I was utterly terrified. I could not have asked for more of him that day, he really is my horsey soulmate. Here are some pics (with use for social media!).
