SpottedCat
Well-Known Member
Well, we had our last event of the season today - novice at Broadway. As I got up at 4.30am I seriously contemplated selling the horse and taking up knitting!
Arrived, walked course, got on, horse was flat as a pancake. Warmup was like nothing else, 3 million horses all in one place, went in and he really wasn't on form, and in fact refused to canter right, so two entire movements were not shown! Came out with 44.5 (I think, 44 point some anyway!) - fair enough, I was expecting worse TBH.
Get to SJ - as usual at Broadway they are being obsessive about everyone going in number order, again despite people not being there and the SJ being empty on occasion. So I warm up and go back to say I am ready when they want me, and lo and behold I slot into one of the 'empty' moments! Jumps nicely, again a bit quiet. It was very slippy and he slipped as he came into an oxer, which startled him, he clipped it with his back legs and then had lost a bit of confidence as it was the 3rd fence and the 3rd takeoff he slipped at, so chipped in at the planks to have them too, but clear round the rest.
Off to XC and I decide to take it slow and pull up if he is still feeling flat as he just wasn't on top form. However, he pulled from start to finish and got round clear taking all the direct routes.
So we are home safe and sound, he is on holiday now and we have our qualification for novice two day which is nice considering we've only done 5 novices - 4 of those were good enough to qualify us. Pony now on holiday until November, when he will be taught about how if he dies in the dressage he gets a rocket up his backside, lazy toad!
I felt horribly ill all day today too, no idea why, so am off to bed as soon as I have had dinner - neither of us were on top form today, pony really lacked sparkle and my heart wasn't in it either, so TBH I can't complain that we didn't do very well!
Arrived, walked course, got on, horse was flat as a pancake. Warmup was like nothing else, 3 million horses all in one place, went in and he really wasn't on form, and in fact refused to canter right, so two entire movements were not shown! Came out with 44.5 (I think, 44 point some anyway!) - fair enough, I was expecting worse TBH.
Get to SJ - as usual at Broadway they are being obsessive about everyone going in number order, again despite people not being there and the SJ being empty on occasion. So I warm up and go back to say I am ready when they want me, and lo and behold I slot into one of the 'empty' moments! Jumps nicely, again a bit quiet. It was very slippy and he slipped as he came into an oxer, which startled him, he clipped it with his back legs and then had lost a bit of confidence as it was the 3rd fence and the 3rd takeoff he slipped at, so chipped in at the planks to have them too, but clear round the rest.
Off to XC and I decide to take it slow and pull up if he is still feeling flat as he just wasn't on top form. However, he pulled from start to finish and got round clear taking all the direct routes.
So we are home safe and sound, he is on holiday now and we have our qualification for novice two day which is nice considering we've only done 5 novices - 4 of those were good enough to qualify us. Pony now on holiday until November, when he will be taught about how if he dies in the dressage he gets a rocket up his backside, lazy toad!
I felt horribly ill all day today too, no idea why, so am off to bed as soon as I have had dinner - neither of us were on top form today, pony really lacked sparkle and my heart wasn't in it either, so TBH I can't complain that we didn't do very well!
