BroadfordQueen
Well-Known Member
Me and Gizmo have had a busy Easter holidays, so thought I'd do one mammoth report to round up our adventures!
We had entered Stafford (cancelled), Draycott (cancelled), LandS unaff event at Offchurch (cancelled) and Sapey (cancelled) all at BE100 level, and so had to find alternative plans throughout my Easter holidays (when I should have been doing my dissertation... oops). So we decided to give BS a go, as we do tend to suffer from fourfaltitis at BE events so figured it couldn't do any harm!
We took her to Solihull for the British Novice. I thought the course looked big- guess I am used to poxy BE courses! Gizmo was awesome, I took it fairly steadily but we managed a double clear at 5th place- it was a big class with over 30 in it, so we managed to get prize money too
The next weekend we went to Gracelands- again just to do the BN. This one had a separate jump off (A7), which worried me as they always look so much bigger..! She jumped a corking clear in the first round, and was drawn last to go in the jump off. Watched a couple go and everyone was going clear so thought I had to go for it a bit- which I did, and we managed to leave them all up too- so into 1st place, by 4 seconds! So more prize money- yay!!
We now have 2 out of 4 double clears- only problem is, the cut off date is end of April, so I have 2 weeks to get my other 2 double clears and I don't have the time Oh well, maybe next time!
Following the cancellation of Sapey, we got an entry into the BE90 at ALW- which was fab, but we have already done a BE90 at ALW this year- not very exciting! We have been having dressage lessons and Gizmo has been coming on so much, so was feeling good about the dressage.
Well, I was. Until she pulled a stud off in the warm up, which meant she was slipping a bit in the test. On the whole, it was actually really nice- until I royally fecked up! Heard the horn for the next arena just as I was turning to go across the diagonal- so numpty me stopped and turned to look at the judge as thought I'd gone wrong- I hadn't! So 2 marks off for error of course and then my last bit of the test was so flustered that our mark dropped from what would have been about 34 to 37 due to numpty stupid rider
Put that behind me after getting a little upset at my stupidity and went over to the showjumping. Was a lovely course as always. Warm up was hectic- someone thought it was totally ok to keep cantering in a 20m circle in front of all the jumps in a very packed arena- good one! So didn't do much. Went in the ring and Giz jumped a lovely round- one of her best- for a clear round
Onto the xc which was different to their first event- nice change! She absolutely flew round, one of the fastest times of the day, I just let her get on with it as I have quite a strong bit in (otherwise I cannot get her back to me at all) so I don't like to fight with her between fences.
Some photos, curtsey of my dad- including a scary moment at the last fence!!!
Thank god this was a brush fence...
Pro pic:
http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?form_status=order_image&img=slide_006425{i_BE_90_before_4_40.jpg&anc=p12_0022_es&ss=22&imgcat=i_BE_90_before_4_40
So finished at ALW on 37 double clear with no time faults
Finally- yesterday we went to Eland Lodge, again for the BE90 but when walking the course I was REALLY wishing I was doing the BE100!!! There was a bit more pressure on me competing here as I did my work experience there last year, so everyone knew me
Dressage was rubbish. Story of my life! Warmed up beautifully but went over to the arena and Giz was more interested in what was going on behind the hedge! That plus the 2 bloody crows who kept landing in my arena and flying off right in front of Gizmo didn't help with our score which was 40- but actually there were about 11 worse than me!
It is annoying that our dressage is taking so long to come together, but at least now she goes well at home and warms up nicely which she didn't do last year- we are getting there, step by step, and the mistakes we make are obvious and easy to iron out and 9 times out of 10 are rider error so its all improvable!
Onto the showjumping which was lovely, no added pressure by the collecting ring steward who recognised me (I'd hoped he didn't!!!) as I was about to go in- luckily Gizmo flew round for yet another clear, and Vince said it was "very impressive" to watch
Onto the xc and I was really nervous about fence 3- quite an up to height fence going downhill before the water- and the arrowhead which is quite skinny for be90! Anyway needn't have worried, she flew round- slipped a little into fence 3 but got herself out of trouble.
I really let her get on with it as we are planning on moving up to BE100 so obviously time is going to be harder to get. Commentator made it out that I was out of control- I wasn't, at all, and I was quite embarrassed when I heard what he'd said! We finished clear (with no too fast TP), she was full of running still and I'd hardly pushed her- she didn't even need washing down when I got back!
Picture taken by one of Team Eland (not a pro pic, although does look like one! Thanks Katy!):
Just uploading a video from Eland- would be interested to see if you think I'm going too fast. Will post it shortly.
So onto BE100 soon. Think she is more than ready, with 3 dc's in a row!
I do have one question which I was hoping I could pick your minds on- as you can see from some of the photos, Gizmo likes to take fliers into fences, and tends to jump everything way bigger than needs be. It has taken me 2 years to learn how to ride her, and she needs to be left alone to sort herself out as she doesn't like to be "fiddled". I try to see the right stride for her without hooking her back too much, but sometimes we get a little far off- luckily at BE90 she just flies it and never really gets into trouble.
However, at combinations, she tends to jump the first part SO big that we mess up the stride for the second part. Which is fine, at this level, as she is quite tidy and gets herself out of trouble, but when they get bigger I'm a bit worried that her exuberance is going to get us into trouble. Do you think the bigger fences will back her off a bit? The plan is to enter an unaff ODE at 100 level and take it really steady, but she doesn't like to be held back. Any thoughts would be helpful- she just loves the job too much!!
Thanks for reading- sorry its so long!
We had entered Stafford (cancelled), Draycott (cancelled), LandS unaff event at Offchurch (cancelled) and Sapey (cancelled) all at BE100 level, and so had to find alternative plans throughout my Easter holidays (when I should have been doing my dissertation... oops). So we decided to give BS a go, as we do tend to suffer from fourfaltitis at BE events so figured it couldn't do any harm!
We took her to Solihull for the British Novice. I thought the course looked big- guess I am used to poxy BE courses! Gizmo was awesome, I took it fairly steadily but we managed a double clear at 5th place- it was a big class with over 30 in it, so we managed to get prize money too
The next weekend we went to Gracelands- again just to do the BN. This one had a separate jump off (A7), which worried me as they always look so much bigger..! She jumped a corking clear in the first round, and was drawn last to go in the jump off. Watched a couple go and everyone was going clear so thought I had to go for it a bit- which I did, and we managed to leave them all up too- so into 1st place, by 4 seconds!
So more prize money- yay!!We now have 2 out of 4 double clears- only problem is, the cut off date is end of April, so I have 2 weeks to get my other 2 double clears and I don't have the time
Oh well, maybe next time! Following the cancellation of Sapey, we got an entry into the BE90 at ALW- which was fab, but we have already done a BE90 at ALW this year- not very exciting! We have been having dressage lessons and Gizmo has been coming on so much, so was feeling good about the dressage.
Well, I was. Until she pulled a stud off in the warm up, which meant she was slipping a bit in the test. On the whole, it was actually really nice- until I royally fecked up! Heard the horn for the next arena just as I was turning to go across the diagonal- so numpty me stopped and turned to look at the judge as thought I'd gone wrong- I hadn't!
So 2 marks off for error of course and then my last bit of the test was so flustered that our mark dropped from what would have been about 34 to 37 due to numpty stupid rider Put that behind me after getting a little upset at my stupidity
and went over to the showjumping. Was a lovely course as always. Warm up was hectic- someone thought it was totally ok to keep cantering in a 20m circle in front of all the jumps in a very packed arena- good one! So didn't do much. Went in the ring and Giz jumped a lovely round- one of her best- for a clear round Onto the xc which was different to their first event- nice change! She absolutely flew round, one of the fastest times of the day, I just let her get on with it as I have quite a strong bit in (otherwise I cannot get her back to me at all) so I don't like to fight with her between fences.
Some photos, curtsey of my dad- including a scary moment at the last fence!!!
Thank god this was a brush fence...
Pro pic:
http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?form_status=order_image&img=slide_006425{i_BE_90_before_4_40.jpg&anc=p12_0022_es&ss=22&imgcat=i_BE_90_before_4_40
So finished at ALW on 37 double clear with no time faults
Finally- yesterday we went to Eland Lodge, again for the BE90 but when walking the course I was REALLY wishing I was doing the BE100!!! There was a bit more pressure on me competing here as I did my work experience there last year, so everyone knew me
Dressage was rubbish. Story of my life! Warmed up beautifully but went over to the arena and Giz was more interested in what was going on behind the hedge! That plus the 2 bloody crows who kept landing in my arena and flying off right in front of Gizmo didn't help with our score which was 40- but actually there were about 11 worse than me!
It is annoying that our dressage is taking so long to come together, but at least now she goes well at home and warms up nicely which she didn't do last year- we are getting there, step by step, and the mistakes we make are obvious and easy to iron out and 9 times out of 10 are rider error so its all improvable!
Onto the showjumping which was lovely, no added pressure by the collecting ring steward who recognised me (I'd hoped he didn't!!!) as I was about to go in- luckily Gizmo flew round for yet another clear, and Vince said it was "very impressive" to watch
Onto the xc and I was really nervous about fence 3- quite an up to height fence going downhill before the water- and the arrowhead which is quite skinny for be90! Anyway needn't have worried, she flew round- slipped a little into fence 3 but got herself out of trouble.
I really let her get on with it as we are planning on moving up to BE100 so obviously time is going to be harder to get. Commentator made it out that I was out of control- I wasn't, at all, and I was quite embarrassed when I heard what he'd said!
We finished clear (with no too fast TP), she was full of running still and I'd hardly pushed her- she didn't even need washing down when I got back! Picture taken by one of Team Eland (not a pro pic, although does look like one! Thanks Katy!):
Just uploading a video from Eland- would be interested to see if you think I'm going too fast. Will post it shortly.
So onto BE100 soon. Think she is more than ready, with 3 dc's in a row!
I do have one question which I was hoping I could pick your minds on- as you can see from some of the photos, Gizmo likes to take fliers into fences, and tends to jump everything way bigger than needs be. It has taken me 2 years to learn how to ride her, and she needs to be left alone to sort herself out as she doesn't like to be "fiddled". I try to see the right stride for her without hooking her back too much, but sometimes we get a little far off- luckily at BE90 she just flies it and never really gets into trouble.
However, at combinations, she tends to jump the first part SO big that we mess up the stride for the second part. Which is fine, at this level, as she is quite tidy and gets herself out of trouble, but when they get bigger I'm a bit worried that her exuberance is going to get us into trouble. Do you think the bigger fences will back her off a bit? The plan is to enter an unaff ODE at 100 level and take it really steady, but she doesn't like to be held back. Any thoughts would be helpful- she just loves the job too much!!
Thanks for reading- sorry its so long!
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