Baydale
Well-Known Member
I shall ignore meardsall_millie's suggestion of using barmy, batty and bossy to alliterate my posts, but accept that my running commentary whilst her OH videoed her showumping could well have prompted her "b" outburst.
Onto the report: having spent most of Saturday dressage writing for a novice section I could at least be guaranteed to know the test inside out. Marty, however, didn't and managed to insert one freestyle movement - he loves a 4 - and whilst he tried his hardest to show medium trot, it just ain't happening yet.
Hey ho, I was secretly quite chuffed to get 36.2 as he's not nearly good enough at novice tests yet.
Showjumping: I didn't think it was particularly big, but colourful suited us just fine as he's a cocky individual and needs to have something to focus his mind. He just rolled the bogey fence, an upright on a dogleggy related distance, and then did a classic neat-legged inversion coming out of the double, so had that too. Oh, and he decided to trot four strides out from the biggest oxer on the course (just to check the dullness of my reactions, no doubt
): I kept my cool, didn't panic and he popped it v sweetly and the ensuing upright on a long four strides. So in all I was pretty pleased with his first effort at this level.
XC: Nervous?
Just a bit.
He's done 3 PN so this was going to be a big enough question for him as even though I know he's bold and confident, you never know whether that will come through when they're a bit lacking mileage (feel free to slate me for rushing him but it's my [OH's] horse and destined for the hunting field, so he needs to be able to take some pressure
). I needn't have worried - nor made four trips to the Portaloo and had half a bottle of calming stuff - as he was awesome.
I was never going to chase him round so we just got a good rhythm, kept it and had a peach of a round: all the direct routes which included a bounce, trakehner, steps down to a skinny, decent water with skinny out, and a meaty corner at the end. Lots of pats and polos for the Chunky Monkey, although he said he'll be a lot less chunky soon if he keeps having to do that.
I think the best thing about it was that even when I did a bit of polite setting-up for the more techy bits, he didn't hurl his quarters to the left and his head in the air and therefore was so much more rideable. Love him
, never a thought of doing anything other than going forwards and was very similar in attitude to HH: slight pricking of the ears when it was something different, then back to floppy mode for the bog standard fences.
I rehydrated and got carbed up ready for the Big Brown Bus that is Jemima, IceStationZebra's bright bay Baydale clone. I haven't ridden her for 9 months apparently, and boy was she pleased to be out, in her inimitable big-bottomed, bouncy way (hark at me, "b"s aplenty now
). She was quite sharp off the leg so bits of the test were me very softly clamping her to stop her doing a big black mama shimmy: bottom to the left, bottom to the right, and our last centre line was impressive - but only if you're Kanye West's girlfriend dancing to one of his tunes - although she did deign to give me a halt that was central....I was a bit worried the judge would think I was showing off and doing left and right travers before halting.
37 wasn't a bad mark for our section and it looked better on the vid than it felt which is always a bonus.
I then had a little interlude when 4yo Jupiter bounced me around the dressage warm-up (with white boots on, for effect
) for half an hour going "wow, isn't this great fun?"
Admittedly the last 10 mins where more beach donkey than racehorse, but that's the joy of young horses - they tire easily.
Showjumping was much the same course as the novice so that saved any barmy, batty (for you, meardsall_millie
) Baydale memory moments. Instead Jemima added her own, when the rustic oxer at 4 became a horse-eating monster and she felt obliged to save me from it, or dump me on it, I couldn't decide which, by stopping.
Big pony club kicks and a smack seemed to persuade her that wasn't a wise move, but then she set off like an unguided missile (I was trying to "guide" her, honest), with some comedy turns and approaches, all at Warp Factor 5, taking a fence out on the way and getting 3 time faults too. That made me v grumpy.
I decided to get us on the cross country sooner rather than later to use all my grumpiness to best effect, and her first spook at the warm-up fence used some of it, then her backing off the third fence, a palisade with a fake ditch, used up the rest.
After than we were flying, Warp Factor 8 at least, and it was all hands on deck for steering as the Big Brown Bus at speed is like the QE2 without a rudder - I think she was enjoying herself but she's not one to get complacent on.
ISZ and I had discussed tactics when we'd walked the course, and she was to take full responsibility for BBB's attitude to the water, but the other 18 fences were down to me.
I needn't have worried as my motivational tactics at fence 3 had worked and she flew round, the only fly in the ointment being the turning right bits of the course, but I tried the MissDeSummer technique of one hand fixed on neck and the other pulling, which more or less worked. She was fab, even at the steps which ISZ wasn't sure about what she'd do, and obviously she was foot perfect at the water (ISZ is expert water schooler
) and with a bit more steering I might have got round without the 1.6 time penalties.
I almost forgave her for the sj monster-avoidance moment after such a "purposeful" and brave xc round, and actually, after a glass of wine, (ISZ knows how to look after me
) the incident became a dim and distant memory. Would love to offer you a glass of something now but I'm at work, so builders' tea and gingernuts is the best I can do - sorry to be such a disappointment.
Onto the report: having spent most of Saturday dressage writing for a novice section I could at least be guaranteed to know the test inside out. Marty, however, didn't and managed to insert one freestyle movement - he loves a 4 - and whilst he tried his hardest to show medium trot, it just ain't happening yet.
Showjumping: I didn't think it was particularly big, but colourful suited us just fine as he's a cocky individual and needs to have something to focus his mind. He just rolled the bogey fence, an upright on a dogleggy related distance, and then did a classic neat-legged inversion coming out of the double, so had that too. Oh, and he decided to trot four strides out from the biggest oxer on the course (just to check the dullness of my reactions, no doubt
XC: Nervous?
I rehydrated and got carbed up ready for the Big Brown Bus that is Jemima, IceStationZebra's bright bay Baydale clone. I haven't ridden her for 9 months apparently, and boy was she pleased to be out, in her inimitable big-bottomed, bouncy way (hark at me, "b"s aplenty now
I then had a little interlude when 4yo Jupiter bounced me around the dressage warm-up (with white boots on, for effect
Showjumping was much the same course as the novice so that saved any barmy, batty (for you, meardsall_millie
I decided to get us on the cross country sooner rather than later to use all my grumpiness to best effect, and her first spook at the warm-up fence used some of it, then her backing off the third fence, a palisade with a fake ditch, used up the rest.
ISZ and I had discussed tactics when we'd walked the course, and she was to take full responsibility for BBB's attitude to the water, but the other 18 fences were down to me.
I almost forgave her for the sj monster-avoidance moment after such a "purposeful" and brave xc round, and actually, after a glass of wine, (ISZ knows how to look after me
