Hornby
Well-Known Member
It has been my main aim since joining BD in January to qualify and compete at our local Area Festival and we were lucky enough to qualify at Prelim and Novice. So after lots of practise and trying to remember 2 tests (usually only do 1
) we set off yesterday.
I had nice times and we were gleaming clean. Unfortunately as I was tacking up the heavens opened and my immaculate white jods were not quite so neat on close inspection as I brushed them with the wet saddle flap when I did the girth.
We warmed in well, surrounded by beautiful, spooky warmbloods and lots of BYRDS gilets
(it was warm but I suppose we might not have realised without them
).
In the prelim he kept forging (he is due to be shod next week and he does track up well, but the judges interpreted this as being on the forehand
) then in the canter transition he kicked against the spur and went on the wrong leg
(4 from both judges, comment "he is a character") but I was pleased with a score of 62.95% (both judges within 3 marks of each other).
Novice test was very nice (IMHO) so I was a little disappointed with 60.52% but later saw that one judge had awarded 63.45% and the other 57.59% (17 marks difference!
). Ah well, the arenas looked lovely, Buddy was a star and 3 out of 4 judges gave a fair mark (we ended up in 10th place for the Novice so I did get a rosette and they are all the same colour, only the embossed tails are different).
The stunning warm bloods (4 years old but already with off the floor paces and an elementary uphill outline were placed at the top - they were lovely horses but not sure if I am wasting my time.....) Pics courtesy of Ken Ettridge (I have permission, I asked especially!
).
And just cos he is so handsome!
I had nice times and we were gleaming clean. Unfortunately as I was tacking up the heavens opened and my immaculate white jods were not quite so neat on close inspection as I brushed them with the wet saddle flap when I did the girth.
In the prelim he kept forging (he is due to be shod next week and he does track up well, but the judges interpreted this as being on the forehand
Novice test was very nice (IMHO) so I was a little disappointed with 60.52% but later saw that one judge had awarded 63.45% and the other 57.59% (17 marks difference!
The stunning warm bloods (4 years old but already with off the floor paces and an elementary uphill outline were placed at the top - they were lovely horses but not sure if I am wasting my time.....) Pics courtesy of Ken Ettridge (I have permission, I asked especially!
And just cos he is so handsome!