Jingleballs
Well-Known Member
Yesterday was C and I's first XC since September last year *gulp*. We were entered in the adult minimus class jumping the heady heights of 2'
I'd only managed one XC training session so far this year due to the weather turning a bit rotten again so to say I felt under prepared was a major understatement.
Fortunately, they hadn't changed the course since the Autumn one so I knew exactly what was involved and how the course rode.
My only aim was to go clear - we had a stop at the chair jump last year but it still got us 6th place so I just really wanted to get him over it.
Despite my nerves I decided to try and think positive and act like we were pro's at the XC malarky.
He was lovely in the warm up - nice and uphill compared to last year when he was a bit trippy and downhill.
He didnt jump the small warm up log well at all - it was like he kept stopping to look at it and putting in an extra stride. My friend said it was because it was too small that he was messing about so sent me off to jump the bigger warm up fence - pleased to report he flew it!
So we stopped it there and just walked him about until we were called forward.
I was determined to ride positive and canter him round the whole course this year - straight from the start.
So 5,4,3,2,1 and we're off.
He flew the course - cantered pretty much the whole way, locked on to every fence and didn't hesitate at a thing. I was delighted when he flew the chair jump!
Got to the water complex and I know he doesn't like water so I brought him back to walk, made him walk into the water and trot out.
After that he popped the final 4 fences really nicely for our first ever clear XC and only 14 seconds over the optimum time which wasn't bad considering we walked the water and trotted the gravelly bits.
Because we'd gone clear I decided to hang around for the results as I suspected I may have got placed.
Waited for ages while the sorted the scores but it was worth it - my superstar pony had only gone and won the class - our first clear and our first ever XC 1st!
I am over the moon with him- he felt like a proper XC pony yesterday and took me round that course - I barely had to steer as he knew exactly where to go and what to do!!
So thats 2 competitions this year and 2 first places - I'm thinking we just retire now and end on a high!
I've got some pictures but they are on my laptop so I'll try to upload them later!
I'd only managed one XC training session so far this year due to the weather turning a bit rotten again so to say I felt under prepared was a major understatement.
Fortunately, they hadn't changed the course since the Autumn one so I knew exactly what was involved and how the course rode.
My only aim was to go clear - we had a stop at the chair jump last year but it still got us 6th place so I just really wanted to get him over it.
Despite my nerves I decided to try and think positive and act like we were pro's at the XC malarky.
He was lovely in the warm up - nice and uphill compared to last year when he was a bit trippy and downhill.
He didnt jump the small warm up log well at all - it was like he kept stopping to look at it and putting in an extra stride. My friend said it was because it was too small that he was messing about so sent me off to jump the bigger warm up fence - pleased to report he flew it!
So we stopped it there and just walked him about until we were called forward.I was determined to ride positive and canter him round the whole course this year - straight from the start.
So 5,4,3,2,1 and we're off.
He flew the course - cantered pretty much the whole way, locked on to every fence and didn't hesitate at a thing. I was delighted when he flew the chair jump!
Got to the water complex and I know he doesn't like water so I brought him back to walk, made him walk into the water and trot out.
After that he popped the final 4 fences really nicely for our first ever clear XC and only 14 seconds over the optimum time which wasn't bad considering we walked the water and trotted the gravelly bits.
Because we'd gone clear I decided to hang around for the results as I suspected I may have got placed.
Waited for ages while the sorted the scores but it was worth it - my superstar pony had only gone and won the class - our first clear and our first ever XC 1st!
I am over the moon with him- he felt like a proper XC pony yesterday and took me round that course - I barely had to steer as he knew exactly where to go and what to do!!
So thats 2 competitions this year and 2 first places - I'm thinking we just retire now and end on a high!
I've got some pictures but they are on my laptop so I'll try to upload them later!
Looking forward to the pics 
