redmone
Well-Known Member
Hi all **waves**
Hope everyone is wrapped up this morning - a lot chillier than it has been isn't it, just when we were starting to enjoy Spring!
We've not been out loads, but thought I'd give a quick "two Ds" update!
I think my last update was about outlines and haynets! Well we got bored with that, and went out jumping instead!
Long story short (that doesn't sound like me does it
!) D & D have not had much success jumping! At home, they can do it fine, but mainly because Daughter keeps herself within her comfort zone. As I've probably said before, height is not an issue for Dolly - it's fillers and the dirty stops they produce!
So whenever we arrive at a jumping competition, Daughter gets herself all wound up waiting to see what the course is going to throw at her. Which in turn does Dolly no favours. They have never been placing in a jumping competition (well until now!)!! They have won quite a bit with showing and dressage, but narda for jumping!!!
They've come close a few times and each time something has happened - if it's not Dolly spooking at a filler and bombing for the door, it's daughter turning a circle by accident and getting herself out of the placing! They've really had no luck at all with the jumping!!!
We set off for Bold Heath (late - bloody van had a flat battery!!!) and had a real mad panic getting there. Not like us - we're normally organised! I rang ahead to say we were running late and asked if she could tag onto the end of the clear round.
We arrived and unloaded really quickly. Daughter was getting ready and I was getting Dolly ready. Quite funny actually as I heard Daughter shout......"muuuuuuum - I can't get my jacket on!!!!" I look round to see Daughters arms stuck up in the air, and he flailing about! Well nothing I could do with one arm full of ginger neck and another trying to chuck a saddle on Dolly!! Jacket finally on (with an inch of skin between cuff and gloves - what the hell happened over winter, I thought weeds stopped growing!!!!) and I flung daughter onto Dolly and pointed in the direction of the warm up.
Clear round had ended. HOWEVER nice man organising said "oh you rang ahead - off you go then"!!! Awesome people there. Really lovely.
So daughter went straight into clear round with no warm up. She trotted most of it, with the usual "oh sxxt what's coming next" look on her face. There were a couple of dodgy jumps (for Dolly!) but she jumped them all. I think it was better that daughter had less time to think about it to be honest.
Next they went into beginners jumping. Same course, just up a bit. It's a strange competition - three rounds, no jump off. Brilliant idea - a really good confidence giver, especially to Dirty Stops Dolly!!!!
So they cleared the first round, and up the poles went. Cleared second round - and again up the poles went (it started at about 55cm - ended on about 70cm) - each time people were eliminated, or had a pole down - only clear rounds went through to the next round. So finally they went into the last round, and went clear, and won (joint 1st with someone, but we don't care)!!!!
I was honestly stood there with tears in my eyes. First ever jumping frilly and it was a first!!!!! Daughter did her lap of honour and Dolly looked rather chuffed with herself!
There was then another clear round and onto the 65cm trailblazers qualifier. Daughter said "mum, she's done enough, lets end on a good note and go home" - again, very proud mum I was! What a good decision.
So we went home, with a clear round rosette and that precious red rosette which is still up on the wall in the living room about 3 weeks later!!!
Don't get me wrong from the above - Dolly is great at jumping at home. And Daughter loves it. It's just at comps they both seem to fall apart. I'm hoping Bold Heath has really helped them, and I'm taking them again next week - they're planning on doing exactly the same classes again (I think daughter wants to make sure it's not a fluke!!!).
Here's a proud photo (wish it was better quality, and I got none of them jumping)
And back home
Here's a happy hacking photo
And I thought I'd see if posting a link to a video on here works! Here's them jumping last weekend at home...
http://youtu.be/OuJi8EVS7A4
I'm taking them both to Aintree for a funday on Friday which includes showing, dressage, jumping, games etc... hopefully I'll have some better photos from there as OH is coming along!!!
I must do a thread soon updating you on my riding!! I keep forgetting!!!
Anyway, thanks for reading!! Lucozade and bacon butties for all!!!
Hope everyone is wrapped up this morning - a lot chillier than it has been isn't it, just when we were starting to enjoy Spring!
We've not been out loads, but thought I'd give a quick "two Ds" update!
I think my last update was about outlines and haynets! Well we got bored with that, and went out jumping instead!
Long story short (that doesn't sound like me does it
!) D & D have not had much success jumping! At home, they can do it fine, but mainly because Daughter keeps herself within her comfort zone. As I've probably said before, height is not an issue for Dolly - it's fillers and the dirty stops they produce!So whenever we arrive at a jumping competition, Daughter gets herself all wound up waiting to see what the course is going to throw at her. Which in turn does Dolly no favours. They have never been placing in a jumping competition (well until now!)!! They have won quite a bit with showing and dressage, but narda for jumping!!!
They've come close a few times and each time something has happened - if it's not Dolly spooking at a filler and bombing for the door, it's daughter turning a circle by accident and getting herself out of the placing! They've really had no luck at all with the jumping!!!We set off for Bold Heath (late - bloody van had a flat battery!!!) and had a real mad panic getting there. Not like us - we're normally organised! I rang ahead to say we were running late and asked if she could tag onto the end of the clear round.
We arrived and unloaded really quickly. Daughter was getting ready and I was getting Dolly ready. Quite funny actually as I heard Daughter shout......"muuuuuuum - I can't get my jacket on!!!!" I look round to see Daughters arms stuck up in the air, and he flailing about! Well nothing I could do with one arm full of ginger neck and another trying to chuck a saddle on Dolly!! Jacket finally on (with an inch of skin between cuff and gloves - what the hell happened over winter, I thought weeds stopped growing!!!!) and I flung daughter onto Dolly and pointed in the direction of the warm up.
Clear round had ended.
HOWEVER nice man organising said "oh you rang ahead - off you go then"!!! Awesome people there. Really lovely.So daughter went straight into clear round with no warm up. She trotted most of it, with the usual "oh sxxt what's coming next" look on her face. There were a couple of dodgy jumps (for Dolly!) but she jumped them all. I think it was better that daughter had less time to think about it to be honest.
Next they went into beginners jumping. Same course, just up a bit. It's a strange competition - three rounds, no jump off. Brilliant idea - a really good confidence giver, especially to Dirty Stops Dolly!!!!
So they cleared the first round, and up the poles went. Cleared second round - and again up the poles went (it started at about 55cm - ended on about 70cm) - each time people were eliminated, or had a pole down - only clear rounds went through to the next round. So finally they went into the last round, and went clear, and won (joint 1st with someone, but we don't care)!!!!
I was honestly stood there with tears in my eyes. First ever jumping frilly and it was a first!!!!! Daughter did her lap of honour and Dolly looked rather chuffed with herself!
There was then another clear round and onto the 65cm trailblazers qualifier. Daughter said "mum, she's done enough, lets end on a good note and go home" - again, very proud mum I was! What a good decision.
So we went home, with a clear round rosette and that precious red rosette which is still up on the wall in the living room about 3 weeks later!!!
Don't get me wrong from the above - Dolly is great at jumping at home. And Daughter loves it. It's just at comps they both seem to fall apart. I'm hoping Bold Heath has really helped them, and I'm taking them again next week - they're planning on doing exactly the same classes again (I think daughter wants to make sure it's not a fluke!!!).
Here's a proud photo (wish it was better quality, and I got none of them jumping
)
And back home
Here's a happy hacking photo
And I thought I'd see if posting a link to a video on here works! Here's them jumping last weekend at home...
http://youtu.be/OuJi8EVS7A4
I'm taking them both to Aintree for a funday on Friday which includes showing, dressage, jumping, games etc... hopefully I'll have some better photos from there as OH is coming along!!!
I must do a thread soon updating you on my riding!! I keep forgetting!!!
Anyway, thanks for reading!! Lucozade and bacon butties for all!!!
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not suprised your very proud 3 rounds is tough. Have fun at Aintree
