Just Jenny
New User
A bit of background - the day before I had been bitten on the eyelid by a mosquito and the Crisis Clinic is for would-be Show Jumpers that have lost their nerve or are getting back into jumping again and this was Clear Round!!
Well Derby Day had arrived. As the alarm went off at 7:00 I was praying for rain as I peeped out of the curtains so I could get back into bed - no such luck - weather perfect! Peered in the mirror with my one good eye and some old harridan peered back at me! Coffee and a cigarette later I am wondering whether to wear make-up on the good eye with a side fringe but I ended up looking like that one from 'Futurama' that only has one eye! Sunglasses it is then!
Walked the course again up to fence number 8 - sorted - so sat down to have a cigarette. Spoke to John who said that it was all 12 jumps - so walked the course again - sorted - so sat down and had a cigarette, thinking some of those fences look a bit big but they'll be adjusted before we start. Spoke to John who conceded one fence may be a bit big and took a pole off but refused to take the bushes out of another or make the spread narrower. 'You'll jump those - no problem! So I sat down and had another cigarette! Brushed Jenny, had a cigarette, tacked her up had a cigarette, watched someone jumping the course and had a cigarette. In the meantime the rest of the Crisis Clinic had let me down. Louise 'had lost her show gear' Rachaels horse was lame - ok! I'll let you off with that one this time Lady! Adie was doing very important 'marshalling duties' which weren't needed until the next class and Diane decided the course wasn't for her on that particular day - don't blame you Di - thought you were very sensible unlike moi! Sophie was on holiday. Just me then! Can't let Abi down after all her weeks of teaching of us, one of us has to do it. Sooo! had another cigarette and entered the warm-up encloseur - John's spelling not mine.
We had a walk, trot and canter and a couple of half-hearted attemps at the warm up jump then I thought I just have to get this over and done with so I paid my money and we were off!!
One, two, three I think she either refused or ran out so we did it again. Four, five the one he'd taken the pole off, six with the bushes we flew over, seven, eight, nine the spread she stopped! - I stayed on after a teeter or two, second time same, third time same, fourth time she stopped but showed willing and with a smug expression on her face put one leg delicately in the middle of the spread. We sat there for a while thinking, both of us - no - don't remember any instructions on how to extricate yourself from this in any lesson so I just kicked her through it, missed the next one and had to go back, eleven and twelve we had practised and then it was finally finished. Where's my cigarettes? Not pretty to watch - it's like watching old people dancing - absolutely no co-ordination whatsoever! But! I stayed on! Sorry Abi - I did absolutely everything wrong! No canter rhythm, looking down at the jumps, no leg on - I am lucky to survive but you have taught me balance thank goodness!! and I remembered to breathe! which helped. Brilliant day! The kids are superb absolutely no fear! The day had its thrills and spills but no-one was hurt only pride in one case! I will crack this unless the fags kill me first!! lol! Roll on the next Crisis Clinic!!
Well Derby Day had arrived. As the alarm went off at 7:00 I was praying for rain as I peeped out of the curtains so I could get back into bed - no such luck - weather perfect! Peered in the mirror with my one good eye and some old harridan peered back at me! Coffee and a cigarette later I am wondering whether to wear make-up on the good eye with a side fringe but I ended up looking like that one from 'Futurama' that only has one eye! Sunglasses it is then!
Walked the course again up to fence number 8 - sorted - so sat down to have a cigarette. Spoke to John who said that it was all 12 jumps - so walked the course again - sorted - so sat down and had a cigarette, thinking some of those fences look a bit big but they'll be adjusted before we start. Spoke to John who conceded one fence may be a bit big and took a pole off but refused to take the bushes out of another or make the spread narrower. 'You'll jump those - no problem! So I sat down and had another cigarette! Brushed Jenny, had a cigarette, tacked her up had a cigarette, watched someone jumping the course and had a cigarette. In the meantime the rest of the Crisis Clinic had let me down. Louise 'had lost her show gear' Rachaels horse was lame - ok! I'll let you off with that one this time Lady! Adie was doing very important 'marshalling duties' which weren't needed until the next class and Diane decided the course wasn't for her on that particular day - don't blame you Di - thought you were very sensible unlike moi! Sophie was on holiday. Just me then! Can't let Abi down after all her weeks of teaching of us, one of us has to do it. Sooo! had another cigarette and entered the warm-up encloseur - John's spelling not mine.
We had a walk, trot and canter and a couple of half-hearted attemps at the warm up jump then I thought I just have to get this over and done with so I paid my money and we were off!!
One, two, three I think she either refused or ran out so we did it again. Four, five the one he'd taken the pole off, six with the bushes we flew over, seven, eight, nine the spread she stopped!
- I stayed on after a teeter or two, second time same, third time same, fourth time she stopped but showed willing and with a smug expression on her face put one leg delicately in the middle of the spread. We sat there for a while thinking, both of us - no - don't remember any instructions on how to extricate yourself from this in any lesson so I just kicked her through it, missed the next one and had to go back, eleven and twelve we had practised and then it was finally finished. Where's my cigarettes? Not pretty to watch - it's like watching old people dancing - absolutely no co-ordination whatsoever! But! I stayed on! Sorry Abi - I did absolutely everything wrong! No canter rhythm, looking down at the jumps, no leg on - I am lucky to survive but you have taught me balance thank goodness!! and I remembered to breathe! which helped. Brilliant day! The kids are superb absolutely no fear! The day had its thrills and spills but no-one was hurt only pride in one case! I will crack this unless the fags kill me first!! lol! Roll on the next Crisis Clinic!!