Double Trouble @ ROR Championships Report

nikkimariet

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So, yesterday was the dawning of the ROR championships at the Vale View High Profile Show! I took Fig for the Prelim and Novice, PS took CS for the Elem.

We were both a little anxious, as we’ve not had the best week in terms of prep! CS has given PS two stonking rides full of energy, and 2 rides resembling a slug in a coma. Fig has me a teensy bit worried, as he’s gone completely off his feed (still grazing and eating his haylage) but hasn’t had a proper ‘meal’ since Monday morning. He has been a vile turd to ride as well – right canter was out of the question on Weds, left canter no go on Thurs and was attention deficit on Friday :bah:

Anyways, I thought I’d run Fig through two warm ups for his first test, given the atmosphere/music etc. Sooooo glad I did, as he came out hot as hell :meep: I had to canter him in a 2-point seat (mightily difficult in Konigs!) for around 20 minutes before he deemed it okay to sit!

Excitable buck:
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Having a good hip crack:
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Thankfully, he pulled a good mood out the bag and he settled wonderfully, felt really happy chappy and like his usual self. Was concentrating, and felt at ease with the music. I warmed him up outdoors as he settles better and there was less traffic so to speak…. Not so much when yard tractor put its retina burning headlights on and starting shifting huge hay bales :eek: And then a man got in the bucket and was raised level with a floodlight to alter its position….! Figs chin firmly kept on his knees ;)

Prelim test was lovely, fluid and soft, I could have been braver and asked for his poll to come up an inch or so, and for him to step under a little more, but he was behaving and that was my main aim of the day! I got 74.09% and second place (and £200!) in the Prelim. Went into the prize giving on foot, as there was just no point taking him into a ring with five other horses to have a sideways tranter round and get upset, where he was due in the same ring to do his next test in 10 minutes! I gave the photographer a good giggle when I assured him he didn’t need to rustle a wrapper or throw dirt to get my ears pricked! Continued his calm and confident theme for our Novice warm up, was a bit braver and asked for a little more. He went a teeeeeny bit tense in the ring, but everything was accurate and correct so very :) We got 67.69% and third place (and £100!). Absolutely beaming! He was so well behaved, and really took the atmosphere in his stride – which gives me hope for the Winters that he won’t be a total nobber! Really really chuffed with him, clever little handsome man :eek:

PS chiming in here.......have to say that when we got Fig off the lorry and he went ping ponging round the warm up, leaving CS stood on the lorry breathing fire with all his veins up and red nostrils, I did comment that I would rather eat snails than get on board, in the dark, under floodlights, with music... but actually I can't fault him at all! He had one minor nap and half hearted rear when left alone in the warm up but other than that was super duper rideable and FORWARD (thank christ) and generally a joy to work with.

He did one of the most forward thinking tests to date, a really good follow up to his test at Arena UK when he was forward but perhaps a little tense at times. Here I could feel his backing swinging throughout the entire test and he never faltered or sucked back at me, not once :) Parking was all present and correctly aligned, reversing well controlled, no random changes thrown in for amusement value and his medium trots felt fabby, really taking the contact forward all the way to the opposite corner. He even contained himself when people clapped us at the end, really really proud of my seahorse pea face flicky toes pony.

Took him back to the lorry to un-plait as no way on earth was I taking him in to the prize giving and whilst I was doing so someone came to report we had won it with 68.24%!!! So I got dressed up in the rug, sash and rosette and took the lead in to the indoor for the prize giving, but declined to join in the lap of honour :cool: Would also like to announce that I FINALLY WORE MY NEW BOOTS... Its only taken 6 months of permanently chewed up knees and bone bruises on my ankles but I can now actually ride in the buggers and I hope that's it for the next 10 years, no more boot breaking in for me!

Think we are heading out to have one final scamper round a PSG in a couple of weeks, then a break, then back to business in 2013 at Addington High Profile show :)

Back over to NMT.....

Pics time! Light wasn't very good (and dark when PS warmed up) and the indoors not massively camera friendly so these were the best our camera could do:
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Pictures of our goodies:
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My floofs Loki and Thor getting in the way:
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So that’s it for 2012 competing. Thank god, as it was jesuschristsuperstar cold yesterday but must note it was made very enjoyable by the brilliant organization of both VV and ROR! Already looking forward to starting our 2013 season :D

The only dent in the day for us, was when we arrived home, in pitch black....and I nearly walked right over the top of a dirty horrid rat sitting outside our feed room :eek: Must have eaten some of the poison as was shaking and shivering but didn't make any attempt to run off. Poor bugger... Was trapped under a metal bin and was left for Pappy T/Rat Grim Reaper to deal with!

P.S. Please note sports fans, that dolls of your favourite Sparkle Sisters are now available for purchase at your local Asda. Hurry, limited stock! ;)
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Raspberry and coconut pie on offer :)
 
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Befney3

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Fantastic!! Well done to both of you (& the bay boys too). :) You've worked so hard with both boys & really deserve this. Are you spending your winnings on anything exciting?
 

dressagelove

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Wowee, what a dream team! Well done you! You're in the money now, I suggest you go buy yet another ex-racer to retrain with the winnings as you are clearly very good at it!

Congrats :) x
 

SpottedCat

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What is this thing where you ride a horse in a competition and come home vastly in profit? I am certain you are supposed to be towed into a muddy field at the crack of dawn, be towed out again at the end of a 12 hour day, and win nothing more than a rosette despite paying several hundred pounds in entry fees..... ;)

Well done :)
 

jessamess

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Looking fantastic both of you! huge congrats!!! Love reading your posts!!!

Im sorry but you both need to cut a foot or 2 off those tails though and give them a good pull!!! ;D hahahaha!!!!

Keep up the fantastic work!!! xxx
 

nikkimariet

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Fantastic!! Well done to both of you (& the bay boys too). :) You've worked so hard with both boys & really deserve this. Are you spending your winnings on anything exciting?

Thank you! Hmm.... Oh yeah, really exciting stuff.... it will cover a few months hard feed for Fig and my kittens leukemia jabs! Animals :rolleyes:

Some of it will be going towards a new saddle though :excited:

How fantastic, all great scores, you both must be chuffed to bits :D

Thanks :D Really pleased as pie!

Fab day out! Well done Sparkle sisters! Ps please may I steal your cats!!!! So cute!

Thanks :)

They're so gorgeous, were locked in a garage with their mum and left to starve :( So friendly though, you wouldn't know it:

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Wowee, what a dream team! Well done you! You're in the money now, I suggest you go buy yet another ex-racer to retrain with the winnings as you are clearly very good at it!

Congrats :) x

Thank you! Aww naw I could never afford enough matchy for TWO of my own!

Oh excellent. Very well done!

Thank you :)

Fantastic!! Well done both of you :D

Love our clever boys :cool:

Well done! Nice little earner too ;)

Hah yes! If only more competitions had this sort of prize money ;)

What is this thing where you ride a horse in a competition and come home vastly in profit? I am certain you are supposed to be towed into a muddy field at the crack of dawn, be towed out again at the end of a 12 hour day, and win nothing more than a rosette despite paying several hundred pounds in entry fees..... ;)

Well done :)

*snort* You're in the wrong sport love :D

Thanks :)

Looking fantastic both of you! huge congrats!!! Love reading your posts!!!

Im sorry but you both need to cut a foot or 2 off those tails though and give them a good pull!!! ;D hahahaha!!!!

Keep up the fantastic work!!! xxx

Thank you! Aw I'm glad, I love sharing Figs journey with everyone - am such a proud Mum!

Noooo :dies: I dared to cut a whole INCH off Figs pre-competition because he kept standing on it during rein back practice :eek:
 
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Prince33Sp4rkle

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Aw thank you all,still buzzing.

We did speak in fair detail with the ROR people about a higher level class, maybe a PYO at med/advmed/PSG to try and encourage people to aim higher, and also to showcase ex racers at the higher levels and its something they are going to think about, so fingers crossed for that.

I too may be saddle changing so will reserve funds until I've seen saddler and if its just a case of tweaking current one and not hanging it........I'm going to waste my winning on loads of brightly coloured blingy shiney amazeballs tat!!!!!!!
 

nikkimariet

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Looking great! Looks like a brilliant set up and fantastic prize money too! Need to show these photos to Fairy :)

Thanks! Fairy is dead cute, looks willing, see you there next year ;)

So so so pleased for you and Figgy (and PS and Star)
Love the bay boys ;D

We love them too! Thanks :D

So basically you are telling us that turbobreds are the cheapest to buy and win the most money! Well done

Lol!!!! Pretty much ;)

Well done and lovely pics! Kittens are scrummy too ! Think I would explode if i won that much with nags- was super overexcited getting my entry fee back for my prelim win the other week :)

I nearly did! I love winning £1 never mind more!!

Well done :) I popped in to vv to have a short peep at the gorgeous tbs with my friend and saw a bit of cs warming up. He looked fab!

There were some lovely horses there, loved the chappie that won the Novice, he was gorgeous!

Really well done! You've both worked so hard and got through the hiccups too. Very deserved results.

Thank you :)

God, I wish my pot hunting efforts were that successful ;) I entered an 80cms class recently as it was all that was on, Moot knocked near enough everything down!! :D

Well done!

Hahaaa!! We like to be resourceful ;) Thanks!

Fabulous result, well done! My OCD side is also very happy that you managed a complete set of rosettes, good work.

Oh my god that had me in stitches! I must admit I spent quite a bit of time lining them up for the picture :cool:

Big congratulations!! Very well deserved.

Thank you!

I'm going to waste my winning on loads of brightly coloured blingy shiney amazeballs tat!!!!!!!

This is my plan B :p

Well done, I saw this on FB earlier. I must show it to my ex-racer friends too. You both must be over the moon!

They've both really done us proud, fantastic way to end Figs first season :)
 

Bigbenji

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Well blooming done ladies!

Shows were a bit of hard graft can get you.

The prize money is awsome. Wonder if I can disguise my little turbo tank welsh as a TB . . . .
 

nikkimariet

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Well blooming done ladies!

Shows were a bit of hard graft can get you.

The prize money is awsome. Wonder if I can disguise my little turbo tank welsh as a TB . . . .

Thanks! And lol!!

Well done girlies and of course, handsome bay boys!!!

Thanks :)

Well done! Both horses look superb :)

Thank you, they're in good condition going into winter, just hoping Fig stops this not eating lark soon enough!

Well done both of you! great results and the horses are looking great! fantastic inspiration to those of us with difficult ex racers!

Thank you - aw that's nice to hear :)
 
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