Dougal regains form! - BCA Intro report inc pics

[H-J]

After Dougal poor SJing attempt at Little Downham due to lack of concentration I was slightly apprehensive about yesterday but also excited to see if it had made him grow up a bit and if my SJ lessons the last 2 weeks had paid off!

We set off probably a little late yesterday considering its round half the M25 on a week day

cue ALOT of traffic

aimed to get there for 9am (dressage at 11am) but arrived at 9.50am, so thought dont panic do dressage then run round the XC course after!

Never been to BCA but on 1st impressions thought it looked lovely, nice big dressage warm up space. Shame my horse did not want to play ball

I think the dressage saddle must be pinching he warm up awful, ears back, running difficult to stop

I was very unhappy as he had been so soft and nice at home, went up too see that I had 2 to go so dashed back to the lorry to change to my jump saddle, cue lovely soft pony!!

Yey, so went in and did a sweet test, 2nd canter trans was a bit iffy and the last CL & halt wasnt great but was very pleased with 35.8

Ran the XC course (luckily it was quite short!

) and thought it was lovely, couple of questions for him, a skinny ish fence to a ditch, and a largeish pheasent feeder to a step down then to a corner (with alternative) but had decided to go straight.

Onto the SJing and he started to hammer it down

put my new fluffy noseband on

and off we went. He warmed up a treat couldnt have asked for better not close to a thing. I went over to see how many I had to go and I now had 16

I was told b4 I warmed up I had 10

Thankfully a certain number wasnt there 5mins later and I nipped in!! He was super, giving them plenty of air and not looking at a thing! Came round to a double of uprights at 5 and he was running on a bit, I thought the filler woul dback him off a bit but it didnt

so he brushed the 2nd one out with his hind, then cleared the big oxer at 6, then onto 7 the planks and stupid stupid mum over checked and made him wollop it out in front - am so angry with myself!!

he was then super down to the down hill double with a bright octopus in it and cleare the last oxer for 8 faults - so much better then 8 down last week!

Now to the fun bit, he warmed up a little green, jumping the 2foot warm up log HUGE! Was was a bit

, but he got into the start box and whizzed round! He felt like such a pro and made it feel easy peasy

Took a stride out at the skinny brush and flew the ditch, then bowled up to the pheasent feeder, popped it, stride to the drop off and on a turn to the corner, he then cantered through the water and pooped th elast 2 for a clear inside the time

Am so so pleased with him he ate the XC up and feels easily ready for PN but is only Intro standard SJing at the mo!! He was impeccibly behaved all day as usual and had such bad weather on his jump phases but just knuckled down and tried his best

He ended up 12th .3 from 10th

so hopefully we can squeeze a placing b4 the season is out! We have Pulborough intro Sat and Borde Hill the weekend after

Here's some pics of him at the brush and ditch combo. permission obtained by photographer

He has completely changed colour lately! And you can see the rain in the pics and me soaked! What do you think? Any CC welcome

The fish brush....
http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k20/ho...t=DougalBCA.jpg

In between (huge pony stride!

)....
http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k20/ho...=DougalBCA3.jpg

And the ditch (my fave)....
http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k20/ho...=DougalBCA2.jpg

 

[tigers_eye]

That's fantastic holly! He sounds like your best buy yet to me.

 

[seche]

he looks great! what a super boy!!

 

[H-J]

[ QUOTE ]
That's fantastic holly! He sounds like your best buy yet to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

He has certainly been the most consistent horse so far!!

 

[Nats_uk]

I do love Dougal - well done

 

[KatB]

He looks fab

Bless him

Well done!

 

[ernikins]

He looks great - ears pricked and raring to go!!! Well done! Good luck at Pulborough - any reports will be welcome as I am doing the Intro on sunday!

 

[only_me]

aww he looks great

well done

 

[peanut]

All the pictures are fantastic - I couldn't choose between them

 

[Hattikins]

Fab Holly!!

What a great result! Really well done to you and Dougal

Looking forward to seeing him gallop past me at pulborough!

Love the piccies too!

 

[Thistle]

well done

 

[I_A_P]

yay well done

i came 12th this weekend too!

 

[H-J]

[ QUOTE ]
yay well done

i came 12th this weekend too!

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What good babies they are!

 

[ColouredFan]

Well done, thats a great result, sounds like his Show jumping is much improved!

 

[eventingdiva]

Well done

He looks fab

 

[madhector]

Woooohoooo!! Well done both of you!

 

[pootler]

Well done you, I think you deserve a bit of good news. How is Dexter?

 

[H-J]

[ QUOTE ]
Well done you, I think you deserve a bit of good news. How is Dexter?

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Dexter is sound - yey! But still cant be ridden for about 3 weeks

he is so bored and hairy at the mo! He looks like an exmoor pony!

 

[pootler]

It will be interesting to see how Dexter comes back in to work after his break. My boy always comes back a better stronger horse for the time off.

 

[Rosiefan]

Oh - fantastic. What a good boy

and you have all winter to work on the SJ. Good luck for the last 2 of the season.

 

[jules89]

Well done! BRILLIANT pics too, you look so professional!

 

[AutumnRose]

Well done, he looks lovely. I like the ditch photo best

Let me know what time you are sat, will try to say hello this time

 

[Saf]

Well done HJ, we just missed you on tue, saw you from a distance, well your box and by the time we got back from walking you had gone, love the pics

 

[BBs]

Well done HJ.
BCA is a lovely venue. SJ agree there are problems there, but the rest of it is really well run.
Good boy Dougal. Lovely pictures

 

[H-J]

[ QUOTE ]
Well done HJ, we just missed you on tue, saw you from a distance, well your box and by the time we got back from walking you had gone, love the pics

[/ QUOTE ]

We did hang around for a bit to see the results but there was too many to go up and I was soaked so we left!! So annoying to be .3 away from a placing!! Oh well!

 

[H-J]

[ QUOTE ]
Well done HJ.
BCA is a lovely venue. SJ agree there are problems there, but the rest of it is really well run.
Good boy Dougal. Lovely pictures

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it was lovely even in the rain

Dougal is a very good boy, hope he holds his form for the nxt 2 though! The SJing is so hit and miss at the mo, he needs the winter really to improve it.

 

[Baydale]

Well done you and Dougal, he looks great on the photos.

 

[Jul]

Well done HJ, that's a great result - he's coming on strong isn't he?! The main thing is that the XC is going so well, also a great SJ round this time but you've got all winter to work on that anyway

I'm taking my girl to a sponsored ride this weekend - there are 60 XC jumps of varying sizes so I hope that will help with her greenness, that's the plan anyway. Hopefully by the end of 60 jumps she'll realise that it's just not worth giving all of them an extra 3 feet