only_me
Well-Known Member
What a weekend! Full of ups and down, but, as they say, thats Horses!
I was invited down by the Irish Pony club as a representative of Northern Ireland for the Combined Training class, at Dublin horse show 2009. The dressage was on the Saturday and the jumping on the Sunday.
Arrived on Friday, got him all settled in and he fell asleep
not before he tasted the Dublin cusine, A la Straw bed. For desert he got some cool mix, although he was rather full from the mains
Saturday was stressage day, in ring 2, the working hunter ring. For those who have been to RDS will know what the atmosphere is like, and so I cantered him earlier in the day just to take the edge off my lazy beast! Didnt really help when someone kindly let off their balloon beside us as we went past, but he got over that quickly!
I was absolutely delighted to hear that my class consisted of 3 Irish team members (not) and that I was probably the worst at dressage in the class Even I know that stressage isnt our best phase
Then waited AGES for the dressage, My class was meant to be on at 5.30pm but due to other classes running late, they were a bit pushed for time! I went into the arena at 6.45pm ish (
) and did what I thought was a reasonable test, we were consistent, kept the impulsion up and had 2 very nice leg yields, which is what I had been working on so happy with that
The arena
Cantering outside arena
The free walk I am over the moon with this movement, as although he has a fabulous walk (think 5 hooves overtrack and thats not exaggeration!!) but tends to use this opportunity to gaze at his spectators
but he didnt he stayed long and low so me very
And probably the best picture of the weekend, the medium trot across the diagonal, he really stretched and used himself instead of running, so again me
So after the dressage we were middle of the class, there were 5 of us within 4 marks of each other, and the top 3 were way ahead
no prizes for guessing who they were
So then the jumping on Sunday, walked the course, thought very very up to height lets just say that eventing 1.10 seems to be smaller than showjumping/working hunter 1.10
and it was very tricky, lots of turns off awkard corners and dog legs in line with other fences etc. oh, and a gate to a triple bar to planks all on a turn
Merlin, was now very relaxed and very settled, I came back to plait him at 10am to find him lying down sleeping
he rarely lies down in his stable, so I think he was tired and/or bored
Course caused a lot of problems for my class, but thankfully merlin loves his jumping so we flew round, ableit one little miss from me at the gate but hes gotten much quicker in front
so we finished on our dressage score.
Our bums (see the scary fake stone fence?)
The triple bar (with the champagne bar behind us
)
So we finished up 5th
In the line up this is were Merlin goes ooh I know how to look pretty!
And then being the only Northern Irish competitor, I asked the commentators if I could borrow the mike and I thanked the IPC for inviting us down and how fantastic the experience was
so apologies to anyone who had to listen to my awful Northern Irish accent coupled with a rather noticeable lisp
Wow, that was long, apologies and cookies to all who read that mumble jumbo!
I also met some lovely HHOers
I was invited down by the Irish Pony club as a representative of Northern Ireland for the Combined Training class, at Dublin horse show 2009. The dressage was on the Saturday and the jumping on the Sunday.
Arrived on Friday, got him all settled in and he fell asleep
Saturday was stressage day, in ring 2, the working hunter ring. For those who have been to RDS will know what the atmosphere is like, and so I cantered him earlier in the day just to take the edge off my lazy beast! Didnt really help when someone kindly let off their balloon beside us as we went past, but he got over that quickly!
I was absolutely delighted to hear that my class consisted of 3 Irish team members (not) and that I was probably the worst at dressage in the class Even I know that stressage isnt our best phase
Then waited AGES for the dressage, My class was meant to be on at 5.30pm but due to other classes running late, they were a bit pushed for time! I went into the arena at 6.45pm ish (
The arena
Cantering outside arena
The free walk I am over the moon with this movement, as although he has a fabulous walk (think 5 hooves overtrack and thats not exaggeration!!) but tends to use this opportunity to gaze at his spectators
And probably the best picture of the weekend, the medium trot across the diagonal, he really stretched and used himself instead of running, so again me
So after the dressage we were middle of the class, there were 5 of us within 4 marks of each other, and the top 3 were way ahead
So then the jumping on Sunday, walked the course, thought very very up to height lets just say that eventing 1.10 seems to be smaller than showjumping/working hunter 1.10
Merlin, was now very relaxed and very settled, I came back to plait him at 10am to find him lying down sleeping
Course caused a lot of problems for my class, but thankfully merlin loves his jumping so we flew round, ableit one little miss from me at the gate but hes gotten much quicker in front
Our bums (see the scary fake stone fence?)
The triple bar (with the champagne bar behind us
So we finished up 5th
In the line up this is were Merlin goes ooh I know how to look pretty!
And then being the only Northern Irish competitor, I asked the commentators if I could borrow the mike and I thanked the IPC for inviting us down and how fantastic the experience was
Wow, that was long, apologies and cookies to all who read that mumble jumbo!
I also met some lovely HHOers
