Rambo
Well-Known Member
Took both the horses to Duckhurst on sunday for their first indoor show of the season. We didn't want to hang around for hours so put them both in the 90cms Am qualifier and then Bo also in the 1m Am qualifier.
The course walked fine...although I must admit the arena looked a bit smaller than I remembered...and I was confident of a good showing.
Bo was first to go and had warmed up okay if a little lethargically. He jumped well and left everything up, but we did have a slight breakdown in communications at number 6 where there were two fences close together...he locked on to the wrong one and so we had a wrestling match to get to the right one...but ground to a halt in between them...so 4 flts, but other than that I was pleased
Trike's turn next and he just did what he's become rather good at recenty...jumping a very good clear round. There were about 18 in the JO and we were drawn 9th. I asked everything of him and he made every turn for me (most of them on his weaker right rein too!) and we stopped the clock on 31.something. That put us third at that moment but our hopes of a placing were dashed later as the speed merchants came thick and fast afterwards to relegate us to 9th with them paying 7 places. Couldn't have been happier with Trike though...he gave it everything and never felt like touching a pole
Bo then did the 1m class and this time showed his class with a flawless clear
Again there were 16 in the JO and we were drawn 7th. It was a very twisty course...not entirely suited to a big long beast like mine, but I set off with the intention of going for it. Things were going great until the penultimate fence...an oxer off the right which I was trying to jump on the angle to cut inside to the last. Anyway, whether I cut it too tight or whether Bo saw the double on landing that we were trying to get inside i'm not sure, but at the last minute he put on the brakes for a stop. He jumped it next time when I came straight but our chance was gone by then
He had jumped amazingly to that point and OH reckoned we would have been there or thereabouts with the time if we'd gone clear so I was very happy anyway. We don't go for it against the clock too often so it was all good experience
I think it became clear today that both the horses and I are much happier jumping indoors on a surface...so i'm looking forward to the rest of the season now
The course walked fine...although I must admit the arena looked a bit smaller than I remembered...and I was confident of a good showing.
Bo was first to go and had warmed up okay if a little lethargically. He jumped well and left everything up, but we did have a slight breakdown in communications at number 6 where there were two fences close together...he locked on to the wrong one and so we had a wrestling match to get to the right one...but ground to a halt in between them...so 4 flts, but other than that I was pleased
Trike's turn next and he just did what he's become rather good at recenty...jumping a very good clear round. There were about 18 in the JO and we were drawn 9th. I asked everything of him and he made every turn for me (most of them on his weaker right rein too!) and we stopped the clock on 31.something. That put us third at that moment but our hopes of a placing were dashed later as the speed merchants came thick and fast afterwards to relegate us to 9th with them paying 7 places. Couldn't have been happier with Trike though...he gave it everything and never felt like touching a pole
Bo then did the 1m class and this time showed his class with a flawless clear
I think it became clear today that both the horses and I are much happier jumping indoors on a surface...so i'm looking forward to the rest of the season now
