Duckhurst BSJA

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juliehannah58

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Well, what a day! Just shows how up and down the world of showjumping is!

We went to Duckhurst today for the 90cm Amateur championship qualifier, with a view to doing the 1m if she felt good as it was only her 2nd BSJA show and she went very green at Crockstead 2 weeks ago. Anyway, she's jumped here twice before and always been super. Got her off the box and walked the course, up to height but easy enough. Went to warm up and all hell broke loose
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Anyone who knows Duckhurst knows that the warm up is usually manic anyway- but today was exceptional! I had NO control at all (in a pelham) she was soooo strong and just fixing her neck, finally got her calmed down enough for a jump and she jumped well but took off afterwards
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Then started darting to the left once we landed, sooo different from 2 weeks ago where I was kicking her into every fence! Oh well, in we went as once in the ring she sometimes snaps out of it, NOPE! No control at all, although she was jumping well the fences came too quick with no steering or brakes, so I had to retire
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My Dad had come to watch, first time in 7 yrs and the first time I've ever had retire! (Joner
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) So, I was really deflated, last time I couldn't get her going, this time I couldn't stop her, and nothing had changed!

Decided to put her in the lorry and come out for the 1m and try to 'start again' but upon entering the warm up she got all silly again so instead I hacked her down the lane to calm her down. This seemed to do the trick as when we went back in everything clicked into place and she warmed up well - hurrah!! So, I hopped off to walk the course and prompty fainted, it was bl00dy massive!!
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I measured the fences afterwards and one oxer was 1.12m!! Think this was because there was LOADS of clears in the first class. So, a slightly greenish colour, in we went for the biggest round she'd ever done and after a not so good start....but she went great! Only one down and it really was unlucky, it was a double on a long distance and her little cobby legs don't stretch that far so she put a short one in and just tapped it on the way up. Still I was thrilled, she redeemed herself!

Just goes to show, you never know what's in store when it comes to jumping!

Vid will be up soon, thanks for reading
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Glad you got things sorted for the second round - shame about the one down though. I had a similar problem with a warm-up arena once and did just what you did and hacked down the lane rather than go back in the warm-up and get the horse in a state.

BTW - were you at a certain Sussex bonfire and fireworks last night - saw someone who looked just like you in a woolly hat with ear flaps!
 
Hi TGM, I used to hack my pony regularly at shows and it always helped calm her, as I hack almost everyday it's their 'norm'! Baby's not the sort that can go in 'cold' and I like to get a good warm up with her so it was a pain. The hardest thing with her, although she ALWAYS tries, is she is inconsistant - one day I can't stop her next day she won't go! But she's such a trier so that makes up for it.

I was at Rye bonfire but I wasn't wearing a hat.....
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[ QUOTE ]
I was at Rye bonfire but I wasn't wearing a hat.....
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[/ QUOTE ] Just as well I didn't say "hello" to the person I thought was you then
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Hiya Helen,

Thanks
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I was pleased with her in the end, a lot of it is inexperience, as she's usually so obliging, it's so easy to forget she is a very young 8 yrs old with no mileage
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But was so pleased with her in the 2nd class, it was huge and we've only been jumping 105/110cm at home so it was a real test for her!

Are you going to Golden Cross on 25th?? I have to chose between taking Baby to that or jumping the 4yr old at Towerlands....
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Bad luck, and well done...all in the same sentence lol!

Has Baby had a bad experience in that warm-up before, or was it just extra packed yesterday ?

Anyway, sounds like you found out that she's got the extra jump you were worried about
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It also sounds like the organisers have been reading this forum and noted the number of people who have been claiming that Duckhurst build small lol!
 
Did they build them a bit massive then? Was the first class built big? Strange behaviour but sounds like she recovered to do well for the 2nd class massive as it was
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will you be doing all the 1.10m classes from now on then?
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Might go to the one on Fri 24th...
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I was there on Sunday too, I know their BN is usually pretty small so turned up for the 1m. There is no way that those jumps were 1m, I measured them against my hip and no's 6&7 were definitely bigger.

I didn't have any brakes either so had to do a circle into the double.

The warm-up was pretty bad, I hope Duckhurst are reading this forum so they actually do something about it. It's more like cross country practice in there with the uphill/completely uneven surface and nobody keeping tabs on the number of people in there. Somebody actually used my horses' backside to stop their horse, not a good move at all, I'm surprised she didn't kick it through the wall! She is absolutely fine and wont kick out unless something runs into her, I'm tempted to try a red ribbon next time.
 
I know what you mean about the warm up! got crashed into several times and I think it was getting cut up etc that upset my horse in the first place!

I know the jumps were WAY over height, the yellow and black first part of the double was 1.12, as I marked it on my jacket and measured it afterwards! Very naughty really, they had 20 odd clears in the 90cm so I guess they were trying to limit clears to catch up on time, but they were too big. If I had a horse who could jump 1.10 I'd be doing that class!!
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