Pidgeon
Well-Known Member
Expensive as in lorry overheated last Sunday on the way back from Somerford so apart from spending a couple of hours on Keele Services in the baking heat, now will have a large bill for a replacement radiator and thermometer thanks however to my wonderful mechanics who turned the box round in the week so I could get to Eland yesterday!
Big thanks to Mum for getting up at 5am to come and help me get Pidge ready and off we set. Sis was competing at local RC show as doing well in ridden cob championship so I was without super groom, but she did me proud and provided a lovely buffet lunch as normal
Big thanks to dilmil123 for coming along with her daughter to help groom for me as I freely admit I cant cope on my own, and take my hat off to those that do. Im glad you enjoyed it I really enjoyed it and thanks again for your help and support.
So onto the dressage, well what can I say other than before going in it was 4-0 to me against the horse flies! Blooming horrible things grrrrr. Test went ok bar Pidge knowing where he was as hed been eyeing up the XC course from the dressage warm up. So despite starting in rising trot I quickly changed to sitting as he was about ready to ping and sitting trot seems to relax him more. Nice test for us bar our right canter where he had another damn horse fly on him so that was a bit entertaining! Ho hum.
Anyway quick change and off to the SJ. Did I mention the heat? Well it wasnt even 10am and my jacket was sticking to me everywhere it was that hot! So went in and was determined to get round after me not riding this last time and getting E
popped the X pole, the upright and then the oxer a couple of times.
By this time Pidge knew what was coming and was cantering sideways round the warm up so deemed him to be ready and in we went.
Rode like a woman possessed, ok only joking, I actually remembered to ride positively and keep my legs on rather than going Oh crap line and forgetting what my legs are for! Course like last time was quite tight due to having 3 fences in the warm up.
Fence 5
Rattled the second part of the double but it stayed up, phew, and must admit to letting him roll on a little to the last oxer as he was just having a ball but remembered to keep my legs on so he didnt flatten
and WOOHOO we had a clear So so pleased to have put my bogey round last time to bed and now onto the fun bit!
T cooled Pidge off as it was so hot and then we got him ready for the Exhilirating XC. Short warm up and we were off. Slap before the first to make sure he switched on, over the log pile nicely and then we were off! Had to make him put another in at the palisade ditch as he was going to take a flyer and theres a drop on landing so we SJ it up and over and lovely on landing. Then let him rock and roll over the sharks teeth
Steady over the Horseware Island as he has a habit of launching off the other side, over the rails and skinny box. Cruised over the lonely oak and let him bowl along to the water and boat
Great as usual up the double of steps and steady round the corner for the brick wall. Jogged through the woody bit avoiding the branches that get in the way when on 17hh of bouncing ginger beastie
before the sunken road and then romped down the hill and flew over the greengrocers fence, never even looking at the fruit and veg
and pheasant feeder. Had to take a bit of a pull before the sharp turn to the hanging log but very pleased with how much better he is getting at coming back to me when I ask. Over that and let him bowl along to the sheep corral where we only just fitted two strides in,
through the water over the roll top and house and up the hill. Steadied for the brush at the top of the hill and over the log to finish, giving a big WOOHOO and wave to friend in Start Box. So finished with a clear XC with a time of 4.57.
My first ever double clear at BE, I know to a lot of people this is not a big thing but to me it is fantastic as I do admit to suffering with nerves at times so to achieve this at my age "cough cough" means the world to me. I am so proud of my brilliant horse who turns his hoof to anything I ask him to do, I couldnt ask for anything else. Didn't get placed as our dressage score was 43 but am still over the moon
Anyway sorry for the long post but I am still grinning like a Cheshire cat today
Big thanks to Mum for getting up at 5am to come and help me get Pidge ready and off we set. Sis was competing at local RC show as doing well in ridden cob championship so I was without super groom, but she did me proud and provided a lovely buffet lunch as normal
Big thanks to dilmil123 for coming along with her daughter to help groom for me as I freely admit I cant cope on my own, and take my hat off to those that do. Im glad you enjoyed it I really enjoyed it and thanks again for your help and support.
So onto the dressage, well what can I say other than before going in it was 4-0 to me against the horse flies! Blooming horrible things grrrrr. Test went ok bar Pidge knowing where he was as hed been eyeing up the XC course from the dressage warm up. So despite starting in rising trot I quickly changed to sitting as he was about ready to ping and sitting trot seems to relax him more. Nice test for us bar our right canter where he had another damn horse fly on him so that was a bit entertaining! Ho hum.
Anyway quick change and off to the SJ. Did I mention the heat? Well it wasnt even 10am and my jacket was sticking to me everywhere it was that hot! So went in and was determined to get round after me not riding this last time and getting E
popped the X pole, the upright and then the oxer a couple of times.
By this time Pidge knew what was coming and was cantering sideways round the warm up so deemed him to be ready and in we went.
Rode like a woman possessed, ok only joking, I actually remembered to ride positively and keep my legs on rather than going Oh crap line and forgetting what my legs are for! Course like last time was quite tight due to having 3 fences in the warm up.
Fence 5
Rattled the second part of the double but it stayed up, phew, and must admit to letting him roll on a little to the last oxer as he was just having a ball but remembered to keep my legs on so he didnt flatten
So so pleased to have put my bogey round last time to bed and now onto the fun bit! T cooled Pidge off as it was so hot and then we got him ready for the Exhilirating XC. Short warm up and we were off. Slap before the first to make sure he switched on, over the log pile nicely and then we were off! Had to make him put another in at the palisade ditch as he was going to take a flyer and theres a drop on landing so we SJ it up and over and lovely on landing. Then let him rock and roll over the sharks teeth
Steady over the Horseware Island as he has a habit of launching off the other side, over the rails and skinny box. Cruised over the lonely oak and let him bowl along to the water and boat
Great as usual up the double of steps and steady round the corner for the brick wall. Jogged through the woody bit avoiding the branches that get in the way when on 17hh of bouncing ginger beastie
before the sunken road and then romped down the hill and flew over the greengrocers fence, never even looking at the fruit and veg
and pheasant feeder. Had to take a bit of a pull before the sharp turn to the hanging log but very pleased with how much better he is getting at coming back to me when I ask. Over that and let him bowl along to the sheep corral where we only just fitted two strides in,
through the water over the roll top and house and up the hill. Steadied for the brush at the top of the hill and over the log to finish, giving a big WOOHOO and wave to friend in Start Box
. So finished with a clear XC with a time of 4.57. My first ever double clear at BE, I know to a lot of people this is not a big thing but to me it is fantastic as I do admit to suffering with nerves at times so to achieve this at my age "cough cough" means the world to me. I am so proud of my brilliant horse who turns his hoof to anything I ask him to do, I couldnt ask for anything else. Didn't get placed as our dressage score was 43 but am still over the moon
Anyway sorry for the long post but I am still grinning like a Cheshire cat today
Lovely pics you both look like you are really enjoying yourselves.
) well done you! The score boards were tight at the top. I finished on a dressage of 26 and was still only 8th haha. There were the top 8 that just stayed there throughout the day. It was a good day though, I was worried about the greengrocers shop as my horse is spooky but it rode ok didn't it. Oh yes though roasting hot!!!! My x country was about 1.30pm and I nearly collapsed in a heap after the finish. Quite a lot of weary looking horses wasn't there.
Have worked very hard on getting him to listen to me XC and he does come back to me when I ask as have taught him on my position more than hands but TBH he is still keen hence my contact on the reins and his mouth. If I give him too much of a soft contact he runs out of the fence and he does actually seem to prefer being ridden this way. It certainly doesn't bother him as he still actively looks for the next fence and locks on.