Stormy123456
Well-Known Member
We trundled off to Shelford's unaffiliated ODE last week - sorry about the lateness! I've had uni exams all week (this is my break from revision 
)..
Never been before, and we did the Open (1.10m) - was pretty much last in my class as managed to sqeeze a late entry after Catton was cancelled - so got some of the rough ground after it had been cut up in the rain. Walked the xc course and thought there were some questions, and a few big bold fences.
Anyway, onto the Dressage, she warmed up really nicely, short and sweet.
We went over to the steward where someone was absent mindly swinging a whip whilst watching someone warm up - Ballet got a bit jumpy but I was ushered to my arena so thought nothing more of it. As I was trotting around my arena just as I was about to go down the centre line, someone pulled the string which separated the lorry park from the arenas, and a mug which was hanging from the string slid along it. Ballet jumped a mile off the ground, spooked a mile sideways and I ended up hanging around her neck. Ballet is terrified of any string, wire or of that sort after she once put her face on a loose connection (previous home had a pylon in th field). 
This set the tone for the day. I recomposed and started the test, promptly forgot the halt at X, was beeped and had to start again. My test was hurried, Ballet became strong, and spooky at A end by the string, the woman carried on waving the whip around - and well the test was truly appauling. My stirrups look too short, and I ended up leaning like this for the whole test -
Onto the SJ'ing - well, its never been our best phase, but over the past year has improved dramatically. It did look big to me, but the arena was nice and large so we could get around the turned up ground. But she warmed up atrociously, every time the string went up to let horses into the ring, she'd take off and charge up the length of the warm up. She also does have a bit of a thing about warm up jumps, she is very suspicious of them, particularly those metal ones that clang loudly if they fall. So jumped one of two and went in - well it felt just aweful. She was very strong and I actually felt embarressed of my round, and was upset that it had gone quite so badly. Somehow we only had the last down.
1 & 2:
Dressage was 34.something, which had me in 11th, so tacked up for XC and warmed up. Well she seemed very quiet and not particularly bothered by the phase that she always loves and is very strong, bouncy and excited about. She stood quietly in the start box, and trotted out very sedately. But we got going and came nicely to 1-4,
Then fine to number 5:
Flew number 6 and a big drop into water and a skinny out was 7, then 8 was a tiny hedge which she didnt seem to register as a jump, and she almost tripped over it - no respect!
Then 8 which was a roll top to a triple brush which was a fair test, then into the woods - she had felt a little stickier like I was having to ride her alot more than I usually would, and as we came to the a small hanging log in the woods, she just stopped. I had set up for it, she was on an idea stride, and she just said no. I realised that she wasn't happy and decided to carry on at a slower pace and just complete.
Next up was the owlhole, then a narrow corner which didnt ride very nicely, then to the big table that usually resides at Belton HT:
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ay/29/category/MonOpenXCTable/photo/D30_4627/
We did make it to the other side - she dragged me into this, should probably look into a different bit.
And cantered over the last few to the finish. She wasn't tired, or sweaty when I got off, and she didn't pull me about on the floor or try to set off again. I decided there and then that she would not do another Novice and have pulled out of Area PC, and have decided to put her into foal.
Over 5 years I have never had a XC fault with her, and our last 2 events have resulted in dirty stops at simple fences having been on good strides to them. I just don't think she enjoys the bigger stuff anymore - she used to love it, she is a fabulous XC horse - but she's not the same. She's kept me safe, so she owes me nothing. Gutted really. Mum agreed that she didn't look happy with some of the combinations, and I've had people rabbiting down my ear for a while that she looks fine, but I know she can jump herself out of trouble, and if she stops, she's trying to say something.
I had all these dreams on Intermediate and Young Riders as I missed out on JRN due to injuries and such, so if anyone knows of a potential Int horse/youngster.... to loan would be ideal! Could buy, but not got a big enough budget for the ones I see on horsequest.
But anyway, she has her first pregnancy scan a week on friday, which is all very exciting. We have put her to Denounce.
So Ballet is retired for now. I have no doubt she would pop around BE100 all day long, or PC, but we've always wanted to have a foal with her, and times running out.
Biscuits and Red Bull on offer.. must get back to revision!
P.s. I know she looks porky, but she is fit and gains weight just looking at blades of grass
)..Never been before, and we did the Open (1.10m) - was pretty much last in my class as managed to sqeeze a late entry after Catton was cancelled - so got some of the rough ground after it had been cut up in the rain. Walked the xc course and thought there were some questions, and a few big bold fences.
Anyway, onto the Dressage, she warmed up really nicely, short and sweet.
We went over to the steward where someone was absent mindly swinging a whip
whilst watching someone warm up - Ballet got a bit jumpy but I was ushered to my arena so thought nothing more of it. As I was trotting around my arena just as I was about to go down the centre line, someone pulled the string which separated the lorry park from the arenas, and a mug which was hanging from the string slid along it. Ballet jumped a mile off the ground, spooked a mile sideways and I ended up hanging around her neck. Ballet is terrified of any string, wire or of that sort after she once put her face on a loose connection (previous home had a pylon in th field). This set the tone for the day. I recomposed and started the test, promptly forgot the halt at X, was beeped and had to start again.
My test was hurried, Ballet became strong, and spooky at A end by the string, the woman carried on waving the whip around - and well the test was truly appauling. My stirrups look too short, and I ended up leaning like this for the whole test -
Onto the SJ'ing - well, its never been our best phase, but over the past year has improved dramatically. It did look big to me, but the arena was nice and large so we could get around the turned up ground. But she warmed up atrociously, every time the string went up to let horses into the ring, she'd take off and charge up the length of the warm up.
She also does have a bit of a thing about warm up jumps, she is very suspicious of them, particularly those metal ones that clang loudly if they fall. So jumped one of two and went in - well it felt just aweful. She was very strong and I actually felt embarressed of my round, and was upset that it had gone quite so badly. Somehow we only had the last down. 1 & 2:
Dressage was 34.something, which had me in 11th, so tacked up for XC and warmed up. Well she seemed very quiet and not particularly bothered by the phase that she always loves and is very strong, bouncy and excited about. She stood quietly in the start box, and trotted out very sedately. But we got going and came nicely to 1-4,
Then fine to number 5:
Flew number 6 and a big drop into water and a skinny out was 7, then 8 was a tiny hedge which she didnt seem to register as a jump, and she almost tripped over it - no respect!
Then 8 which was a roll top to a triple brush which was a fair test, then into the woods - she had felt a little stickier like I was having to ride her alot more than I usually would, and as we came to the a small hanging log in the woods, she just stopped. I had set up for it, she was on an idea stride, and she just said no. I realised that she wasn't happy and decided to carry on at a slower pace and just complete.
Next up was the owlhole, then a narrow corner which didnt ride very nicely, then to the big table that usually resides at Belton HT:
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...ay/29/category/MonOpenXCTable/photo/D30_4627/
We did make it to the other side - she dragged me into this, should probably look into a different bit.
And cantered over the last few to the finish. She wasn't tired, or sweaty when I got off, and she didn't pull me about on the floor or try to set off again. I decided there and then that she would not do another Novice and have pulled out of Area PC, and have decided to put her into foal.
Over 5 years I have never had a XC fault with her, and our last 2 events have resulted in dirty stops at simple fences having been on good strides to them. I just don't think she enjoys the bigger stuff anymore - she used to love it, she is a fabulous XC horse - but she's not the same. She's kept me safe, so she owes me nothing. Gutted really.
Mum agreed that she didn't look happy with some of the combinations, and I've had people rabbiting down my ear for a while that she looks fine, but I know she can jump herself out of trouble, and if she stops, she's trying to say something.I had all these dreams on Intermediate and Young Riders as I missed out on JRN due to injuries and such, so if anyone knows of a potential Int horse/youngster.... to loan would be ideal!
Could buy, but not got a big enough budget for the ones I see on horsequest.But anyway, she has her first pregnancy scan a week on friday, which is all very exciting. We have put her to Denounce.
So Ballet is retired for now. I have no doubt she would pop around BE100 all day long, or PC, but we've always wanted to have a foal with her, and times running out.
Biscuits and Red Bull on offer.. must get back to revision!
P.s. I know she looks porky, but she is fit and gains weight just looking at blades of grass
