Felbridge Report

Rambo

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Well, having endured Eurodisney for saturday and sunday, felt it was time to return to normality on monday with some SJ'ing
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Trike had not been right on thursday or friday....felt stiff behind and was falling over his own feet
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We left him in the field while we went to Paris. Bo had been going sweetly but the plan to ride him on friday before giving him the weekend off went t1ts up when the yard fed him just before i was going to ride him
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Soooo...Bo had 3 days off, and Trike wasn't going anywhere on monday
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We aimed to set off for Felbridge by 12:00pm as the 1.05m Open was 'expected' to start about 2pm. Sam hacked Trike out quietly while i sorted the lorry and got Bo ready. At 11:55am i rang Felbridge to find that class 2 had just started.....we were in class 4....no rush then !

We set off about 12:45pm and about 20 minutes into the journey had to turn around as the road was closed. This added about 30 minutes to the journey by the time we had taken the diversion into account. Arrived at Felbridge at approx 2:30pm as they were just finishing class 3 (The Discovery)...perfect timing
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Walked the course for the 1.05m....and thought it was very straightforward and quite small
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Must remember at this point that Bo has NEVER completed a course at Felbridge on grass though....and we didn't have any studs in either
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He warmed up well....despite having not been ridden for 3 days. Jumped a few uprights and a nice oxer...sweet ! In we go, and as soon as we enter the ring he starts to look around at everything ! Gets quite strong too....it's a big arena and this is our first time on grass this year ! Got a lovely stride to number 1 and pinged it nicely
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A right turn to number 2 and he starts hanging to the left......big nap and we end up having to turn and come again
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Jumps it sweetly second time and number 3 then right turn to a double of oxer to upright. Hanging again off the right turn and then stops dead at the oxer
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Very unlike Bo who usually jumps anything.....anyway, that's the end of our round.....so pop out over number 1 again....no problemo
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I'm not feeling too despondent at this point as Bo can and does have a tendency to nap in the first class...especially near the start of the season.

The course is built for the 1.10m, and upon inspection, again...not too big, and a nice course
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Again Bo warms up sweetly....and finished up pinging a big 1.20m oxer before we go in. I'm determined that we will get round this time without naps....and start in that vein. We go nicely over the first 3 fences...although Bo is spending more time looking at everything else going on around the ring rather than what he should be
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We come to number 4...an upright to an oxer then a gate. Have the upright, jump the oxer, then have the gate ! Not good....but continue to number 7 which he jumps well, but then on 3 short strides to a double of uprights, have the first part down
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He jumps the rest of the course well, and we finish on 12 faults. Not great for a horse that has been placed 2nd in his last two 1.10m's but at least we have broken the jinx of Felbridge on grass and completed a course there !

Thanks for reading
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Well done for today - at least you didnt get eliminated!!
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I was there for the first class (was intending to stay for 2nd, but thought it may not start til late judging by size of entries for BN - so glad to read that it still wasnt started at 11.55am, otherwise would have been there for far too long!!). My mare warmed up really nicely, and I was getting quite excited about jumping in the HUGE ring (well it was to us, only ever having jumped inside and once outside at Munstead BE). However, as i went in to the ring she took one look at the filler on jump 3 and didnt the most mahoosive nap (which involved the lipazzaner act followed by cowboy rodeo) and so i slightly got distracted and lost my focus!! We then got to fence 5 (which was catching a lot out) and got eliminated but managed to get over 3rd time, and then went HC so we could finish on a good note.

Thought it was gorgeous there today though and cant wait for the next show!!
 
Oh well - but first show outdoors and they never jump nice, I think it blows their minds a bit after being inside all winter. And he didn't stop in the 1.10
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Where are you off to next?
 
am most pleased to hear the jumps are on the grass at felbridge now so thanks for that post (it is very close to us and dead good for practising the eventers) and well done for getting through first outdoor of the season unscathed!
 
Oh well - it could have been worse lol
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Im sure now he's done the once on grass he'll get it back in his head he is supposed to be jumping haha....Dont they use the big outdoor sand/rubber areanas anymore at Felbridge? Thought thats what i jumped on last year...
 
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Dont they use the big outdoor sand/rubber areanas anymore at Felbridge? Thought thats what i jumped on last year...

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I think they still use it when the weather requires it
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This time last year we jumped on the sand...this year the grass was just about perfect
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Oh well done on getting round though
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He sounds like he was being quite hard work but hopefully now the first outdoor show is out the way he should start to settle down
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