buzzles
Well-Known Member
I took my young mare to her first hunter trials today and her first proper cross country. I've had her xc schooling once before and she was brilliant - jumped everything first time, water, ditches, banks- but this was her first actual taste of xc competition. She's only been broken since Jan this year even though she's 6 and hasn't had a great year because so much was cancelled over the summer and then she got an infection so she had to have more time off.
Anyway I did the pre-novice pairs with my sister on her pony who's a real schoolmaster. It was a really nice course, nothing too big but plenty to look at and a few fences had bigger options to give them something to jump. The ground was quite good aswell, with sand around all the jumps. She was very well behaved in the warm up and at the start, a bit fidgety and very interested in all the chaos going on around her! Anyway we set off with the intention of going for a school around, but she was fab!
She jumped everything, we stayed behind most of the way and got a bit close to a few as she was busy worrying about the pony but she did some amazing jumps and we did all the bigger options. Only had one hairy moment where sister's pony ran out of impulsion at a log and veered in front of us so we backended him, making him scramble over the log and I had to circle away. We weren't too sure if it would be counted as a refusal but we cleared everything else so came back happy. She hadn't even broken a sweat and was hardly puffed when we got back to the trailer so I went again in the pre-novice singles, with the aim of getting her listening to me this time instead of following blindly behind, which happened at times in the pairs
She wasn't as settled at the start by herself and called a few times but she didn't do anything bold. Set off really well, she totally got the idea of this xc lark and she really listened to me. Flew over the first 5 jumps and then caught up with the horse in front at the water and despite me yelling course, they bumped us as we jumped out and so she had to scramble out of the water and then the other rider cut in front of us at the next fence, a sunken road, and then refused so my mare stopped
. Represented and jumped fine so off we went again and managed to lose the other horse and she motored around the rest of the course, again taking all the bigger and more difficult options
.
I was so pleased with her, she really enjoyed herself. I think she's going to make a brilliant little eventer, her dressage is coming on so well and she has some scope show jumping and has now proved herself xc, I know it was only pre novice and it wasn't the most difficult course but it was very inviting and perfect to give her a confident run. My sister now wants her next year so I don't know if I'll be selling her anytime soon
And to top it off i got a text on the way home to say we got 2nd in the pairs!
Anyway I did the pre-novice pairs with my sister on her pony who's a real schoolmaster. It was a really nice course, nothing too big but plenty to look at and a few fences had bigger options to give them something to jump. The ground was quite good aswell, with sand around all the jumps. She was very well behaved in the warm up and at the start, a bit fidgety and very interested in all the chaos going on around her! Anyway we set off with the intention of going for a school around, but she was fab!
She wasn't as settled at the start by herself and called a few times but she didn't do anything bold. Set off really well, she totally got the idea of this xc lark and she really listened to me. Flew over the first 5 jumps and then caught up with the horse in front at the water and despite me yelling course, they bumped us as we jumped out and so she had to scramble out of the water and then the other rider cut in front of us at the next fence, a sunken road, and then refused so my mare stopped
I was so pleased with her, she really enjoyed herself. I think she's going to make a brilliant little eventer, her dressage is coming on so well and she has some scope show jumping and has now proved herself xc, I know it was only pre novice and it wasn't the most difficult course but it was very inviting and perfect to give her a confident run. My sister now wants her next year so I don't know if I'll be selling her anytime soon
And to top it off i got a text on the way home to say we got 2nd in the pairs!
