Erehwemos
Well-Known Member
I didnt want to completely hijack xSammiex's thread!
KeyHold - would you like the full story? Because, as I consider it a 'success story', I never tire of relaying it!
We bought Ellie when I was 12, and she was a vey green five year old. At the start, we had no real ambitions - I was a typical Pony Clubber, happy to go in any direction. It was within the first couple of months of owning her that we realised she could be a rather talented SJer. There were some hiccups at the start - Mum threatened to 'send her back' when I couldnt get her to jump a log out hacking, and she was very, very spooky - but I loved her to bits. I worked hard, schooled her diligently, and we came on in leaps and bounds.
At our first Pony Club Camp, Ellie and I (aged 13) won the Under 14s competition at the end of the week (this took into account SJ, XC and dressage). We took part on all the SJ teams - and, unlike previous years when I always seemed to fall off, we became key members of the team.
We affiliated in late 2001, and obtained our four British Novice double clears within five outings. Having paid £3000 for Ellie, we were offered £12,000 for her just six months later at a show at Rockhampton - which of course, we declined! We had also by this time qualified for the second rounds of Trailblazers SJ (95cm and 105cm) - and after a wonderful day at Blewbury where we won both qualifiers, we went to the finals at Stoneleigh in 2002. Here, we had what I still consider to be the best weekend of my life; we were Reserve Champions in the 95cms, and came 5th overall in the 105cm championship.
Being novices at BSJA, we jumped ourselves out of British Novice (in terms of money) without intending to! After Stoneleigh, we started jumping just in Discovery and Newcomers, and had some fantastic days out. I won my first Discovery at an area show at Blewbury, and we then went on to have a fantastic day at Newbury the week after, where we jumped the biggest track we'd ever come across. We didnt win, but it was the best day Ellie and I ever had together whilst BSJAing - some big names were there, and we did better than many of them!
Shortly afterwards, I had my fall. We were simply doing gridwork - a fortnightly occurence for us - and Ellie just got that bit too brave and took on two bounce fences at once. She landed on the back bar and somersaulted over on top of me. I was knocked out for a while, and when I got back up, my hand was broken, but that didnt deter Mum and instructor from making me get back on! I popped a cross pole, and that was that.
It took me ten weeks to recover, although Ellie was fine, luckily. Once I was back in the saddle, I continued to jump again, but my nerve was faltering. We qualified for Stoneleigh once more, although not with the ease of last time. At several BSJA shows I went to, I found that I was increasingly panicked by the thought of doubles and combinations, and I suffered a couple of falls and scares when I 'dropped' her at the bottom of a fence. We went to Stoneleigh, and did well on the opening day, but on the second day my gremlins returned, and I retired her before the combination.
Shortly after Trailblazers, we were due to go to another show. Just before we set off, I broke down in tears. I didnt know why, but I did know that the thought of jumping terrified me. I think the pressure of expectation had got to me, after months of feeling that I couldnt stop because I'd be letting people down. Mum was great; she told me that there was no need to beat myself up, and that if it was no longer fun, then there was no point in carrying on.
So that was that! I may not be a 'pro', but I DID get back on, and I DID carry on jumping - it just didnt feel right, and it wasnt fair to anyone to carry on doing something that no longer gave me any pleasure. And for what it is worth, I was sixteen years old when I gave up jumping - certainly not the 12 year old child I was when I had first got Ellie
We have since done a little bit of dressage, but our main passion is hacking. We have popped the odd fence on a sponsored ride and lovely every minute - although a lion-hearted attempt last summer at going clear round SJing - for the first time in four years - ended in tears
But the bottom line is, we ARE a success story, in every sense of the word. I love my horse to bits, and she will be with me for life. So with regards to xSammiex's thread, young riders on horses certainly can do just fine
BTW - Hellspells and Scribbles - thank you
KeyHold - would you like the full story? Because, as I consider it a 'success story', I never tire of relaying it!
We bought Ellie when I was 12, and she was a vey green five year old. At the start, we had no real ambitions - I was a typical Pony Clubber, happy to go in any direction. It was within the first couple of months of owning her that we realised she could be a rather talented SJer. There were some hiccups at the start - Mum threatened to 'send her back' when I couldnt get her to jump a log out hacking, and she was very, very spooky - but I loved her to bits. I worked hard, schooled her diligently, and we came on in leaps and bounds.
At our first Pony Club Camp, Ellie and I (aged 13) won the Under 14s competition at the end of the week (this took into account SJ, XC and dressage). We took part on all the SJ teams - and, unlike previous years when I always seemed to fall off, we became key members of the team.
We affiliated in late 2001, and obtained our four British Novice double clears within five outings. Having paid £3000 for Ellie, we were offered £12,000 for her just six months later at a show at Rockhampton - which of course, we declined! We had also by this time qualified for the second rounds of Trailblazers SJ (95cm and 105cm) - and after a wonderful day at Blewbury where we won both qualifiers, we went to the finals at Stoneleigh in 2002. Here, we had what I still consider to be the best weekend of my life; we were Reserve Champions in the 95cms, and came 5th overall in the 105cm championship.
Being novices at BSJA, we jumped ourselves out of British Novice (in terms of money) without intending to! After Stoneleigh, we started jumping just in Discovery and Newcomers, and had some fantastic days out. I won my first Discovery at an area show at Blewbury, and we then went on to have a fantastic day at Newbury the week after, where we jumped the biggest track we'd ever come across. We didnt win, but it was the best day Ellie and I ever had together whilst BSJAing - some big names were there, and we did better than many of them!
Shortly afterwards, I had my fall. We were simply doing gridwork - a fortnightly occurence for us - and Ellie just got that bit too brave and took on two bounce fences at once. She landed on the back bar and somersaulted over on top of me. I was knocked out for a while, and when I got back up, my hand was broken, but that didnt deter Mum and instructor from making me get back on! I popped a cross pole, and that was that.
It took me ten weeks to recover, although Ellie was fine, luckily. Once I was back in the saddle, I continued to jump again, but my nerve was faltering. We qualified for Stoneleigh once more, although not with the ease of last time. At several BSJA shows I went to, I found that I was increasingly panicked by the thought of doubles and combinations, and I suffered a couple of falls and scares when I 'dropped' her at the bottom of a fence. We went to Stoneleigh, and did well on the opening day, but on the second day my gremlins returned, and I retired her before the combination.
Shortly after Trailblazers, we were due to go to another show. Just before we set off, I broke down in tears. I didnt know why, but I did know that the thought of jumping terrified me. I think the pressure of expectation had got to me, after months of feeling that I couldnt stop because I'd be letting people down. Mum was great; she told me that there was no need to beat myself up, and that if it was no longer fun, then there was no point in carrying on.
So that was that! I may not be a 'pro', but I DID get back on, and I DID carry on jumping - it just didnt feel right, and it wasnt fair to anyone to carry on doing something that no longer gave me any pleasure. And for what it is worth, I was sixteen years old when I gave up jumping - certainly not the 12 year old child I was when I had first got Ellie
We have since done a little bit of dressage, but our main passion is hacking. We have popped the odd fence on a sponsored ride and lovely every minute - although a lion-hearted attempt last summer at going clear round SJing - for the first time in four years - ended in tears
But the bottom line is, we ARE a success story, in every sense of the word. I love my horse to bits, and she will be with me for life. So with regards to xSammiex's thread, young riders on horses certainly can do just fine
BTW - Hellspells and Scribbles - thank you
