worMy
Well-Known Member
Well....not quite the report I had envisaged writing.....
Had the dressage on Saturday and he warmed up really well, but because he was going nicely we had left too long to warm up! Anyway, went over to the arena and went around it a million and one times, finally went in and did a really nice test. A thousand million billion times better than Hartpury and I was really pleased with how he went, even if our trot was a bit quick at times and our walk pirouettes were rubbish because I lost the outside rein on them both and therefore lost rhythm and connection. There was also some jogging and crookedness in the walk. But nothing drastically wrong and I think he made a very nice picture. Tor (who had very kindly offered to stay the four hours between her test and mine to help me) was really pleased and was convinced it would be in the 50s........But apparently the judges disagreed with us and with each other (15 mark spread!)
Anyway we ended up with 64.7 which Matt and Emma (Jacks old owners) both said was rather mean! I was really disappointed with it as it was so much unbelievably better than Hartpury (which wasnt even round in trot) yet they got such a similar mark. But whatever just confirms my dislike for dressage!!!!!!!!!! Although BOTH judges gave BOTH our canter serpentine wiggle things sevens and one judge gave us sevens for both SIs and travers.
He passed the trot up fine although the person before me was held, re-presented and then spun, so that was a bit nerve-wracking!!
The Show Jumping was up to height and very wide, but nothing overly scary and was riding really nicely so I wasnt overly concerned and was aiming for a clear, but would be happy enough with 4 faults as that is what I seem very prone to at the moment with him! He warmed up really well, although quite strong and heady due to being sat in a lorry/led around the lorry park all day. Jumped number 1 really well, came round to the planks at two and a buried him slightly and they came down
, jumped three, brilliantly through the treble at 4 and flew a parallel at 5. Didnt get a good shot to 6 and I lost my reins slightly. And then I didnt pick him up and balance him and he swung round the corner sideways to the triple bar meaning we were on such a miser and he launched from miles back and came down on the back rail. I rode the 5 strides to an upright literally on the buckle!! Popped through the 4 stride, 2 stride combo at 9 and 10 well and then the last to finish. So 8 faults and I rode like a plonker so really really disappointed. I was really hoping a clear, and if Im honest definitely wasnt expecting to end up with anything over 4 faults serves me right doesnt it! 
So yeah....not at all at all as I had planned.
So then everyone is like, go and show them how its done on the cross country....well...bah.
Jumped one well, got a brilliant stride to fence 2
and then something very odd happened at fence 3 and he tried to jump very left and I had to yank him right so he didnt hit the post and rails the other side. I think maybe he misjudged it and thought the post and rails was somehow involved in the fence. Not sure TBH. Next up was a log on top of a bank and then down the bank, curving line to a corner. It was causing concern as so early on but we popped nicely through that and then had a flyer at the hedge following it.
Hit the parallel back over the hedge quite hard but jumped the corner at 8 really well. Jumped the wall at 9 and chase fence at 10 well and then it was a drop into the wood, 3 strides to a skinny log. That was fine. Then a horrible fence uphill to an upright, down a drop and then 3 strides up an insanely steep slope to a rail. We jumped left down the step so it wasnt very pretty over the rail. Anyway gallop on to the bounce, 3 strides to wall and then 90 degree turn to a hedge. I have to say he did this combo REALLY well and gave a fab feeling over it......and then it went wrong. There was a log in the woods where you couldnt see the landing because it was a drop and sloped away, he was very iffy about it and damn nearly stopped, but then jumped the drop wall at the bottom of the slope well. You then had to veer left so you were next to a stone wall before a sharp turn right to a skinny log on the edge of a lip so you couldnt see the landing, you then went down the dip and up the other side over a skinny brush. We did something quite similar at Hartpury that he did very well. And I dont know whether its because I was just really complacent that he never stops and because of hartpury etc. But anyway we didnt have an amazing stride (but not awful either) so I sat up so he could figure it out and must have totally dropped him because he just stopped dead, like urgh no thanks..I clearly didnt read the signs that he wasnt having an amazing round and wasnt feeling very confident about fences where he didnt know where he was landing (the near stop at that drop log beforehand should have been a rather big clue....). So I was utterly gobsmacked...came round second time and jumped it....albeit not very prettily
I didnt kick on at all after this point as there was no reason to. Absolutely FLEW over the duck into the water and out over the rails.
Popped the palisade and log, flew the big V with ditch underneath and then popped the last. Ended up with loads of time penalties obviously!!
The V thing
So so so so gutted, I cannot believe I stopped at a log....a glance off I can cope with but a plain stop. Geez I was not expecting that! Never once did I imagine something like that would happen and I guess thats why it did..... Am still in such shock and so disappointed. It really topped off what has been such a letdown of a weekend, I went in with great expectations of me and my fabulous little supplejack....and I royally let him down!!! Really not the prep I thought I was going to have for Weston....
Also...this is odd....but my only two 20 pens with BE...have both been at Gatcombe (clearly that place doesnt hold much luck for me!!)
On the plus side, maybe its given me a good kick up the backside (that I clearly need ) for Weston where we WILL get that 50s double clear One can dream....
Video of dressage, SJ and XC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=368o8T435HA
Sorry an epic report, pretty much just consisting of me being annoyed with silly complacent self!
Anyway, thanks for reading. Chocolate, wine or whatever floats your boat if you read it all!!!!
Thankies
Had the dressage on Saturday and he warmed up really well, but because he was going nicely we had left too long to warm up! Anyway, went over to the arena and went around it a million and one times, finally went in and did a really nice test. A thousand million billion times better than Hartpury and I was really pleased with how he went, even if our trot was a bit quick at times and our walk pirouettes were rubbish because I lost the outside rein on them both and therefore lost rhythm and connection. There was also some jogging and crookedness in the walk. But nothing drastically wrong and I think he made a very nice picture. Tor (who had very kindly offered to stay the four hours between her test and mine to help me) was really pleased and was convinced it would be in the 50s........But apparently the judges disagreed with us and with each other (15 mark spread!)
Anyway we ended up with 64.7 which Matt and Emma (Jacks old owners) both said was rather mean! I was really disappointed with it as it was so much unbelievably better than Hartpury (which wasnt even round in trot) yet they got such a similar mark. But whatever just confirms my dislike for dressage!!!!!!!!!! Although BOTH judges gave BOTH our canter serpentine wiggle things sevens and one judge gave us sevens for both SIs and travers.
He passed the trot up fine although the person before me was held, re-presented and then spun, so that was a bit nerve-wracking!!
The Show Jumping was up to height and very wide, but nothing overly scary and was riding really nicely so I wasnt overly concerned and was aiming for a clear, but would be happy enough with 4 faults as that is what I seem very prone to at the moment with him! He warmed up really well, although quite strong and heady due to being sat in a lorry/led around the lorry park all day. Jumped number 1 really well, came round to the planks at two and a buried him slightly and they came down
, jumped three, brilliantly through the treble at 4 and flew a parallel at 5. Didnt get a good shot to 6 and I lost my reins slightly. And then I didnt pick him up and balance him and he swung round the corner sideways to the triple bar meaning we were on such a miser and he launched from miles back and came down on the back rail. I rode the 5 strides to an upright literally on the buckle!! Popped through the 4 stride, 2 stride combo at 9 and 10 well and then the last to finish. So 8 faults and I rode like a plonker so really really disappointed. I was really hoping a clear, and if Im honest definitely wasnt expecting to end up with anything over 4 faults serves me right doesnt it! So yeah....not at all at all as I had planned.
So then everyone is like, go and show them how its done on the cross country....well...bah.
Jumped one well, got a brilliant stride to fence 2
and then something very odd happened at fence 3 and he tried to jump very left and I had to yank him right so he didnt hit the post and rails the other side. I think maybe he misjudged it and thought the post and rails was somehow involved in the fence. Not sure TBH. Next up was a log on top of a bank and then down the bank, curving line to a corner. It was causing concern as so early on but we popped nicely through that and then had a flyer at the hedge following it.
Hit the parallel back over the hedge quite hard but jumped the corner at 8 really well. Jumped the wall at 9 and chase fence at 10 well and then it was a drop into the wood, 3 strides to a skinny log. That was fine. Then a horrible fence uphill to an upright, down a drop and then 3 strides up an insanely steep slope to a rail. We jumped left down the step so it wasnt very pretty over the rail. Anyway gallop on to the bounce, 3 strides to wall and then 90 degree turn to a hedge. I have to say he did this combo REALLY well and gave a fab feeling over it......and then it went wrong. There was a log in the woods where you couldnt see the landing because it was a drop and sloped away, he was very iffy about it and damn nearly stopped, but then jumped the drop wall at the bottom of the slope well. You then had to veer left so you were next to a stone wall before a sharp turn right to a skinny log on the edge of a lip so you couldnt see the landing, you then went down the dip and up the other side over a skinny brush. We did something quite similar at Hartpury that he did very well. And I dont know whether its because I was just really complacent that he never stops and because of hartpury etc. But anyway we didnt have an amazing stride (but not awful either) so I sat up so he could figure it out and must have totally dropped him because he just stopped dead, like urgh no thanks..I clearly didnt read the signs that he wasnt having an amazing round and wasnt feeling very confident about fences where he didnt know where he was landing (the near stop at that drop log beforehand should have been a rather big clue....). So I was utterly gobsmacked...came round second time and jumped it....albeit not very prettily
I didnt kick on at all after this point as there was no reason to. Absolutely FLEW over the duck into the water and out over the rails.
Popped the palisade and log, flew the big V with ditch underneath and then popped the last. Ended up with loads of time penalties obviously!!
The V thing
So so so so gutted, I cannot believe I stopped at a log....a glance off I can cope with but a plain stop. Geez I was not expecting that! Never once did I imagine something like that would happen and I guess thats why it did..... Am still in such shock and so disappointed. It really topped off what has been such a letdown of a weekend, I went in with great expectations of me and my fabulous little supplejack....and I royally let him down!!!
Really not the prep I thought I was going to have for Weston....Also...this is odd....but my only two 20 pens with BE...have both been at Gatcombe (clearly that place doesnt hold much luck for me!!)
On the plus side, maybe its given me a good kick up the backside (that I clearly need
) for Weston where we WILL get that 50s double clear One can dream....Video of dressage, SJ and XC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=368o8T435HA
Sorry an epic report, pretty much just consisting of me being annoyed with silly complacent self!
Anyway, thanks for reading. Chocolate, wine or whatever floats your boat if you read it all!!!!
Thankies
thems big un's 
