Bossanova
Well-Known Member
Phew what a weekend!! It was Moon's big event- the CIC* YH at Gatcombe. It is also now almost exactly a year since Moon's first ever event- the intro at Moreton
We left on Friday with Boss and Moon on board. Delivered Boss to college and then had a nightmare journey to get to Gatcombe. Finally got there and exercised her just to show her a bit of the place and establish tactics for our dressage warm up. Was really pleased with how she went, she was quite chilled and amenable. We then drove onto where we were stabling- 15 miles from the event *ridiculous*
Up early on Sturday to prepare, we left on time and then had a major panic when was informed we had to trot up for the vet before going over to warm up but managed to get it over with quickly and still had plenty of time. She warmed up really nicely and then did her new found trick of getting tense when we move over to the arena. It was a big white boarded thing with hundreds of flowerpots and two nasty judges- wayyyyy too much for Moon's little brain to cope with!! She did try really hard but it was all very on edge. She was pretty obedient and didnt make any major mistakes so I was a bit miffed with out mark- one judge gave us FAR better marks than the other. Oh well, thats dressage!!
Had a nice day watching the intermediate, walked the course and thought it was a nice bold track, a few technical things but not one of these mega-skinny modern tracks.
So onto today. Moon jumped her little socks off in the sj and produced one of her most focused rounds to date, resulting in a nice clear round
Had v long wait till xc, not helped by the hold on the course just as I was about to enter the start box! She set out a bit hanging towards home over the first 3 but I gave her a kick and she found a new gear and just took off! 4 and 5 were an upright rail with a sharp turn to a hedge which she just aced, felt fab. 6 was a pheasant feeder and I felt her falter on take off and realised she'd probably pulled a shoe. Darn! Carried on, she jumped the little corner nicely and popped through a coffin in the woods well. Kicked into 5th gear again and flew the steeplechase fence then came back really well for a tricky treble- skinny to an angled wall/rail in the dark and then another skinny. She made it feel very easy. Onto the wall out of the woods which was followed by a really sharp turn to a trakhener, she suprised me by turning really well, I gave her a slap a few strides out from the trakhener as she can just be a bit looky at ditches and she nearly had me off round her ears as she bucked!! Flew the next two and then just went a little green on me. There was a nasty sharp right hand turn into a half coffin with narrow rails as the first element and as I went to turn she just grabbed hold of the bit and carried straight on!! So I circled left back round and she popped through well but the fence judge decided that I had presented her at the rails so we got a really annoying 20 penalties
Picked up and carried on, nice over a palisade, super through the water which was straightforward in but had a nasty skinny brush on a turn on way out. Moon trotted through beautifully
I'm really pleased with her, she tried so hard and felt absolutely super xc, like a dream.
Pleased mummy!!
Can anyone spot the major difference to Moon.....?
Warming up-
In the test (sorry for quality!)
