Grading- what a day

Irishcobs

Irishcobs

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I was rather worried about this grading today. I could see it going horribly wrong and we would have a nutty foal we couldn't catch galloping around the school. Also having to get to work an hour earlier, didn't put me in a good mood.
We got there and my boss went to have a look while I got changed. Then we bridled up, unloaded and tried to remove the dust and shavings from their tails.
The veterinary stewarts came over to ask if we were ready because they had no one to look at and no one was going in order. So we went over with them.
Stood foalie up for them, then walked up and down and then trotted up the shcool. I was terrorfied he was going to pull away from my boss and p*ss off but he trotted really calmly after his mum and me and he got an 8 from the vet.
We then went to the indoor school but there was a back log of 3 foals before us so we mooched about the yard a bit in the sun. We heard the foal before us had booted its handler so I was quite worried ours would do the same.
We went in and waited down the bottom for the others to finish then walked up and stood in the box. Foalie stood prefectly. We had to wait a while for one of the judges to come back and then walk the triangle. Which he did really well. Let he off and he trotted really nicely after his mum and I.
Then the judges say because he is in the eventing section he had to show canter and gallop
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That was what my face was like.
So I ran my trousers off, quite literately I had to keep pulling then up and I'm fairly sure the crowd got a glimse of my underwear
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But he did a brilliant canter and even showed them he can jump by popping the white boards.
So we were given 8.5 for conformation, correctness of gaits and suitability of type, giving us a 1st premium!!!
He also was one of the best in his section but we didn't stay to the end to see if he had won the best. The lady running it is going to give us any prizes if we won any next week.
So it was well worth going and I really shouldn't have worried about him because he was a star.
Photos should be on the site soon, hopefully not showing my trousers on the way down
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Well done!

It's nerve wracking isn't it? When Sportznight and I took B and Hector I was quite laid back about it cos I only had to follow her with H and let him off - so we thought! Oh no, she got this coughing fit and wasn't fit to do anything so I had to run B out and avoid colliding with H cos he kept running on in front of her. It's years since I ran anywhere and in an indoor school is not the best place to start, my face was like the rising sun at the finish and I nearly needed oxygen! Was worth it though!
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Well done,and glad you did so well. But just to point out -- and encourage more people to come in future -- the event you did so well at was the Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Young Horse Evaluation at Catherston Stud, which is NOT a grading, but one of a series of 7 evaluations run by the British Equestrian Federation around the countrty every summer to encourage people to put forward foals, youngstock and young horses for assessment for their potential suitability for dressage, showjumping or eventing (choice of discipline is the owners' but the evaluators reserve the right to transfer an animal to another section if they think the owner has got it wrong!). There are two evaluations still left to go this year, one at Heart of England Equestrian Centre, Stone, Staffs next Thursday (which still has a few vacancies) and one the follwoing week at The Grange in Okehampton Devon (but that one is already full up and with a waiting list). To find out more about the series go to www.bef.co.uk and click on British Breeding, where the full results will also be posted in the next couple of days.

And once again, congratulations on your 2st premium
 
Well done! sounds like it was def all worth it! Will the be any gradings arond warwickshire next year do you know ciss? I wanted to take my 3 year old to the one in staffs next week but can't get transport or really afford it to get up there!
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would have loved to go. Especially when i keep hearing everyone's success stories!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Well done! sounds like it was def all worth it! Will the be any gradings arond warwickshire next year do you know ciss? I wanted to take my 3 year old to the one in staffs next week but can't get transport or really afford it to get up there!
frown.gif
would have loved to go. Especially when i keep hearing everyone's success stories!

[/ QUOTE ]

Again, they are not studbook gradings. but potential performance evaluations for faols, youngstock and ridden 4 year olds based on the specific requirements for each discipline (ie dressage, showjumping and eventing) and are run by the BEF. They try to tailor them to geographical demand and I would imagine that the fact that they had to cancel the one in Scotland due to lack of support could well mean that there is an extra English date floating around for next year. However, the venues are not usually decided until late autumn at the earliest but if enough people from the south midlands let the organisers know that they definitely want one there then they might start looking for a suitable venue.
 
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