Hopalong's Blair Report!

[FigJam]

What an exciting weekend Hopalong and I have just had! Hopalong had managed to qualify for the BHS RC Style Jumping final at a qualifier in June, the final of which was held on Sunday in amongst the BSJA classes at Blair Castle Horse Trials. Since Nic and I like to go and enjoy the shopping/action for the full weekend and stabling costs were the same for 1 night or 3, we figured it would be as well/most fun to just bring Hopalong along for the full party too!

Sherman the party lorry turned up to collect us on Thursday morning and having packed what looked like all my/Hopalong’s worldly belongings for a 3 month stay, we were good to go. Sherman trucked up in really good time and having got in under our own steam and evicted a squatter from Hopalong’s allocated stable, we had camp set up and were ready for a good weekend.

Once our first sweep of the tradestands was complete, I took Hopalong for a wee leg stretch out along the designated hacking route where she was most interested in the XC jumps!

We then headed over for a right good party at the Coomoobeel with FlyingCoo & Co. FlyingCoo has earned Most-Organised-Camper award as she had everything you could possibly need and more in the lorry- from breadsticks to dancing coos!

Nic took Hopalong a hack on Friday morning trying to catch a break in the rain. We then attempted to (quietly) cheerlead for Joss’ OH in the DR of the 1* class. I shall leave her to report fully if she wishes. Some more tradestand shopping and we were joined by Mr FigJam in time to head back over for more BBQ and drinking fun at the Coomoobeel.

Saturday was XC fun day and while trying to hand graze Hopalong in the morning she was very sure she should be heading in the direction of the XC tannoys! We helped Team Joss with their fab XC round and then caught some 2*/3* action with them in the afternoon as well as bumping into lots of pals on our way round the tradestands/course. I decided safest to leave Hopalong’s hack until after the XC action was finished but we had a lovely leg stretch and persuaded Mr FigJam to hike along with us for some photo evidence as momentos;

More BBQ action and while I was very boring and did lots of tack cleaning and had an early night, Nic didn’t let the side down and joined Team C at the par-tay! Good time had by all by the sounds of it.

TBC...

 

[FigJam]

We were up bright and early to catch the trot up and then get Hopalong prepped for what she was actually there for- I was having so much fun hacking around I was almost forgetting we were actually due to compete.

I’d spent all weekend asking around for information about when the class would run, how to declare etc and no one seemed to have a clue other than “about 11am”. So we got ready, had a chilled out walk around and then turned up at warm up at 10.45am to find course ready to walk and a drawn order with us first to go! Quick sprint round the course, quick pop over warm up fences then we were off. And by off… I mean Hopalong clearly had decided from yesterday that it WAS XC time! Optimum time at 350mpm was 58s I think I heard on the tannoy and our sheet said 44.42s! She was having a BLAST though, zooming round looking for the next fence and feeling great. Sadly the speed meant we left a couple of poles on the floor, which is annoying, but I am just so thrilled she had so much fun- as did I.

We then hung around to find out at the end of the class that they were doing an unmounted prize giving at 3pm. Surely that could have been announced earlier also?! Hopalong sorted out and back to her haynet and stable then we had another last tour round the tradestands, catch up with folk and watch of some SJ until prize giving/results time. Turns out poles down are 2 penalties each and we managed to end up 6th even with the added penalties. A certain Martin Clunes was on hand to tell me “well ridden” (I know he was watching but not sure how much he would have recalled my particular round tbh!) and hand me a lovely big frilly and no-expenses-spared plastic BHS mug. He was very lovely and chatted to everyone, had loads of photos taken etc.

So then it was all over. Sherman unpacked and repacked and Nic and I trundled home making plans for Blair 2013…! The usual horrible A9 traffic was not fun but some Coomoobeel racing (it’s ok… it was in crawling traffic side by side on dual carriageway going nowhere fast!) and watching the dancing coo out of the window livened the queued traffic up!

Hopalong was happy to get back out to the field for a good roll and to go tell all her friends how clever she was and I now need a few days to recover… not to be in work on a bank holiday. Well done if you made it through my (usual!) waffle and if not, hope you enjoyed Mr FigJam’s lovely photos at least.

 

[MagicMelon]

Well done!! And fab picture of you and Martin Clunes! Great report, you look like you're having so much fun hacking round the XC jumps.

 

[Tai.Ni.Po.Ni]

Lovely report ! Looks lik you had Arab ime and well done on the frilly

 

[ArcticFox]

Awesome, sounds like a fun time.

Maybe next year I'll go and do some BS (and try to qualify for workers? - not really stylish enough to do the style class!) instead of eventing. Would be great fun to camp for a few days - I reckon my OH would also come along for the holiday!

Well done on your place. Big pats and polos for H!

 

[TPO]

Well done again! Was good to get a wee catch up

Brill photos and glad you had such a good weekend. I'm still recovering!

We'll catch up properly soon

 

[Joss]

Fabby report Very good effort to get Mr Figjam to accompany you on a hack as gorgeous pics. So glad the sun shone for you & you did blooming well. Did you get to see actual results, we always like a bit of 'what if' & wondered if you could boast just how super duper stylish you really were without losing the marks for a couple over-enthusiastic poles down??

Really love the ultra cheesy matching grins with Martin Clunes & very nice frilly even if plastic BHS mug is not the most exciting of prizes.

Joss will indeed report on the 3DE activities but thought said report may be considerably livened up by the addition of some Mr Figjam pics so avid readers will have to await Mr & Mrs Figjam having a chance to upload them all

 

[measles]

Fantastic result and you so deserve the fun and games after being Mrs Patiant for so long. I told you H looks great and ready for acrion

Sorry not to make it up this year for the annual pilgrimage. Goes off to check what date B's birthday falls on in '13..... It's the Sunday so XC day at least will be possible

Martin looks tickled pink to have met you. Bet he reads this and know all about Hopalong

 

[PorkChop]

What a fab report

It all sounds amazing! Did giggle at the photo with Martin Clunes - he always reminds we of Wallace.

How fantastic to get a lovely placing The packing up and going home is always a bummer

 

[MandyMoo]

well done! great report

 

[jules89]

love her! it's a shame I won't ever meet her but you're just a "wee" bit too far

lovely to hear Martin Cloones is being even more of an awesome ambassador for the sport

 

[DarkHorseB]

Fab report - looks like you had a ball
Think I will need to join AF to do some SJ there next year - no way would I be brave enough to do a STYLE comp - so very well done!!

 

[Princess Jess]

Brilliant report, sounds like such a fun weekend!
Love the photos, looks like Hopalong was having a ball too!

 

[Rosiefan]

Fab report as always and you both look very well and happy to be out and about . I agree with measles - Martin Clunes looks very impressed to be meeting you and having his photo taken by Mr FJ .

 

[FigJam]

Well done!! And fab picture of you and Martin Clunes! Great report, you look like you're having so much fun hacking round the XC jumps.

Thanks! And yes, it was very cool to have my pony at Blair and get to go hacking around beside the XC.

Lovely report ! Looks lik you had Arab ime and well done on the frilly

Thank you!

Awesome, sounds like a fun time.

Maybe next year I'll go and do some BS (and try to qualify for workers? - not really stylish enough to do the style class!) instead of eventing. Would be great fun to camp for a few days - I reckon my OH would also come along for the holiday!

Well done on your place. Big pats and polos for H!

You definitely should come up for a party and bring the pony in tow. Nic and I have decided the SJ camping area much more fun and less whingey than the normal one so we need to make sure someone in our party has a lorry on that side for hassle-free BBQ blethering in the evenings! It is still my dream to be there for the eventing one day though...

Well done again! Was good to get a wee catch up

Brill photos and glad you had such a good weekend. I'm still recovering!

We'll catch up properly soon

Thank you, it was fab to see you again and glad you guys had a good weekend. So many people I only managed to catch quickly over the weekend but need a proper catch up with.

Fabby report. Very good effort to get Mr Figjam to accompany you on a hack as gorgeous pics. So glad the sun shone for you & you did blooming well. Did you get to see actual results, we always like a bit of 'what if' & wondered if you could boast just how super duper stylish you really were without losing the marks for a couple over-enthusiastic poles down??

Really love the ultra cheesy matching grins with Martin Clunes & very nice frilly even if plastic BHS mug is not the most exciting of prizes.

Joss will indeed report on the 3DE activities but thought said report may be considerably livened up by the addition of some Mr Figjam pics so avid readers will have to await Mr & Mrs Figjam having a chance to upload them all

Thank you, was great catching up with you guys and yes- I shall gently poke/nag Mr FJ to get photos sorted as your set of photos are far more impressive than mine. I will also see if my wee phone video comes out better on a bigger screen than it did on the phone screen.

I have no idea how close the marks were as they didn't publish scores. I shall pretend it was all very close and without the poles we would have been most stylish?! With hindsight our pace was certainly speedy enough that I could have said "wait" on more than no occasions to her and maybe not had the poles, but she was having such fun I got carried away in the XC mode with her too.

Fantastic result and you so deserve the fun and games after being Mrs Patiant for so long. I told you H looks great and ready for acrion

Sorry not to make it up this year for the annual pilgrimage. Goes off to check what date B's birthday falls on in '13..... It's the Sunday so XC day at least will be possible

Martin looks tickled pink to have met you. Bet he reads this and know all about Hopalong

Thanks, I think you had a very good excuse of VIP arrival (Very Important Puppy!) this weekend and so pleased he was as thrilled/excited as you! He has picked a great name and they look inseperable already. Next year you can come for the full weekend and Ben/Bobby can do Disco/1.05m classes all weekend?!

Ms H was certainly up for it- I do love her. There was a *small* amount of "banter" going on between Mr FJ taking photos and a certain other grumpy 'tog which is what our giggling was about in the prize giving photo.

What a fab report

It all sounds amazing! Did giggle at the photo with Martin Clunes - he always reminds we of Wallace.

How fantastic to get a lovely placing The packing up and going home is always a bummer

Cheers, it was a fab weekend. So sad it's all over. Was thrilled with the placing and treated Hopalong to 4 bags of treats from the Spillers stand as well as her usual pears/polos.

well done! great report

Thanks!

love her! it's a shame I won't ever meet her but you're just a "wee" bit too far

lovely to hear Martin Cloones is being even more of an awesome ambassador for the sport

Well if you're ever in the area you should definitely swing in to say hello! I wish I could let everyone who has supported her and me over the last few years take her out for a hoon round a field and some jumps so you can all understand just how much fun she is as a thank you!

He was really lovely and friendly- he was all over the place doing prize givings and watching classes so was definitely not a "rest"day for him but very much a good ambassador for the BHS/horse sports.

Fab report - looks like you had a ball
Think I will need to join AF to do some SJ there next year - no way would I be brave enough to do a STYLE comp - so very well done!!

Yes- come join the party, the more the merrier. Maybe it will be the eventing for you and AF sooner rather than later?!

Brilliant report, sounds like such a fun weekend!
Love the photos, looks like Hopalong was having a ball too!

Cheers, she was indeed having a ball.

Fab report as always and you both look very well and happy to be out and about . I agree with measles - Martin Clunes looks very impressed to be meeting you and having his photo taken by Mr FJ .

Thank you. My Mum is now a bit concerned that I have developed a celebrity stalking tendency- Mark Todd and fellow Kiwi eventers and Pippa Funnell were ambushed for a photo at the Olympics and Roger Black more recently when he visited my work...!

 

[measles]

I think you'll find I have the party lorry... for the entire showgrouns

 

[Gamebird]

Heidi rules!

I think you should probably send a copy of the pic of you cantering alongside the XC to your vet. They like that sort of thing

 

[FlyingCoo]

Well Done to Team Hopalong lovely pics as usual & a fabulous weekend had by all!
(please inform Mummy Figjam that this stalking tendency is not a new thing, we've just all learnt to run in the opposite direction when you spot a Celeb!!)

 

[ISH_lover]

Big well done to you Gutted we had to go home on sunday morning so sadly missed your class
Wish i could take J horsey but way too expensive when you have to hire transport...one day though

 

[Booboos]

How exciting! Well done! The eventing-types on HHO clearly have the MOST fun out of all the CR people!!

 

[dafthoss]

Massive well done

Loving the hopalong hacking photos, she looks like she was having a fab time as do you.

 

[PapaFrita]

Great report, and what a fantastic venue!! I wonder if UncleJr was around as he was officiating as assistant CD for the 3 day event (he's reading over my shoulder making sure I get it right!! No pressure!!!!!)
PS: I've just explained what FigJam means and he's absolutely delighted and vows to name at least one horse FigJam (but he'll have to beat me!!)

 

[Festive_Felicitations]

Super report! Sounds like you had a wonderful time and the weather looks like it behaved for once too!

Hopalong looks like she is having a great time and the hacking looks lovely! Did the XC jumps look terribly inviting? Im sure you will be there eventing next year!

Love the photo with Martin Clunes & well done on the frilly!

 

[FigJam]

I think you'll find I have the party lorry... for the entire showgrouns

Ha ha, I think they can just host the ceilidh and disco in Voyager next year if you promise to attend?!

Heidi rules!

I think you should probably send a copy of the pic of you cantering alongside the XC to your vet. They like that sort of thing

She sure does! I am biased though. I am tempted to send lovely update photo to vets but last time I did that (team XC in March) it seemed to tempt fate and we then had more time off...

Well Done to Team Hopalong lovely pics as usual & a fabulous weekend had by all!
(please inform Mummy Figjam that this stalking tendency is not a new thing, we've just all learnt to run in the opposite direction when you spot a Celeb!!)

Ta muchly. And yes, you are wise to my ways!

Big well done to you Gutted we had to go home on sunday morning so sadly missed your class
Wish i could take J horsey but way too expensive when you have to hire transport...one day though

Thank you! Never say never, hope you get the chance to take a pony to play at Blair one day, it's great fun.

How exciting! Well done! The eventing-types on HHO clearly have the MOST fun out of all the CR people!!

Thanks, I think we just report back on stuff the most?! Still suffering post-Blair blues though, sniff!

Massive well done

Loving the hopalong hacking photos, she looks like she was having a fab time as do you.

Thank you, we were indeed both having a great time- hacking and jumping!

Great report, and what a fantastic venue!! I wonder if UncleJr was around as he was officiating as assistant CD for the 3 day event (he's reading over my shoulder making sure I get it right!! No pressure!!!!!)
PS: I've just explained what FigJam means and he's absolutely delighted and vows to name at least one horse FigJam (but he'll have to beat me!!)

Ha ha, not many people "get" the FigJam thing. There was a 4* horse ridden by a Kiwi rider in recent times who was the inspiration for the username, it's a good wee, very tongue-in-cheek injoke. Hope UncleJr had a lovely weekend, maybe he can do an officials report?!

Super report! Sounds like you had a wonderful time and the weather looks like it behaved for once too!

Hopalong looks like she is having a great time and the hacking looks lovely! Did the XC jumps look terribly inviting? Im sure you will be there eventing next year!

Love the photo with Martin Clunes & well done on the frilly!

Thank. The weather behaved compared to the forecast that was being given at the start of the week. Sunday was gorgeous, Sat only one light shower but Fri pretty dreich! There were a couple very tempting XC jumps but figured not worth getting kicked off site before my (only) actual competition class! Mr FigJam was trying to get me to jump the XC warm up SJ fences but I was scared we'd get caught!

And as if that wasn't exciting enough for Hopalong, today she was dusted off to go along to a fashion shoot for some rather lush jewellery (http://www.rox.co.uk/) and strike some poses with the models. Think it's the cleanest she's ever been although she has been back out to the field for 4hrs now so I reckon all that good work is now undone...!

Looking incredibly stressed by the whole ordeal?!

I was worried she'd fidget too much but actually had to fling stuff around to stop her snoozing in the sun and get her ears in non-donkey mode!

 

[Princess Jess]

Aww she looks like a natural at that modelling malarkey!

 

[rara007]

Well done Fab report, and she's looking very posh!

 

[Skippys Mum]

Lovely photos - how shiny is she

 

[measles]

Love the modelling pics! You two will be too famous for us mere mortals shortly with all this fame and hob bobbing with the rich and famous

 

[FigJam]

Thanks Princess Jess, rara007 and Skippys mum- I think that's the cleanest she's event been/will be! She was thrilled that it was so sunny and warm yesterday afternoon as I had no option but to turn her out rugless to enjoy rolling in the mud... hmph!

Love the modelling pics! You two will be too famous for us mere mortals shortly with all this fame and hob bobbing with the rich and famous

Ms H is now demanding only the finest organic pears and bottled water, none of that tap/hose rubbish...!

 

[measles]

Ms H is now demanding only the finest organic pears and bottled water, none of that tap/hose rubbish...!

You mean you don't give her that anyway? *Shocked smiley* Is that why my costs are so high...??