ElleJS
Well-Known Member
Well I didn't quite win..... Matt Wright beat me to it!
Anyway, took both the girls along we travelled up with a friend who competes my young horse as he had his two in the same class. There were 90 odd in it! All big names too, Oli T, Matt Wright, Ben Mayer etc...
Went to walk the course and my jaw dropped! The XC was 2* height and technicality but all happening so quick! Thought it would be tough for my mare Con but I had only ever jumped one course of fences on Diva at Addington BSJA (came 3rd bless her!) and never jumped her over a XC fence. Well there was a huge corner, Angles Skinny's a max width 2* table, (caused carnage) angled eyelashes, narrow barrel! The course caused HAVOC! 4* horses were getting eliminated and having cricket scores! The majority of problems started at a hideous airy knock down rustic bounce leaving the SJ arena to start the XC phase. Only 2 people managed to clear it at the end of the day. (one of them Con!)
Well Diva went first, and after watching all the havoc I was truly scared that this was a bit much for her! She pinged round the first lot of SJ clear, went into the XC arena cleared the first part of the bounce but got to close like many others to the second part. Flew the eyelashes came around the corner to the big table and she took off!!!! About 2 strides away! I could hear the gasps! cleared with feet to spare and flew the angled roll tops, the big corner to palisade to skinny and went back into the SJ arena for the last lot of Show jumps. Pinged round but I put her a little to deep into an upright when I tried to angle it, and were so unlucky at the last fence which was a triple with short distances and just caught the final fence! I was 40 something to go and the announced that I was lying in 5th on her! Not bad considering! Diva loved it. Think we finally finished in the top 20.
Onto Connie.... well she was just awesome, flew round all sections clear and she was as clever as a cat through the impossible bounce. We did have a minor detour when I over shot the corner after the double of angled roll tops and had to do a little loop back to jump it. Anyway we were in the lead and the only triple clear.
I stayed in the lead for AGES. Till Matt Wright, one of the last to go as he had allready gone HC on two horses to practice and was on some serious ones now. Ben Maher rode fab rounds and was lying in good positions. Matts first horse flew round beating my time but has 10 sec to add from 2 knockdowns and ended up 5th, but his next ride was amazing.... I have never seen anyone go so fast at show jumps in my life!!!!! Its was a bit scary and he did have a run out but it was so fast he beat me by 4 seconds.
Then Steven James 2nd last to go put in a blistering round with one rail off at the bounce to beat me by a second. So Matt won the £1000 and I came 3rd but still pretty money! Got to a proper lap of honor! So chuffed, as they were both fab!
I'm gonna get him at Salperton... ha ha although to be fair I don't think I could ever go as fast into fences as he did!!!!!
Anyway, took both the girls along we travelled up with a friend who competes my young horse as he had his two in the same class. There were 90 odd in it! All big names too, Oli T, Matt Wright, Ben Mayer etc...
Went to walk the course and my jaw dropped! The XC was 2* height and technicality but all happening so quick! Thought it would be tough for my mare Con but I had only ever jumped one course of fences on Diva at Addington BSJA (came 3rd bless her!) and never jumped her over a XC fence. Well there was a huge corner, Angles Skinny's a max width 2* table, (caused carnage) angled eyelashes, narrow barrel! The course caused HAVOC! 4* horses were getting eliminated and having cricket scores! The majority of problems started at a hideous airy knock down rustic bounce leaving the SJ arena to start the XC phase. Only 2 people managed to clear it at the end of the day. (one of them Con!)
Well Diva went first, and after watching all the havoc I was truly scared that this was a bit much for her! She pinged round the first lot of SJ clear, went into the XC arena cleared the first part of the bounce but got to close like many others to the second part. Flew the eyelashes came around the corner to the big table and she took off!!!! About 2 strides away! I could hear the gasps! cleared with feet to spare and flew the angled roll tops, the big corner to palisade to skinny and went back into the SJ arena for the last lot of Show jumps. Pinged round but I put her a little to deep into an upright when I tried to angle it, and were so unlucky at the last fence which was a triple with short distances and just caught the final fence! I was 40 something to go and the announced that I was lying in 5th on her! Not bad considering! Diva loved it. Think we finally finished in the top 20.
Onto Connie.... well she was just awesome, flew round all sections clear and she was as clever as a cat through the impossible bounce. We did have a minor detour when I over shot the corner after the double of angled roll tops and had to do a little loop back to jump it. Anyway we were in the lead and the only triple clear.
I stayed in the lead for AGES. Till Matt Wright, one of the last to go as he had allready gone HC on two horses to practice and was on some serious ones now. Ben Maher rode fab rounds and was lying in good positions. Matts first horse flew round beating my time but has 10 sec to add from 2 knockdowns and ended up 5th, but his next ride was amazing.... I have never seen anyone go so fast at show jumps in my life!!!!! Its was a bit scary and he did have a run out but it was so fast he beat me by 4 seconds.
Then Steven James 2nd last to go put in a blistering round with one rail off at the bounce to beat me by a second. So Matt won the £1000 and I came 3rd but still pretty money! Got to a proper lap of honor! So chuffed, as they were both fab!
I'm gonna get him at Salperton... ha ha although to be fair I don't think I could ever go as fast into fences as he did!!!!!
