In 2011 I never thought I'd...

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JenniferB

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Ok so it's getting close to that time of year when we all reflect on what we've done in the last year and what we'd like to do next year, and inspired by a couple of comments on good old Facebook between myself and another CR user I thought this would be a good one to do! I'll get the ball rolling...

In 2011 I never thought I'd actually have a crack at jumping the big XC schooling fences we have at home, in particular the tyre drop that I have had a pathological fear of since it was built and have managed to refuse to do until this year...

And also, in 2011 (or indeed in any year) I never thought I'd have the balls/stupidity to go qualifying a P2Per in my race work saddle, and certainly never thought I'd live to tell the tale!

So what have you guys done in the last 12 months that you never expected? Mine aren't very exciting, but I know there are a lot of people on here who have done some amazing stuff in 2011 that they might not have expected to do!
 
In 2011 I never thought I would:
- go hunting
- have a SJing lesson where both the horse and I improved and want to go back - repeatedly.

The hunting one was so simple when it came down to it that I don't know why I didn't contemplate it earlier!
 
In 2011 I never thought I'd..................

have found a trainer to help me with my tricky horse and make such a difference that I am actually looking forward to the 2012 BE season :eek: :D
 
I never thought I'd...

1. Be given the ride on a great little event horse - not just the usual 'tricky' stuff we're normally given at this level!

2. Go clear SJ in a 2*.

3. Win quite so much money BSJA!

On the more negative side:

1. Be eliminated for the most annoying fall on the flat in an international

2. Be so totally mortified by the behaviour of my horse in a SJ warm up arena (lots of bucking involved. Thank the Lord for neck straps!).

3. Be working in a office full time and riding at sparrows fart in the morning and until everyone else has gone to bed at night :(


On the whole though, we've had a more than fabulous year! :)

Looking forward to hearing everyone elses...
 
In 2011 I never thought I'd.....

Take my fat little cob to Stoneleigh for Trailblazers and OK we didn't cover ourselves with glory but we didn't disgrace ourselves either! Also got me my favourite ever marks & comments - canter down long side (2) Left arena at B. F trot, A down centre line (8) Very well recovered! (Cob saw the flower arrangement and decided to jump it!)

That then gave me the confidence to give affiliated a bash - which we did, coming second in both our classes and qualifying us for the Areas. We went to those but, er, actually disgraced ourselves. Have bought a fab (to laugh at!) pic of our halt where I look nearly in tears (cos I was!) and the cob is craning her neck round to peer at anything and everything. (Also second favourite comment in the trot allowing horse to stretch - took own line - which was a lovely way of saying the shape we made was no where near a circle :lol: )
 
In 2011 I never thought I'd...

*start the year in walk bringing my horse back into work after a couple of months of niggly, unidentified lameness.

*bring said horse back into work in time
 
#stupid phone#

*bring said horse back into work in time for the unaffiliated Dressage champs we'd qualified for go June 2010

*Come 10th overall in the Novice at the champs & 3rd in the Elementary

I also never thought we'd end the year having to leave the yard I've been on for 10years because its shut down. :-(

And I definitely didn't think we'd settle into a new yard so quickly but we have.

Here's to 2012! Onwards & upwards hopefully.
 
- Fulfil my plan of several years to return "home" to Cornwall, complete with XC course, SJs and floodlit school
- Get my horse box at long last (12 years in the waiting!)
- Be given a KWPN dressage schoolmaster (at least 12 years in the waiting!)
 
In 2011 I never thought i'd....

Ride so little! Horse been off since April with PSD, now being brought back into work (allowed to hack for 30mins this week - woo me!)

Also thought I'd never see my horse throw the bronco moves he has on the end of a lead rope - when did my little donkey go?! :eek:
 
In 2011 I never thought I....

*Would get another (rare) double clear at BE on my grey boy

*Would be given an amazing opportunity to compete someone else's horse.

*Would take my boy draghunting, or realise it would turn him into a nutter!! But he loved it and it put the fire back in his heart and our last XC round of 2011 2 weeks later was just awesome :D
 
In 2011 I never thought that I would:

* Buy a 4 year old!! And even more shockingly for me, a gelding!

* Finally say goodbye to my beautiful old girl, after 14+ years together :(
 
* Jump or compete again. I would occasionally hack one of the ginger giants but no more than once or twice a month. But I jumped, out hacking and in the field, and went and came 5th in the 65cm class. Such a proud moment!

*Watch my sister and Reg SJ clear, compete at PC area dressage with success or have the confidence to kick on with Reg and complete the hardest 1m courses in our area. So very proud of them for this!

*See Al collect the award for Reg, having won the 'Healthy Heart' RoR thing for being deemed the best allrounder. They also qualified for the TARRA championships, but didn't go. Got their sights set on the RoR stuff next year though- there's this class at Burghley as well.... :D
 
.... jump as much as I have and be enjoying it as much as I do. I've never had any great ambition, my aim was to get to the stage of jumping 2'9 happily, now we jump that for fun and challenge ourself over stuff I can genuinely say I never expected to jump.

.... discover I have a slightly competative streak and that I really, really enjoy going out competeing!

.... feel like I can improve my horse - in small steps - on the flat and have the confidence to make decisions on what to do and how to approach things/deal with problems. And to now be starting to feel when it is going well!

It's like someone finally switched the lights on... ;)
 
acquire a racehorse straight out of racing. Had been mulling over getting a second horse but not seriously so and had thought I would probably buy something that could go out and compete the next week but no, someone rang me on a Friday afternoon, finished work early, saw horse and picked him up. Still not quite sure how it happened.
 
In 2011 I never thought I'd.........

Do a 2'6" ODE - survive and fall totally in love with xc

Start doing some BD competitions and even get a couple of frillies

Become a member of BD and register George as well

Have a birthday treat of a lesson with Mark Ruddock

:):)
 
......enter and complete five ODE's on my new boy especially after our first few goes at XC schooling back in April! And we were one point off being placed at the last unaff at Aston! (Only 80 but still:))

.....ever get said boy to accept contact and get his head out of the clouds! Yet its happening we are even getting saliva and moments of roundness :D
 
* after a 10 year break from riding - be back riding again!

* Bought a lovely horse and now SJing up to newcommers with the hope of doing a Fox course before the end of the year.

* Actually considering buying horse number 2 at some stage soon!

* Also got married this year, and it was something I NEVER thought I would ever do again!

* 2011 has been quite a year.........looking forward to an exciting 2012!
 
* Be placed at BE, and get 2 out of 2 DC's
* Get 67% in a dressage test with my marebag!
* Get such a HUGE lightbulb moment with our flatwork, with everything making much more sense!
*Have so much fun "playing", instead of worrying about trying to be super competitive all the time...

as well as a job change, and pretty much an address change... bring on 2012...!
 
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I never thought I'd compete in 2 BE events yet alone complete them well with two XC clears and good dressage and SJ marks.

I never thought I'd win a trophy at the RC AGM for most improvement in training and competition.

:)
 
...Sell my mare :(

...Have the money/Luck to buy a young warmblood gelding

... Get said gelding back onto a trailer/lorry after the horrific accident we had getting him home

... Be competing and bringing home rosettes after such an ordeal and in such a short time scale.

.... be as proud or happy as I am with my gorgeous horse.
 
firewell said:
I never thought I'd compete in 2 BE events yet alone complete them well with two XC clears and good dressage and SJ marks.

I never thought I'd win a trophy at the RC AGM for most improvement in training and competition.

:)
Click to expand...

:D You deserve that so much!
 
. I didn't think I would sell my lovely mare Isla :(

. Acquire a lovely 3yrold and a 6yr old to replace her :)

. This year has been very stressful and there has been an awfull lot of change but I am really looking forward to 2012!! Bring it on :D
 
In 2011 I never thought I'd;

-Find another horse to share, especially one on the same yard as the previous horse!

-Have the confidence for him to play up and for me not to panic.

-Go to a competition. And make it over one jump after the nightmare of the whole day and get a few nice comments from the judge even though we didn't place.

-Actually improve the horses way of going, improving his flat work and cantering him with no stirrups.

-Going to another competition, playing around in the warm up over lots of jumps and going clear in the clear round class! We even got a little frilly.

Sadly that's over now and I'm horseless, living in a city and jobless so hopefully 2012 brings something better!
 
Never thought I would
Enjoy dressage, affiliate and actually do very well!!

Have a 5 year old progress so quickly and bravely and successfully!

Come 3rd in Irish pc champs over tough xc on a young horse!

Have an open invitation to visit friends in south Africa anytime :D
 
Excellent thread Jennifer B - lol at you and the scary tyre! You didn't mention that skinny in the woods!

In 2011 I never though I'd....

- Be confident enough to regularly compete XC at 2'6 but we've done 6 this year and got placed in 2 of them!

- Jump round a BE track but we've trained at Drumclog and Strathallan jumping all of the BE80 fences and even some Intro fences and now have a couple of BE80's pencilled in for next year!

We're not as consistent as I'd like yet but I no longer have nightmares about jumping that height and it actually feels comfortable now!
 
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