only_me
Well-Known Member
Set off for Cork (5/6 hour drive) to go to the irish pony club championships at Ballindennisk, where it was Merlin and mines first 2 day event
so after doing a lot of packing and getting ready we set off on Monday lunch time. After a long drive down we finally arrived, and took merlin and other horses off the lorry and into their stables this was Merlins first time staying away from home! He has never stayed at an event before, and never away from home
so he was a little confused as his stable was straw
but he could see all the other horses and his stable was big so he was very comfortable.
Then onto the dressage. The ground was very wet but it wasnt raining at least
but ground very deep and soaking!! Merlin was very uptight and we had a lot of bucks and I mean a lot! But at least he was going forward
warmed up quite nicely but he was throwing his head around a bit not sure what this is as he only started doing it? Almost a twitch? Any ideas? But he did this at the worst possible time right at C in the test. Judge didnt mark down for it though. We got an 8 for our medium trot
very pleased about that! And an 8 for my riding
but 6 and 7s for the rest of the movements. So finished on a score of 38.6, not so good as he is capable of a lot better but after dressage we were sitting about 6th in our arena. Team did ok and we all had similar dressage marks in different arenas!
which was pretty cool
The team:
The showjumping was big and technical, and the ground was very slippy and deep. There was a line of a 1 stride upright double, 3 strides to a big parallel, right hand turn to a upright, 4 strides to a long double, 2 strides on a curve to BIG blue and yellow jump (see pics down below
) still on a curve 5 strides to upright, then tight right turn to big parallel up hill. He jumped fantastically and I felt like I rode really well the first time in ages I felt this. I was able to push and collect and although he was being an arse and being very strong
we went clear which was very good as very few people went clear!! Team was now down to three as one person fell off in the sj (one fall and out) but they asked to go xc anyway as they were on grade a pony
Only pic of me sj:
Then we walked xc
incredibly technical and difficult possibly not the biggest PN I have done but definitely the most technical! But xc was made all the more harder by the ground conditions as it rained all night and ground very very very very wet and soggy, the organisers were determined to run the xc! But the take off and landings disintergrated very easily and they had to remove some fences throughout the day. Couldnt warm up very well due to the warm up resembling a ploughed field and a quagmire, which is why he backed off no.1 as I dont think he actually realised we were going xc. I hit him with the stick and he kicked out, so I think he was cottoning on to the fact we were going xc
Jumped no.2 and 3 perfectly.
Jumped no.4 nicely, it is a bounce bank
he felt like a pro
Then long gallop to number 5, a train which was very soggy and wet coming into the fence:
he flew it.
Then the 1st big question: skinny tight turn left up bank to skinny
See the bank C is behind the hedge on the left!!
Part C
This was very difficult to ride ground very wet, and jump skinny then handbreak turn left, scramble up bank and one stride to skinny! Merlin did what I asked him which I am very pleased about the fence was bordering on impossible/dangerous and I was the last person to jump ABC they took away part A so the rest of my team and the other teams only had to jump BC which was a lot easier!
and then onto a nice log which was a flyer,
Then onto next big question which was snaking through the woods/road to off set double of brushes, the first one came up very quickly! I couldnt hold a canter as it was very tight turn right to the first brush, but he jumped it from a trot as they wernt very big, and we got a foot perfect 2 strides to the next on the curve : D
The picture doesnt show the off set ness really
Then gallop to a biggish log double which we got 2 strides in as the ground was so deep and soggy:
The next water jump was taken out completely as the only word to describe it was mush
and out to log at top of hill
Then through gap in hedge:
Then onto next big question: roller 2 strides on a curve to ditch, one stride to roller out. He jumped it very nicely, and made nothing of the humungous ditch!
Then up bank and down, which he popped up:
Then long gallop through mush where I slowed down as was afraid of him loosing a shoe/damaging his tendons etc- it really was that deep and soggy!! Then the water jump which was very technical (have never done anything like this before and im about to move up to novice
)
He popped the log sweetly, then I brought him back to a trot so I could get turned to go up the back and jump out. He was fab! He didnt even try and question what I asked him to do
so pleased with him! He went through it like a pro
Then he flew the last and we hit it on a perfect stride:
No jumping pics yet, as they are not up on the site yet, but will post them when they do!
As you can see from the pic, I lost an over reach boot somewhere
and it was a pull on one!!
The other 2 in my team went clear, and I had just one time penalty but I dont think I would have wanted to go any faster given the ground conditions.
So I finished 5th individually in my arena
very pleased as its at the irish pony club championships
and even better, the team finished 5th out of 28 teams
Piccy of us at the blue and yellow showjump:
Me at prizegiving saying thank you:
Cookies and ice cream for all who got this far!
lol
Then onto the dressage. The ground was very wet but it wasnt raining at least
The team:
The showjumping was big and technical, and the ground was very slippy and deep. There was a line of a 1 stride upright double, 3 strides to a big parallel, right hand turn to a upright, 4 strides to a long double, 2 strides on a curve to BIG blue and yellow jump (see pics down below
Only pic of me sj:
Then we walked xc
Jumped no.2 and 3 perfectly.
Jumped no.4 nicely, it is a bounce bank
Then long gallop to number 5, a train which was very soggy and wet coming into the fence:
Then the 1st big question: skinny tight turn left up bank to skinny
See the bank C is behind the hedge on the left!!
Part C
This was very difficult to ride ground very wet, and jump skinny then handbreak turn left, scramble up bank and one stride to skinny! Merlin did what I asked him which I am very pleased about the fence was bordering on impossible/dangerous and I was the last person to jump ABC they took away part A so the rest of my team and the other teams only had to jump BC which was a lot easier!
Then onto next big question which was snaking through the woods/road to off set double of brushes, the first one came up very quickly! I couldnt hold a canter as it was very tight turn right to the first brush, but he jumped it from a trot as they wernt very big, and we got a foot perfect 2 strides to the next on the curve : D
The picture doesnt show the off set ness really
Then gallop to a biggish log double which we got 2 strides in as the ground was so deep and soggy:
The next water jump was taken out completely as the only word to describe it was mush
Then through gap in hedge:
Then onto next big question: roller 2 strides on a curve to ditch, one stride to roller out. He jumped it very nicely, and made nothing of the humungous ditch!
Then up bank and down, which he popped up:
Then long gallop through mush where I slowed down as was afraid of him loosing a shoe/damaging his tendons etc- it really was that deep and soggy!! Then the water jump which was very technical (have never done anything like this before and im about to move up to novice
He popped the log sweetly, then I brought him back to a trot so I could get turned to go up the back and jump out. He was fab! He didnt even try and question what I asked him to do
Then he flew the last and we hit it on a perfect stride:
No jumping pics yet, as they are not up on the site yet, but will post them when they do!
As you can see from the pic, I lost an over reach boot somewhere
The other 2 in my team went clear, and I had just one time penalty but I dont think I would have wanted to go any faster given the ground conditions.
So I finished 5th individually in my arena
Piccy of us at the blue and yellow showjump:
Me at prizegiving saying thank you:
Cookies and ice cream for all who got this far!
