Isleham

Went down to watch this afternoon, the cross country course looked quite churned up in places and looked like some of the showjumps had been moved/taken out of the course.
 
Thanks for the info. I'll pass your observations on to my grandaughter who's in the Novice tomorrow morning - but I think she's probably expecting it to be a bit sticky!
 
We were also there, the showjumps are moved to different site sin the arena between classes and the course is heavily rolled. The XC course is soft but ok - even though it p'd down with rain whilst we were there. Be prepared to have to have your lorry towed out though!

We will probably be back again tomorrow.
 
Thanks everyone - she is one of the first to go so sounds like some compensation for having to get up at the crack of dawn
 

Our pony jumped in the PN today, just stud up well. The peat there does not get heavy or sticky, just a bit deep.

Good studs needed for dressage as where the molehills have been rolled they are a bit slippy.

The course has been beautifully prepared and grass has been sown over all the take offs and landings since last autumn. There are a number of new fences this year too.

We were about the only ones not to have been pulled out when we left at 1pm, just got the lorry onto the track then loaded the horse.

Isleham is so laid back, if you are ready well befor etime they will take you., except for dressage. So hurry along and jump the queue and get the best of the ground, that's what we did.

Unfortunately the pony slipped when jumping the log in the water (yes a jump completely in the water in PN!) and straddled the jump with her front legs. She extracted herself and was given a stop as she went backwards. She then just turned round and popped the log.

Only got 2.4 time faults though and we were pleased with that as she was always a bit slow last year.

Very few clears SJ though (pony was clear)
 
shame about being given a stop but wooo for clear sj
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YAY first report of the season
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Sounds like Isleham is worth the trip! shame other venues arent so accommodating during the season.
Such a shame about the 20 pen as it sounds like your daughter had a fabulous first run of the season.
Did you see Sillymare? im dying to hear how she did today, been txting but think i may have the wrong number
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Where are you off next?
 
Didn't see SM at all, looked for her though. Quite honestly I had no sleep last night due to all the wind and rain and Bee being out babysitting until midnight, coupled with a 5am start, we just wanted to get home. Spent the whole morning sloshing around in full waterproof gear as it rained on and off (including during Bee's XC) for a while.

Was so funny though as Bee fell off right next to the lorry. She had done her dressage and was just about to dismount and I was holding a rug ready to throw over as it was raining, she leaned forward ready to dismount, put her hand on the wet saddle, slipped and promptly disappered on the wrong side. She was like a cat though and landed on her feet.

Saw a few fall off into the water though at the half submerged log, the water was over welly height, so higher than the 20cm allowed. Needing a fair bit of oomph to jump but a bit to deep for a PN horse to get a balanced canter.

The course was quite testing though, corner with no alternative and a skinny out of a half coffin with a downhill approach to the ditch and up hill out.

The brush fence came up to my shoulders when we walked the course and was pretty solid. I an 5'6"

There were no black flag alternatives at all. So a difficult course for the first of the season, especially if you had a baby horse.
 
Ah we commented on there being no log in the water (it had been present on our last (unaff) outing there, much to the horror of my daughter who'd not met anything like it before) but they'd taken it out before the Intro when we turned up for a look. Sorry to hear your daughter had trouble there.

That fen soil is fantastic though isn't it - they were rolling the SJ arena and it looked nearly as good as new. I'll bet it's pretty gross in the lorry park by now - saw so many people being pulled out.
 
They got the fork lift thing on one of the tractors and took it out between PN and Intro.

It is such a lovely event and all the money goes to charity, after of course BE have taken tneir share.

BTW Hello and welcome to the board!
 
oo glad you had good days, wasnt it yuk weather. Ours all went v v well - 2 wins and 2 other placings, can't really complain at all! Not going back tomorrow with the intermediates though, 1 won't like the ground at all so he can go indoor SJ instead. It holds up very well but the rolling can make the SJ arena a bit "false" and he's a sensitive little chap - best hunter you'd find but wouldnt like that!

Good luck tomorrow everyone
 
A-HA! Was it you who asked for my opinion on what this person would be like to work for?! Enjoying it? Certainly a great start to the season, well done.

Well done Bee too, the dressage wasn't that bad either!
 
Thank you for your welcome!

Just sitting here in the warm with hot coffee and wondering if I can be bothered to go back today . . . . . we're only watching although I did fancy a go! Have to wait for new nag I fear.
 
Ahhhhhhhh!!! Sillymare did well! I cannot believe she had a fence in the SJing after ALL her double clears BN and Disco this winter
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That poxy fence cost her a placing - but i bet shes pleased as punch.

Also bet all today lot competing wish they had yesterdays sun!!
 
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A-HA! Was it you who asked for my opinion on what this person would be like to work for?! Enjoying it? Certainly a great start to the season, well done.

Well done Bee too, the dressage wasn't that bad either!

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No not me!! Lol I freelance really bits for everyone, so can choose the best places to go!
 
That's such a shame about Bee's problem in the water - I kept hearing on the tannoy people having stops and falling off. I did think that the log was a bit much for PN because of the downhill approach to the water and the depth of the water - I bet they don't use it next year.

Frazer (Amadeus) was like a rabbit caught in headlights the whole way round: he crawled over the log in the water a leg at a time, and was v green the whole way round, but managed to be 5th somehow. He did showjump clear which helped. Ross struggled a bit showjumping and had one down and 2 time penalties, but it was really deep by then. He was much bolder cross country than Frazer but slower cos he was spooking and bucking the whole round! He just missed out on a placing and was 11th. I don't envy anybody competing there today.
 
We went - and got soaked AGAIN. Today I took a full length waterproof, which made a big difference.

One of the people we went to support won his class so that was good - sadly things didn't go according to plan in the afternoon.

Did get a chance to have a quick chat to Clem and compliment him on the hard work they had all done in getting it sorted for the weekend. He said his staff have now got their work cut out before the Hunter Trial in a few weeks time but he knows they'll have it as good as ever!

I hope the weather's better though. Last time we were there it rained, hailed, thundered and lighteninged(?) and this weekend it was just cold, wet and windy. Hope Clem has got some decent weather ordered for next time.
 
I think anybody competing today was very brave (or foolhardy). I got to admit I don't think I would risk the conditions at the first event of the season it is to easy to have a set back affecting the rest of the year.

Glad your friend won.
 
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I think anybody competing today was very brave (or foolhardy). I got to admit I don't think I would risk the conditions at the first event of the season it is to easy to have a set back affecting the rest of the year.

Glad your friend won.

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The ground at Isleham is unique, it is slightly sandy peat so when it gets wet it does not become sticky or holding so the horses can still travel through it, it just becomes deep, like an arena. When the rain stops it drains at one hell of a rate.

In the summer it is always good going too, but does also become a bit dead and dusty.
 
Rosie went early today and came second in her section and everyone's thrilled to bits. Then she went and raced at Ampton point to point (4th and a pulled up) but she won the East Anglian jockey of the month award, wooohooo
 
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