Gamebird
Well-Known Member
It's a bit of an odd place Lincoln (the event, not the city!). It's very spread out around the showground, the parking was spread over several different fields and it was a bit lacking in atmosphere - not much on the PA etc.
Anyway obviously the horse thought there was plenty atmosphere as I very nearly got bucked straight off when I got on for the dressage and our test was rather 'explosive'. The score was rather embarrassing, so I won't be posting it on here!! The judge didn't make any comment on the sheet though - I thought they had to????
The SJ had been moved to the main arena and I thought it was huge!! It was also a long way round and time faults were the norm. Anyway I felt a bit sick by my turn, but kicked on and jumped a clear within the time. The horse's first ever novice clear SJ! And there weren't many of those, even from the professionals.
The XC wasn't huge but it was very technical and I saw tons of 'names' having run outs, retiring and falls. Luckily I made it to the third last fence before falling off! He jumped all the technical stuff absolutely brill, was puliing like a train but I rather over-rode the bogey coffin three from home and ended up sitting in the bottom of it (mental note to self: for coffins employ 'coffin canter' - it's called that for a reason...).
Anyway such was the general carnage that had I stayed on board we would have been fairly well placed, even with the atrocious dressage.
Positives - first ever SJ clear at Novice, and on a day when they were few and far between; confidently jumping 80% of a fairly technical XC course, at speed.
Neagtives - very bad dressage, dozy jockey falling off within sight of home, placings and points!
Anyway obviously the horse thought there was plenty atmosphere as I very nearly got bucked straight off when I got on for the dressage and our test was rather 'explosive'. The score was rather embarrassing, so I won't be posting it on here!! The judge didn't make any comment on the sheet though - I thought they had to????
The SJ had been moved to the main arena and I thought it was huge!! It was also a long way round and time faults were the norm. Anyway I felt a bit sick by my turn, but kicked on and jumped a clear within the time. The horse's first ever novice clear SJ! And there weren't many of those, even from the professionals.
The XC wasn't huge but it was very technical and I saw tons of 'names' having run outs, retiring and falls. Luckily I made it to the third last fence before falling off! He jumped all the technical stuff absolutely brill, was puliing like a train but I rather over-rode the bogey coffin three from home and ended up sitting in the bottom of it (mental note to self: for coffins employ 'coffin canter' - it's called that for a reason...).
Anyway such was the general carnage that had I stayed on board we would have been fairly well placed, even with the atrocious dressage.
Positives - first ever SJ clear at Novice, and on a day when they were few and far between; confidently jumping 80% of a fairly technical XC course, at speed.
Neagtives - very bad dressage, dozy jockey falling off within sight of home, placings and points!
