Emma S
Well-Known Member
After the big grey boy has decided that airs above the ground is the way forward and having only sat on the little mare once since September XC schooling at Keysoe (her owner has been hunting ect) I was needless to say a little anxious of how the day was going to go!!
Having fairly reasonable times with the first drssage at 10.36 and the second at 12:58 I planned to get there with a good 30 min warm up for the little mare and then walk the XC before the second dressage.
Arrived with plenty of time to get booked in and get myself dressed and hopped on board a bit before 10.00. we found ourselves a spot right out the way and started warming up. The ground was on the soft side and getting a little slippy on top and Min was feeling a bit backwards and behind my leg so decided it to put my spurs on and then had the opposite problem!
We went in to the test feeling a little less then confident and did have one moment where we very nearly left the arena
But with mostly 6's and 7's and some nice comments from the judge we came out with a 38.5 which wasn't far off the average throughout the class so I was happy!
Some dressage pics-
We walked the XC and decided that it was quite straightforward and inviting and looked forward to riding it as they have both been on form XC.
Then it was the grey ponies to stressage turn having completely refused to trot a circle on Thursday I did not have very high hopes but he settled quickly in to the warm up.
He only had one moment when he slammed the brakes on and threatened to wave at anyone watching because I asked him to stay straight!
We went in to the test and I felt him tense up, again we had some nice comments but did get one 4! where he had insisted to canter sideways down the long side but then made up for it with an 8 for his walk 
So a second score of 38.5, can't say I'm not consistent
some more dressage pics -
So after a brief reflection of how the ponies had done we got ready for the SJ, took both horses up there in the hope I could jump one and warm the other up straight away to get it over and done with. No that I was dreading it at all
Turned up in time to walk the course, something I had never done at a ODE before!! Then realised why I would have rather watched some one go round when the first part of the double was quite a beefy oxer
Again the Dun pony went first, so we got warmed up and she was jumping out of her skin and cleared he top of the wings at our first attempt of the little upright, tried to settle her in to it but soon realised I would just have to hold on and hope
She jumped really well in the ring, we had 4 faults because I saw a stride at the first part of the double and she saw another so we had the back bar down but despite me hangin round her neck jumped clear out over the second part so I was very pleased
Few pics - she certainly has scope...
So a quick horse swap on to the grey one and immediately knew this would be a minimum 12 faulter lol after destroying all of the warm up fences jumping quite flat and having no concern for where his feet were (not unusual at all!) we headed down to the ring and after obliterating the first fence I did give up a little bit which I know I shouldnt do!! 16 faults later and a lot of heaving to try and stop. we had no pictures of us going over a fence because my photographer for the day said we were going too fast lol but here's a few any way -
a quick break for reflection and then on to the XC.
It didnt start well after a sudden panic when I was just about the enter the tart box that I had forgotten my medical armband
No phone, no Keys, locked car and friends half way round the XC course waiting for me to appear!! after collering a very nice lady to go to the secretary and ask them to call my emergency contact I was back on my way to the start with the Dun pony
After re-warming up, we got to the start box and set off to the first. She was very green and spooky round the entire course. Over jumping and being rather awkward.
We got round clear taking the alternative at the corner butwe have a lot of work to do. She winded me twice on course and my bib came undone on the shoulder straps so was flapping round my waist for a lot of the course!
She did however go clear, there was just too much concentration going in to what was going on around her and not the fences, so we had time penalties.
A few pics
I was in a bit of a bad way after the first XC with a sore back and a hip slightly out of joint but was looking forward to the second run far too much.
Needless to say my grey pony did not disappoint and cam out of the start box on his back legs and kept up a good gallop all the way round. I was like this the whole way round!! we finished well in the optimum time and clear, he finished like he could have gone round again and I did have a little cry because he was so good.
Some more pics - I have permission to post the pro tog so please no button pushers!!! -
The day didnt look so good on and no placings for us but I was pleased with the pair of them. Grey pony is now on couple of month holiday with Dr Green and Dun pony has now moved to my yard and been enroled to boot camp, we have lots to work on!!
Sorry it got a bit long, but plenty of chocolate eggs and buttons if you get this far
Having fairly reasonable times with the first drssage at 10.36 and the second at 12:58 I planned to get there with a good 30 min warm up for the little mare and then walk the XC before the second dressage.
Arrived with plenty of time to get booked in and get myself dressed and hopped on board a bit before 10.00. we found ourselves a spot right out the way and started warming up. The ground was on the soft side and getting a little slippy on top and Min was feeling a bit backwards and behind my leg so decided it to put my spurs on and then had the opposite problem!
We went in to the test feeling a little less then confident and did have one moment where we very nearly left the arena
But with mostly 6's and 7's and some nice comments from the judge we came out with a 38.5 which wasn't far off the average throughout the class so I was happy!
Some dressage pics-
We walked the XC and decided that it was quite straightforward and inviting and looked forward to riding it as they have both been on form XC.
Then it was the grey ponies to stressage turn having completely refused to trot a circle on Thursday I did not have very high hopes but he settled quickly in to the warm up.
He only had one moment when he slammed the brakes on and threatened to wave at anyone watching because I asked him to stay straight!
We went in to the test and I felt him tense up, again we had some nice comments but did get one 4!
where he had insisted to canter sideways down the long side but then made up for it with an 8 for his walk So a second score of 38.5, can't say I'm not consistent
some more dressage pics -
So after a brief reflection of how the ponies had done we got ready for the SJ, took both horses up there in the hope I could jump one and warm the other up straight away to get it over and done with. No that I was dreading it at all
Turned up in time to walk the course, something I had never done at a ODE before!! Then realised why I would have rather watched some one go round when the first part of the double was quite a beefy oxer
Again the Dun pony went first, so we got warmed up and she was jumping out of her skin and cleared he top of the wings at our first attempt of the little upright, tried to settle her in to it but soon realised I would just have to hold on and hope
She jumped really well in the ring, we had 4 faults because I saw a stride at the first part of the double and she saw another so we had the back bar down but despite me hangin round her neck jumped clear out over the second part so I was very pleased
Few pics - she certainly has scope...
So a quick horse swap on to the grey one and immediately knew this would be a minimum 12 faulter lol
after destroying all of the warm up fences jumping quite flat and having no concern for where his feet were (not unusual at all!) we headed down to the ring and after obliterating the first fence I did give up a little bit which I know I shouldnt do!! 16 faults later and a lot of heaving to try and stop. we had no pictures of us going over a fence because my photographer for the day said we were going too fast lol but here's a few any way -
a quick break for reflection and then on to the XC.
It didnt start well after a sudden panic when I was just about the enter the tart box that I had forgotten my medical armband
No phone, no Keys, locked car and friends half way round the XC course waiting for me to appear!! after collering a very nice lady to go to the secretary and ask them to call my emergency contact I was back on my way to the start with the Dun pony
After re-warming up, we got to the start box and set off to the first. She was very green and spooky round the entire course. Over jumping and being rather awkward.
We got round clear taking the alternative at the corner butwe have a lot of work to do. She winded me twice on course and my bib came undone on the shoulder straps so was flapping round my waist for a lot of the course!
She did however go clear, there was just too much concentration going in to what was going on around her and not the fences, so we had time penalties.
A few pics
I was in a bit of a bad way after the first XC with a sore back and a hip slightly out of joint but was looking forward to the second run far too much.
Needless to say my grey pony did not disappoint and cam out of the start box on his back legs and kept up a good gallop all the way round. I was like this
the whole way round!! we finished well in the optimum time and clear, he finished like he could have gone round again and I did have a little cry because he was so good.Some more pics - I have permission to post the pro tog so please no button pushers!!! -
The day didnt look so good on and no placings for us but I was pleased with the pair of them. Grey pony is now on couple of month holiday with Dr Green and Dun pony has now moved to my yard and been enroled to boot camp, we have lots to work on!!
Sorry it got a bit long, but plenty of chocolate eggs and buttons if you get this far
