Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Well that was eventful!! I was so well prepared and left loads of spare time so I could walk the course twice and then have time to rehearse it mentally. I have no sense of direction/spatial awareness/visual memory so really need to overlearn the course so I can then talk myself round it – as in “left after 4, round the back of the furthest left fence to get to the water and out over the middle boat” etc. All the way round! It’s quite time consuming.
But 15 miles away from Northallerton we lost power and car went into limp mode. Not great when you are towing a trailer. We managed to get off the motorway onto the road running parallel to it and pulled up to call the AA. He plugged it into the computer which lit up like a Christmas tree. Is there anything NOT wrong with our new (and we are beginning to think missold!) car??
He was not going to be able to get us going in anything other than limp mode and we together decided that the safest option was to limp to Northallerton with an AA escort and get rescued from there rather than wait on a busy road for hours. So the AA van stayed behind with hazards on as we crawled along. I still had hopes of competing so we rang the show secretary who said I was 4th from the end anyway so they could slot me in last but I’d need to be there by then as the next class would be starting.
Arrived and went for a quick look round the XC – nowhere near enough for me– while a friend tacked up Lottie. I then jumped on and headed to dressage just in time.
Everything was super rushed between each phase: last in to dressage, then late to be last in the SJ. I arrived to watch a couple of rounds to be told there were 3 to go. Woops! So watched one then had to warm up and go straight in, Then last out on XC.
But I kept my head, kept focus and just rode. I am just over the moon with Lottie. She was calm on the box for HOURS while we were getting sorted, (Left yard at 7, arrived at 12:30). Then she was calm, focused and workmanlike all the way through the day.
Dressage was a poor 41 but it was very muddy and slippery and she is not shod behind so no studs. She is a bit unbalanced in canter anyway and her default is to run if she loses balance. So we had shocking canter scores. (And a ‘you’re very brave’ comment on the score sheet!) But a couple of 7’s for trot work and a few 6.5s so better scores are there. With more schooling in canter and with studs in. Score sheet also said ‘Very nice horse with good paces” which is nice to read.
I rode like a muppet for showjumping. I was nervous and too tentative so I kept holding her back for an extra stride when I really didn’t need to. But she forgave me to jump clear in the time.
And then the best bit!! Lottie was incredible. I am so, so lucky to have found another super bold horse. There was not one moment of doubt, not one quiver of hesitation. She was amazing. And after 31 long months out of the game I have re-discovered that there is just nothing that compares to riding a bold horse cross country. Nothing. And the best bit is that the 80 was the first class, I was the last rider and it was muddy so I had a nice clear brown stripe to follow all the way round!! Otherwise I’d have got lost.
Lottie is fabulously suited to eventing. Look at her in the start box!! Amber had to be circled till 5 seconds to go then trotted through – and Lottie is just like ‘yep I’m ready, let me know when to go’! Not bad for a horse who would not stand still in any circumstances when she first arrived. She is easy to deal with. Easy to ride. Calm and obedient. Bold and non spooky. I have definitely found my eventing partner. And I am super, super excited about the future.
So after eventing we had to figure out how to get home but all sorted finally. Long day and fizz to finish it off when we eventually all got home.
Stats: 191 starters in the 80. 54.5% clear SJ. 152 allowed to continue to XC – 74% clear, I was 14th out of 48 in my section. We had 7 time XC but I was keeping her under wraps till about half way round and trotted through both waters so the pace is there when I need it. And 2 points towards getting qualification…… Roll on Epworth.
But 15 miles away from Northallerton we lost power and car went into limp mode. Not great when you are towing a trailer. We managed to get off the motorway onto the road running parallel to it and pulled up to call the AA. He plugged it into the computer which lit up like a Christmas tree. Is there anything NOT wrong with our new (and we are beginning to think missold!) car??
He was not going to be able to get us going in anything other than limp mode and we together decided that the safest option was to limp to Northallerton with an AA escort and get rescued from there rather than wait on a busy road for hours. So the AA van stayed behind with hazards on as we crawled along. I still had hopes of competing so we rang the show secretary who said I was 4th from the end anyway so they could slot me in last but I’d need to be there by then as the next class would be starting.
Arrived and went for a quick look round the XC – nowhere near enough for me– while a friend tacked up Lottie. I then jumped on and headed to dressage just in time.
Everything was super rushed between each phase: last in to dressage, then late to be last in the SJ. I arrived to watch a couple of rounds to be told there were 3 to go. Woops! So watched one then had to warm up and go straight in, Then last out on XC.
But I kept my head, kept focus and just rode. I am just over the moon with Lottie. She was calm on the box for HOURS while we were getting sorted, (Left yard at 7, arrived at 12:30). Then she was calm, focused and workmanlike all the way through the day.
Dressage was a poor 41 but it was very muddy and slippery and she is not shod behind so no studs. She is a bit unbalanced in canter anyway and her default is to run if she loses balance. So we had shocking canter scores. (And a ‘you’re very brave’ comment on the score sheet!) But a couple of 7’s for trot work and a few 6.5s so better scores are there. With more schooling in canter and with studs in. Score sheet also said ‘Very nice horse with good paces” which is nice to read.
I rode like a muppet for showjumping. I was nervous and too tentative so I kept holding her back for an extra stride when I really didn’t need to. But she forgave me to jump clear in the time.
And then the best bit!! Lottie was incredible. I am so, so lucky to have found another super bold horse. There was not one moment of doubt, not one quiver of hesitation. She was amazing. And after 31 long months out of the game I have re-discovered that there is just nothing that compares to riding a bold horse cross country. Nothing. And the best bit is that the 80 was the first class, I was the last rider and it was muddy so I had a nice clear brown stripe to follow all the way round!! Otherwise I’d have got lost.
Lottie is fabulously suited to eventing. Look at her in the start box!! Amber had to be circled till 5 seconds to go then trotted through – and Lottie is just like ‘yep I’m ready, let me know when to go’! Not bad for a horse who would not stand still in any circumstances when she first arrived. She is easy to deal with. Easy to ride. Calm and obedient. Bold and non spooky. I have definitely found my eventing partner. And I am super, super excited about the future.
So after eventing we had to figure out how to get home but all sorted finally. Long day and fizz to finish it off when we eventually all got home.
Stats: 191 starters in the 80. 54.5% clear SJ. 152 allowed to continue to XC – 74% clear, I was 14th out of 48 in my section. We had 7 time XC but I was keeping her under wraps till about half way round and trotted through both waters so the pace is there when I need it. And 2 points towards getting qualification…… Roll on Epworth.
