only_me
Well-Known Member
This weeks entertainment was a pony club ode, I was doing the open (which is run over the Novice EI track). Preparations were not great, considering I have been riding him at 6am every morning this week and nowhere to gallop/fast canter due to the hard ground! So saying I hadnt been 100% focused would be an understatement! 
Merlin at 6am. Dosent he look happy!
Dressage meh. Merlin and I know we only event for the jumping!
Warmed up a bit stuffy but thankfully lengthened out more; and silently yelling to myself hands together still
Test was so so, but better than our previous tests with lots of 8s, but as usual the walk let us down, but happy with 36 and some very nice encouraging comments from the judges
One was inattentive at times I think she was referring to me
Showjumping, was, um, well interesting! As usual avoided walking the course (if I walk it I get too hung up on strides etc. and start to overthink, so I usually watch or work out the course!) and did a total of 5 warm up jumps as ground was awful in the warm up! Oh, did I also mention that I was no.5 in the class, and I went first in the SJ as no one else was around!
Jumped a very lucky clear, as hard ground + short grass = ice rink! He was an absolute star though, was no effort whatsoever and I kept kicking and he kept jumping!
Just to break up the writing
The XC, was , well also interesting! First fence was a horrid bank with pole on top making it very harsh on the horse! The 5th fence was the water, ABC, part C was a bigish log but the ground pole hadnt been secured I rolled it right in to the log!
No. 7 was a big ski jump which wasnt even flagged (had a no. on it), the 2nd water was horrid awkward turn out of water. No.15 was a very strange fence, 2 logs in the woods but you circled on yourself! The 3rd Water was nice but very odd striding (but I know this) to a big trakhner, through a very tight gap turn to a big bank down large drop to a corner, then a simple log to finish.
Merlin was ace XC we were quite slow (felt slow!) but didnt particularly want to hurry him as ground was hard and time was impossible, they gave us 3mins 50 to get around the course turned out no one got close to the time (ie. No one made it including some Junior team riders!) so they made it longer to 4mins 20 (pony club politics, dont ask!) and I was 2nd fastest in the class I did it in 4.35! Thats the first time Ive ever been able to say I was one of the fastest; usually we are the slowest! So am guessing that the others didnt push on either
But have to say, He was the best he has ever been xc, yes slow, but we cantered through all the waters (big achievement!) and he jumped the 3rd water perfectly 2 steps into water, then 2 step bounces out of the water
and didnt even look at the big trakener!
So after waiting HOURS for the results found out I finished 4th
Turns out I was the ONLY double clear in the class Magic Merlin worked today! Mega Mega pleased, He really deserved this and with our DR improving all the time I now need to up the fitness work and get him really fit
And great amusesment from my horse who actually fell asleep in the lorry over the partition whilst basking in the sun, apparently my friend thinks so he wont get crows feet
I actually had a fantastic day, I havent enjoyed an event as much as I enjoyed that one!
Thanks for reading, can offer you some cherry lips Will post the pro pics when they come up
Oh, and we made 494 bales of hay off 8 acres on Friday night 400 of which are in the shed, but the last lot are in the field drying off a bit who needs a gym when you have a horse? Lol!
Merlin at 6am. Dosent he look happy!
Dressage meh. Merlin and I know we only event for the jumping!
Warmed up a bit stuffy but thankfully lengthened out more; and silently yelling to myself hands together still
Test was so so, but better than our previous tests with lots of 8s, but as usual the walk let us down, but happy with 36 and some very nice encouraging comments from the judges
One was inattentive at times I think she was referring to me
Showjumping, was, um, well interesting! As usual avoided walking the course (if I walk it I get too hung up on strides etc. and start to overthink, so I usually watch or work out the course!) and did a total of 5 warm up jumps as ground was awful in the warm up! Oh, did I also mention that I was no.5 in the class, and I went first in the SJ as no one else was around!
Jumped a very lucky clear, as hard ground + short grass = ice rink! He was an absolute star though, was no effort whatsoever and I kept kicking and he kept jumping!
Just to break up the writing
The XC, was , well also interesting! First fence was a horrid bank with pole on top making it very harsh on the horse! The 5th fence was the water, ABC, part C was a bigish log but the ground pole hadnt been secured I rolled it right in to the log!
No. 7 was a big ski jump which wasnt even flagged (had a no. on it), the 2nd water was horrid awkward turn out of water. No.15 was a very strange fence, 2 logs in the woods but you circled on yourself! The 3rd Water was nice but very odd striding (but I know this) to a big trakhner, through a very tight gap turn to a big bank down large drop to a corner, then a simple log to finish.
Merlin was ace XC we were quite slow (felt slow!) but didnt particularly want to hurry him as ground was hard and time was impossible, they gave us 3mins 50 to get around the course turned out no one got close to the time (ie. No one made it including some Junior team riders!) so they made it longer to 4mins 20 (pony club politics, dont ask!) and I was 2nd fastest in the class I did it in 4.35! Thats the first time Ive ever been able to say I was one of the fastest; usually we are the slowest! So am guessing that the others didnt push on either
But have to say, He was the best he has ever been xc, yes slow, but we cantered through all the waters (big achievement!) and he jumped the 3rd water perfectly 2 steps into water, then 2 step bounces out of the water
and didnt even look at the big trakener! So after waiting HOURS for the results found out I finished 4th
Turns out I was the ONLY double clear in the class Magic Merlin worked today!
Mega Mega pleased, He really deserved this and with our DR improving all the time I now need to up the fitness work and get him really fit And great amusesment from my horse who actually fell asleep in the lorry over the partition whilst basking in the sun, apparently my friend thinks so he wont get crows feet
I actually had a fantastic day, I havent enjoyed an event as much as I enjoyed that one!
Thanks for reading, can offer you some cherry lips
Will post the pro pics when they come up Oh, and we made 494 bales of hay off 8 acres on Friday night 400 of which are in the shed, but the last lot are in the field drying off a bit who needs a gym when you have a horse? Lol!
