Nickymac
Well-Known Member
So after all that build-up, and me getting SO worried about it all, as k9h has reported I survived!! Yay!!
After a busy weekend when Max (no longer to be called "Mad Max") went really well hunting on Saturday, and I was away for 2 days on a clinic at Little Downham with HumungaHorse (aged 5 and 3/4) jumping intermediate fences, why oh why did I have the gut-wrenching "why am I doing this" feeling this morning? Anyone who knows me will confirm that I am Ms Particular, where everything has to be just so, I haven't got a reckless bone in my body but there I am, lined up with 36 people on horses about to race around 3.5 miles and 24 fences in Leicestershire.
To cut a long story short, I had a fantastic ride, tucking in behind the first third of the field, keeping my friend (and vet, course-walking mate and survivor of 2 of these Rides) within eye/earshot, surviving the carnage at fence 7 where they all tried to take it on an angle and wiped each other out (I, smugly now, had always planned to take it on the far right-hand side so missed all that kerfuffle!), and just kept on galloping and jumping. It seemed that at each fence there were loose horses and riders getting up, but Max kept his focus, kept jumping and was a complete star. Five from home - v upright rails at the top of a long, steep pull up a hill, I just let Max pop it, saving something in the tank for the last few; therefore I was a bit shocked to have abuse hurled at me from the rider behind about "effing showjumping" that fence. (He did later apologise at the prizegiving, but I thought that was a bit unsporting of him to have a) been sat that close he couldn't change his line and b) take it that seriously that hurling abuse made him feel better!) We finished ahead of him anyway, so justice was done.
Well done if you've got this far (cookies for you all, or wine and kettle chips in my case!) - I was 6th and best novice! Dead chuffed with the nappy horse we couldn't get out of the yard, nor sell at a giveaway price a year ago.
Here's the evidence:
http://www.belvoir-photography.com/photo906872.html
(scroll back and forward one for less impressive photos!)
http://www.belvoir-photography.com/photo906909.html
(scroll back for the "tired pony" photo at the second last)
After a busy weekend when Max (no longer to be called "Mad Max") went really well hunting on Saturday, and I was away for 2 days on a clinic at Little Downham with HumungaHorse (aged 5 and 3/4) jumping intermediate fences, why oh why did I have the gut-wrenching "why am I doing this" feeling this morning? Anyone who knows me will confirm that I am Ms Particular, where everything has to be just so, I haven't got a reckless bone in my body but there I am, lined up with 36 people on horses about to race around 3.5 miles and 24 fences in Leicestershire.
To cut a long story short, I had a fantastic ride, tucking in behind the first third of the field, keeping my friend (and vet, course-walking mate and survivor of 2 of these Rides) within eye/earshot, surviving the carnage at fence 7 where they all tried to take it on an angle and wiped each other out (I, smugly now, had always planned to take it on the far right-hand side
so missed all that kerfuffle!), and just kept on galloping and jumping. It seemed that at each fence there were loose horses and riders getting up, but Max kept his focus, kept jumping and was a complete star. Five from home - v upright rails at the top of a long, steep pull up a hill, I just let Max pop it, saving something in the tank for the last few; therefore I was a bit shocked to have abuse hurled at me from the rider behind about "effing showjumping" that fence. (He did later apologise at the prizegiving, but I thought that was a bit unsporting of him to have a) been sat that close he couldn't change his line and b) take it that seriously that hurling abuse made him feel better!) We finished ahead of him anyway, so justice was done. Well done if you've got this far (cookies for you all, or wine and kettle chips in my case!) - I was 6th and best novice! Dead chuffed with the nappy horse we couldn't get out of the yard, nor sell at a giveaway price a year ago.
Here's the evidence:
http://www.belvoir-photography.com/photo906872.html
(scroll back and forward one for less impressive photos!)
http://www.belvoir-photography.com/photo906909.html
(scroll back for the "tired pony" photo at the second last)
