lex2501
Well-Known Member
Last weekend Murphy and I headed down to Somerley to have a crack at the Open Novice! I was so disappointed by the cancellation of Wilton which is one of my favourite events in the calendar but the team at Somerley did the most fantastic job of filling in and the ground and courses were fantastic 
I walked the course and there was only really one combination which left me scratching my head - and that was the pallisade with a right hand turn to a bullfinch brush which was begging for a run out as the ground line ran away, and the brush was cut away. Murphy can get a bit onward bound so I knew it would need some careful riding!
I was first to go for the dressage and made the judge smile by heading in early He lit up as soon as we headed over which makes for an impressive but inconsistent picture, with visible tension at times . I rode quite cautiously as I knew he could bubble over at any minute! I didn't really risk the medium canters and ended up with 6's and "no clear diff" in the comments but the medium trot work has improved vastly with 7's for both. Sadly the walk really suffered with the tension and he crabbed around for 6's I came out expecting late 30's so was reasonable pleased with 34 which was no disgrace in the section with only one in the 20's.
Onto our least favourite phase We were one of the first to go after the course change over from the morning's intermediate so we arrived in a nice quiet warm up area I had jumped him the previous day with my instructor so didn't do too much. He clobbered a parallel so went straight in hoping that would get him up in the air I met the first fence perfectly in a good canter, and Murph hit it rather hard but it miraculously stayed up So change of tactic was quickly deployed and I gave him a firm check and put him deep to the next upright which he sprouted wings over. Realising that the deep spots worked for him, I continued the course like that with Murphy being exceptionally careful. Sadly he took the middle element of the treble but finished on 4 faults which is not at all bad for a serial pole basher over a course which caused it's fair share of problems! It probably wasn't the prettiest of rounds - but you don't win prizes in eventing for being pretty
I have full permission to post all photos - and please excuse DREADFUL lower leg position - I seem to try and make up for his lack of height over coloured poles with by throwing myself over too
TBC.....
I walked the course and there was only really one combination which left me scratching my head - and that was the pallisade with a right hand turn to a bullfinch brush which was begging for a run out as the ground line ran away, and the brush was cut away. Murphy can get a bit onward bound so I knew it would need some careful riding!
I was first to go for the dressage and made the judge smile by heading in early
He lit up as soon as we headed over which makes for an impressive but inconsistent picture, with visible tension at times . I rode quite cautiously as I knew he could bubble over at any minute! I didn't really risk the medium canters and ended up with 6's and "no clear diff" in the comments but the medium trot work has improved vastly with 7's for both. Sadly the walk really suffered with the tension and he crabbed around for 6's I came out expecting late 30's so was reasonable pleased with 34 which was no disgrace in the section with only one in the 20's.Onto our least favourite phase
We were one of the first to go after the course change over from the morning's intermediate so we arrived in a nice quiet warm up area I had jumped him the previous day with my instructor so didn't do too much. He clobbered a parallel so went straight in hoping that would get him up in the air I met the first fence perfectly in a good canter, and Murph hit it rather hard but it miraculously stayed up So change of tactic was quickly deployed and I gave him a firm check and put him deep to the next upright which he sprouted wings over. Realising that the deep spots worked for him, I continued the course like that with Murphy being exceptionally careful. Sadly he took the middle element of the treble but finished on 4 faults which is not at all bad for a serial pole basher over a course which caused it's fair share of problems! It probably wasn't the prettiest of rounds - but you don't win prizes in eventing for being pretty I have full permission to post all photos - and please excuse DREADFUL lower leg position - I seem to try and make up for his lack of height over coloured poles with by throwing myself over too
TBC.....
