Gamebird
Well-Known Member
With Winkburn cancelled I thought I'd mosey on down to our closest BSJA centre (1.15hrs away
) to see if I could MAKE some money, instead of continually throwing it in the air then burning it (or giving it to BE which amounts to pretty much the same thing
).
Saturday:
I jumped the 'Varley Challenge' which was an open class with £100 first prize and a qualifier for a £200 class on the Sunday. The class was only 1m. I've been jumping Fox with my horse recently so it was a bit tiddly but Fox is at the edge of his comfort zone and is a bit of a stretch at the moment so I figured it would do his confidence good to have a bit of fun round some smaller classes. As you can imagine with that sort of money for an open class most of the horses were decent anyway.
Jumped clear first round then in the jump-off had a choice at the last fence of a stile or a proper grown up open water jump. On the basis that my horse can be a bit dodgy with water trays, and being an eventer thinks that you're supposed to jump into water, not over it I jumped the stile. Barely breathed on it and it fell. I reckon that pole cost me at least £50
Then jumped the NC - had one down in the first round (are you spotting a theme? yet
). Luckily there were only 3 clears and they had to pay to four places so the fourth place went to the 4-faulter which had the fastest time in the first round...... me
(this has happened twice to me recently - I'm thinking it's not necessarily ideal!). Phew, made some money.
There was an Accumulator next, again for £100. On the basis that I'd only jumped two rounds so far I thought I'd have a pop at this and it was the most fun I've ever had SJ (not hard to achieve
). There were 8 fences and it was against the clock. The first fence was 1.10, then 2 at 1.15, 2 at 1.20 and 2 at 1.25. The last fence was a joker where you had a choice of the open water or the stile at 1.35m. There was one point for fence one, 2 for fence 2 etc until fence 8 where you got 8 for the water or 16 for the stile, but if you had the stile down they subtracted 16
. Having had it down when it was 1m I didn't think my chances of leaving it up at 1.35 were very good so I went for the water
. I had one of the early fences down so was out of the money but I loved it and was laughing my head off as we jumped the last two! What a naughty pony having a 1.15 fence down but jumping all the big ones clear
Pic:
http://www.jumpforit.co.uk/pr14sept8/jfi_7835.htm
Sunday:
Having qualified for the £200 class on Sunday I thought we'd better go back and give it a go. To cut an increasingly long story short we were clear in the first round. There were 8 clears and I was drawn 3rd in the JO. The two before me went absolutely flat out and clear so to get any money at all I had to be faster. I think I was, but sadly had two down on the way round
. Never mind, as they have never included JO's for BE they aren't exactly my strong point. The first horse in won anyway.
So quite unbelievably, I have been BSJA 2 days running, have won some money, have missed out on the big money completely and have had a smile on my face all weekend (and if I'd been to Winkburn I'd still be on the A1 now, not sat at home with a lager in my hand). As a committed eventer this turn of events has left me more than a little worried....
Saturday:
I jumped the 'Varley Challenge' which was an open class with £100 first prize and a qualifier for a £200 class on the Sunday. The class was only 1m. I've been jumping Fox with my horse recently so it was a bit tiddly but Fox is at the edge of his comfort zone and is a bit of a stretch at the moment so I figured it would do his confidence good to have a bit of fun round some smaller classes. As you can imagine with that sort of money for an open class most of the horses were decent anyway.
Jumped clear first round then in the jump-off had a choice at the last fence of a stile or a proper grown up open water jump. On the basis that my horse can be a bit dodgy with water trays, and being an eventer thinks that you're supposed to jump into water, not over it I jumped the stile. Barely breathed on it and it fell. I reckon that pole cost me at least £50
Then jumped the NC - had one down in the first round (are you spotting a theme? yet
There was an Accumulator next, again for £100. On the basis that I'd only jumped two rounds so far I thought I'd have a pop at this and it was the most fun I've ever had SJ (not hard to achieve
Pic:
http://www.jumpforit.co.uk/pr14sept8/jfi_7835.htm
Sunday:
Having qualified for the £200 class on Sunday I thought we'd better go back and give it a go. To cut an increasingly long story short we were clear in the first round. There were 8 clears and I was drawn 3rd in the JO. The two before me went absolutely flat out and clear so to get any money at all I had to be faster. I think I was, but sadly had two down on the way round
So quite unbelievably, I have been BSJA 2 days running, have won some money, have missed out on the big money completely and have had a smile on my face all weekend (and if I'd been to Winkburn I'd still be on the A1 now, not sat at home with a lager in my hand). As a committed eventer this turn of events has left me more than a little worried....
