My first report .... Pytchley team chase!

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suegreenaway

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Well after the 'where has everybody gone?' post I thought I would stop lurking and actually post a report! Having persevered, had dissapointment after dissapointment and thrown away a lot of money I continued attempting to event my little thoroughbred mare, she loves xc but we got eliminated more times showjumping than actually getting round so at Broadway at the end of last season when she flatly said NO before even getting over the first showjump I defied NEVER totake her eventing ever again, then some stupid devil on my shoulder suggested team chasing and a week later we trundled off to the Pytchley to do the novice and somehow survived and got totally hooked. Sadly an injury put play to the rest of the autumn season but the following spring we did a few novices and finished on an intermediate so this season we were still somehow fit and ready, started at the warwickshire novice, did the intermediate at the atherstone which was HUGE and then trundled off to the pytchley yesterday for our 3rd intermediate and went clear again, we joined the Dapper Dobins at the last minute as we sadly had a lameness in our team so split up and made up full teams, but our team had a brilliant run, sadly too slow for a placing but we all had fun and all came home safe and sound. I am just over the moon with the little mare, shes been through a lot in her life and for her to be doing something she truly loves (well im quite enjoying it too!) Just makes my day. I see a lot of horses come and go but there is a bond between the 2 of us that I really cannot explain, yes theres been broken bones, surgeries and a lot of heartache but teamchasing was made for us. I hope the picture uploads and thankyou for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully reports of our last event of the season on the 5 year old I have to ride will follow along with many reports of my little ex racer who has been recuperating from a tendon injury but has now started his retraining and shock horror is cantering now!
 
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Cracking photo! I would love to give team chasing a go sometime, if I could pluck up the courage!
 
brilliant photo ! gutted I missed Pytchley, entered straight after going to Atherstone TC but a team members horse broke its jaw a few days before :( so now I feel incredibly jealous that you got to go round :D super looking horse! glad it went well :)
 
Hellfire, there is not enough vodka in the world to convince me to even look that hedge in the eye. Wow. Sounds like you have found a discipline that really suits you and your horse. Great result and looking forward to more reports in the future.
 
Did you wonder if you were ever going to land? Very well done, team chasing is not for the faint hearted. Glad the horse likes this game.
 
I'm still plucking up the courage to have a go at team chasing. Not sure why as we jump loads of hedges out hunting but there just seems to be something more scary about team chasing. Fab photo - well done!
 
Thanks guys I must admit last year when we went to do the novice I was sat in a layby on the way there in the rain crying as I was totally lost, miles from home thinking what a stupid idea this was! Eventually we arrived but it was still raining and then we walked the course, the hedges were as big as me "this is the biggest novice there is" someone piped up ......gulp yes this is a stupid idea! As Hope was dancing sideways round the warm up arena with my feet slipping out the stirrups and my rein grip decreasing thanks to the rain I was green with fear but then minutes later we'd got round ..... the slippy reins and stirrups had been forgotten as had which jumps had drops behind and we were both grinning from ear to ear and were on a high for days afterwards, this is the weird sport of teamchasing ...... I think the its the being terrified at the start but knowing that feeling you get afterwards? I must admit the pytchley intermediate track was nicely a bit smaller than the Atherstone which really did frighten the life out of me before the start. Gamebird the Pytchley open course looked quite nice as a first one to try??
 
suegreenaway said:
Hoof_prints a broken jaw??? Ouch, I really hope horse is ok!
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Yes, was very unexpected! but will be going the Fernie in the spring, horse has jaw wired together but surprisingly can still eat fine and can be ridden in wires after a couple weeks .. so the vets says, but I think the owners are leaving him for a while yet. How was the ground at Pytchley? I was worried it would be a bit slippy after all the rain. The Atherstone intermediate did look massive! I did the novice and we jumped a lot of the intermediate fences (big drops!) but the hedges near the start of the intermediate were bloody massive and there were some nasty falls. Might brave the intermediate next year :D
 
Great pictures!
I fancy giving team chasing a go, I think my mare would absolutely love it!
How do people go about putting together a team? I'm based on a mainly dressage yard so I don't really know anyone else who wants to do it.
 
Brilliant photos one and all. Where was the pytchley TC held? I do miss proper hedges down here in pasty land, they jump walls -- which is a lot less fun, though I think my ideal hedge would be waist height these days.
 
Fantastic photo, well done! Sue, I totally know what you mean about being terrified at the start but being on a massive high once you've got around safely! I can't wait to do some more next year and would love to have a bash at an Inter, having only done Novices. Not sure I'd ever be brave enough, and I can't ever imagine wanting to do an Open, though your pic is awesome Gamebird!

Go DDs (that's who I've done my couple of TCs with too!)! :D :D
 
Fab pic OP! A few people on fb have been team chasing recently too and all these pics of massive hedge terrify me! It looks amazing but I'm afraid I'll have to wait until they do a 2ft version before I try it :D
 
I've always thought eventers must be slightly insane to be brave enough to go XC.... but your pic and Gamebirds pic... wow those hedges look completely terrifying! Loved your report ;)
 
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