dollyrocks02
Well-Known Member
Firstly Silvershadow81 - just read your report - Amazing achievement - I know how much work you would have put in to get that result yesterday and am in awe of all four teams who deservedly qualified!! You were in just before us and your music was fabby too
So yesterday we went to Addington for the BRC Quadrille Selection Trial - 13 teams all vying for 4 slots to go to strut their stuff at Olympia! Well it was a first time at Addington for all of our team (and our club - Bromyard) - even as specators at this extravaganza of an event!! It was a 2.5 hours drive for us and we got there in plenty of time, despite terrible windy weather on the Mways.
Time flew and our turnout judging time of 5pm came around all too quickly. We nervously dressed our long suffering ponios as we had not had our costumes - even to practise in before then!!
Luckily, everything fitted and as they weren't exactly flambouyant the horses didn't mind them at all - it was to be the other teams costumes that were to cause most upset!!
We were being judged in the arena with two other teams - Fairground Frolics and the Olympic Flame - by this time we had realised that we were here for the experience and to have some fun along the way and the opportunity to qualify would have to wait for another year!! We were astounded by the beautiful costumes and attention to detail of the other teams.
The stewards also filled us with confidence as when we were talking to them they said "oh so you're the cops and robbers who no-one knows anything about... yes we said, why? well you are the only team who didn't come here yesterday to practice....." Aahh, excellent!!!!!!
With the turnout judging over we watched the first 2 teams ride their routines - again fantastic costumes - the Ugly Bugs Ball being eventual winners of the best costume prize.
We got back on our horses, who did us all proud - a windy day at our local equestrian centre can be hard work for me and my friend (-the other robber) but at windy, rainy Addington they knuckled down to work in the outdoor arena like pros and rose to the occaision! Once in the indoor warm up it was a slightly different story - my poor girl was fine when the big-costume horses were in the distance, but if any came up behind or alongside she felt quite intimidated!! One slightly hairy moment came when the commentator got too close to the mike and made a terrible sound which made even the most solid horses spook
Our time to perform came and riding in that arena was a fantastic experience, the atmosphere was great - my horse felt like she thought everyone was there just to see her!!
We had a scary moment at the start where our music started when we weren't expecting it, but luckily we were in a position where we could haul it back!! Our 6 min routine felt like 6 secs and we all wanted to do it again (-if only for my horse to strike off on the right canter lead grr!
)
We learnt so much from yesterday and we're already starting to talk about our theme for next year! We had the best time, and our horses really made us proud - We have 2 x TBx's 1 x ex-racehorse who has run at Chelt and a coloured cob and we had a fantastic time, so anyone out there who has thought about doing quadrille before but hasn't I would recommend it -it is hard work, but we're very pleased we did it!!
The teams that got through were the Saffron Walden, Wey Valley, St. Edmunds and the Moat View.
A couple of pics taken befor the camera batteries ran out!! - Note to self - really DON'T wear horizontal stripes - especially when sat on a horse!!
Oh by the way our theme was Cops and Robbers!! In case its not obvious!!
Me as a Robber!!
Sabrina and Max as Cops!
Please excuse lorry park pics - not got mum trained in the art of pic taking yet!!
So yesterday we went to Addington for the BRC Quadrille Selection Trial - 13 teams all vying for 4 slots to go to strut their stuff at Olympia! Well it was a first time at Addington for all of our team (and our club - Bromyard) - even as specators at this extravaganza of an event!! It was a 2.5 hours drive for us and we got there in plenty of time, despite terrible windy weather on the Mways.
Time flew and our turnout judging time of 5pm came around all too quickly. We nervously dressed our long suffering ponios as we had not had our costumes - even to practise in before then!!
Luckily, everything fitted and as they weren't exactly flambouyant the horses didn't mind them at all - it was to be the other teams costumes that were to cause most upset!!
We were being judged in the arena with two other teams - Fairground Frolics and the Olympic Flame - by this time we had realised that we were here for the experience and to have some fun along the way and the opportunity to qualify would have to wait for another year!! We were astounded by the beautiful costumes and attention to detail of the other teams.
With the turnout judging over we watched the first 2 teams ride their routines - again fantastic costumes - the Ugly Bugs Ball being eventual winners of the best costume prize.
We got back on our horses, who did us all proud - a windy day at our local equestrian centre can be hard work for me and my friend (-the other robber) but at windy, rainy Addington they knuckled down to work in the outdoor arena like pros and rose to the occaision! Once in the indoor warm up it was a slightly different story - my poor girl was fine when the big-costume horses were in the distance, but if any came up behind or alongside she felt quite intimidated!! One slightly hairy moment came when the commentator got too close to the mike and made a terrible sound which made even the most solid horses spook
Our time to perform came and riding in that arena was a fantastic experience, the atmosphere was great - my horse felt like she thought everyone was there just to see her!!
We had a scary moment at the start where our music started when we weren't expecting it, but luckily we were in a position where we could haul it back!! Our 6 min routine felt like 6 secs and we all wanted to do it again (-if only for my horse to strike off on the right canter lead grr!
We learnt so much from yesterday and we're already starting to talk about our theme for next year! We had the best time, and our horses really made us proud - We have 2 x TBx's 1 x ex-racehorse who has run at Chelt and a coloured cob and we had a fantastic time, so anyone out there who has thought about doing quadrille before but hasn't I would recommend it -it is hard work, but we're very pleased we did it!!
The teams that got through were the Saffron Walden, Wey Valley, St. Edmunds and the Moat View.
A couple of pics taken befor the camera batteries ran out!! - Note to self - really DON'T wear horizontal stripes - especially when sat on a horse!!
Oh by the way our theme was Cops and Robbers!! In case its not obvious!!
Me as a Robber!!
Sabrina and Max as Cops!
Please excuse lorry park pics - not got mum trained in the art of pic taking yet!!
