Native champs report....

[Hallo2012]

Not quite the one i had been hoping to write but thats life isnt it!!!

A long drive for us but he arrived fresh as ever, towed me across the car park in full on welsh dragon mode but settle beautifully in his temporary digs

Gave me a lovely ride on the fri evening, took a while to settle to the leg and reach forward rather than just curl up but we got there eventually, and cooled down by plodding round on a loose rein right next to a mare in season whilst we chatted....a true gent he never even looked at her.

Sat dawned windy and cold, the Bury flags were getting going but the arena walk went without incident and warmed up beautifully despite the total chaos.... my personal favourite was walking round with a friend just literally saying “ it’s a bit mad in here”
And then a small child squirted through the gap between us in full flight medium trot !!!

He really is giving me such a grown up feel now, so despite what happened next i couldnt be any more pleased with him

Started sideways sleeting rain as we went in and the flags were in full flight by now...but held it together more or less! Couple of tiny offended by the weather humps but we bloody walked!!! and did 2/3 test lovely and then for whatever reason a steward decided to run down long side toward me crouching and picking up blown over letters (which IMO should have been sand bagged anyway given the weather had been forecast all week...) he jumped away and kicked and then i think just panicked and went inside out and upside down trying to get away from the perceived letter monster....I managed to stick on.... just! Jumped a flower and vacated the arena ... got my pedals back and trotted a circle patted him lots and put hand up.
A real shame as not his fault at all and i'm just really disappointed the steward couldnt have waited, sigh...all that time and money and effort to have it blown apart by a moment of carelessness

Judge at C grabbed me on way out to say what a shame and was it the steward and what a good 4yo. so hopefully it didnt happen to anyone else!

Snapped a nail clinging on which is rather ouch 😣

Disappointed but for him rather than with him, he had been a total gent for the entire show and once again exceeded all my expectations, legend!

i rode last night at home and got my OH to come and walk briskly around chucking road cones about and he never flinched, so hopefully no lasting impact on him. Next mission is AF points then retire for the remainder of the winter.

https://www.facebook.com/618438661516390/posts/3268335449860018

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Bless him, such a disappointment but such is life it always has to happen at some point doesn't it, hopefully this will be yours and future shows he can show himself off properly without the free-styling!

Also I am mega impressed you stayed on, I used to ride a section A every now and again and I can confirm how hard it is to stay on the little whippy things!!!

 

[Asha]

Wow ! Fair play sitting to that , I’d have most definitely been eating the surface after the first jump .
What a shame to have travelled so far for that to happen .

Good luck with the AF . Is it from 1st dec that you can start to get points ?

 

[milliepops]

Also I am mega impressed you stayed on, I used to ride a section A every now and again and I can confirm how hard it is to stay on the little whippy things!!!

^ this!! when my D whips round it's bad enough
Utterly crap when things like that happen especially at a big show but I'm glad he went well otherwise.

 

[Alibear]

Drat, not good about the steward but well sat and well done for the rest of the ride. I'm very glad to hear there's no lasting effects either.

 

[Britestar]

I'm surprised they weren't weighted down. At the BRC Music Champs it was very windy, and each marker had a cement block on top of it. None blew over.

 

[ihatework]

That’s what you call an impressive Welsh moment!!

Blumming well sat mind

 

[Hallo2012]

it was a veeeeeeeeery close call lol! nearly went left, then nearly right!

yes we were saying even a block or a brick on top would have stopped them if they couldn't find the sand bags, anything really!

1st dec for AF, if he gets all his summer regional points we will do those instead but more aiming for AF then 5yo pony classes next year

 

[ycbm]

Well sat!

.

 

[eggs]

Very well sat!

Such a pita when something like that happens. I had my youngster out once who was not know for his love of standing still and it was the first test I did on him where you had a halt in the middle of the test rather than just at the end. Just as I turned the corner before the halt a young child came careening down the bank next to the arena on his bicycle right in front of us. Mr G decided to whip round and try to let it back to the lorry park but the judge was very kind (it was just a regular BD show, not a championship) and said she would ignore that bit and just pick the test up and carry on. To my complete amazement Mr G then managed to do the halt and a pretty decent test.

Another time we were at Aston and Mr Z (who is fairly spooky) was doing his medium trot across the diagonal when suddenly he was going backwards nearly as fast as he had been going forward - it was then that I spotted that the arena was being invaded by a flock of ducks. The judge and writer had to get our of the car and shoo them out before we could carry on with the rest of the test.

 

[Littlebear]

Flipping heck that was quite a moment! We have a venue near us (that also holds AF etc) this happens all the time at, the entire set of white boards suddenly blow down at horses doing their tests its so so dangerous and only takes a slight gush of wind! I think to be honest outdoor venues should have some requirement to make an effort to have them weighted down.

 

[Hallo2012]

Flipping heck that was quite a moment! We have a venue near us (that also holds AF etc) this happens all the time at, the entire set of white boards suddenly blow down at horses doing their tests its so so dangerous and only takes a slight gush of wind! I think to be honest outdoor venues should have some requirement to make an effort to have them weighted down.

totally agree as even after it happening all day sat they still didn't weigh down on sunday!!!!

 

[Nicnac]

Crikey well sat! You're very philosophical - I would have been more like the person who was videoing. Such a shame as looked to be going so well.

 

[silv]

Just watched your video, I am sure you could put it on your CV if you ever wanted a job as a rodeo rider! Seriously though I don't know how you sat that especially on something so small I imagine there is not much in front of you. You are much nicer than me, I would have been fuming and laid a complaint, what a stupid steward, could he not have waited a couple of minutes till you had completed your test. To me that is completely unacceptable especially at a major competition.

 

[Goldenstar]

Very well sat .
Frustrating but there will be other days .

 

[Bellaboo18]

How frustrating! But well done for staying on. I loved the commentary from the person recording.

He looks such a lovely boy!

 

[oldie48]

Impressive stickability! He is very smart though and I would have been a bit cross in your place.

 

[gunnergundog]

That sure is some stickability lady!

 

[viceversa]

Well done for staying on! Hard luck, but he’s still gorgeous!
Off topic but I remember you posting about feeding efeeds chopped straw for your other pony as partial hay replacer. How long does the 22kg bag last you out of interest?! I’ve just got one as trying to get mine to lose a bit of weight but still be full, and just wondering how long I can expect it to last!

 

[Hallo2012]

Well done for staying on! Hard luck, but he’s still gorgeous!
Off topic but I remember you posting about feeding efeeds chopped straw for your other pony as partial hay replacer. How long does the 22kg bag last you out of interest?! I’ve just got one as trying to get mine to lose a bit of weight but still be full, and just wondering how long I can expect it to last!

i use about 2 bags per month

 

[viceversa]

i use about 2 bags per month

Well the chopped straw was met with total disgust tonight, even from my gannet of a horse! Will see if he’s sampled it by the morning ...

 

[Hallo2012]

Well the chopped straw was met with total disgust tonight, even from my gannet of a horse! Will see if he’s sampled it by the morning ...

Ceddars goes in fits and starts, some nights woofs it down then ignores it for 2 days!

raf (who isnt on a diet) loves it! typical!!!