OMG we've completed our first ever ODE, cracking XC, pants dressage!

[Pidge]

Well just got back from a very early 5am start, picking sis up to go the yard as she was on dressage at 8.27am this morning at Eland Lodge unaffiliated ODE.
Well warmed up and tried to keep Pidge chilled out. Went into test a bit stressed as Sunny had gone over to do his SJ and our first canter we left the arena slightly standing on the board

hence a nice little cut on Pidge's leg

rest of the test, quick and tense and nowhere near as relaxed as he has been at home

so resulted in an embarrassing score of 61.5

Then chucked his boots on plus cleaned and sudocrem his cut and over to the SJ ring. Popped a couple of fences and went in. Fine over the first two, round to the double at 3 fine, back round again to 4, and then ground to a halt at 5 as it has sheep fillers in front of it - totally my fault as I just didn't have my legs on strong enough, turned him and gave him 3 strides and we were off again

, related at 6 fine and romped over 7 and 8 to finish on the 4 faults with no time penalties

Then quick change and over to the XC warm up. Phew I'd thought 40 mins between each discipline would be plenty but oh how wrong I was!
Anyway let him have a nice canter round the warm and popped the warm up fence twice and we were ready.
Well we set off at a nice pace over brush and log, plenty of leg for brush fence as didn't want a stop at 3 again, down the hill only slight nap this time and fine over the house, cantered through the water, so much for having a breather and walking through it, Pidge had other ideas

over the slatty fence and sheep feeder, romped round the corner and over the hanging log, picked up speed again before the pheasant feeder, methinks Pidge knows where he is

flew up the hill and over the wobbly log, walked down and right over the sunken road, had to yell "COMING THROUGH" after this as I was rapidly catching the girl in front so popped over the wall (fence judge asked her to pull over for me so I did yell thank you as we flew past

) making damn sure he wasn't going to take me down the intermeditate steps and walked down the mini steps. picked him up again just before we hit the grass and cantered in very fine form through the water and flew over the house cue big

and a pat, romped over the double of logs again only just getting one stride in between them

over the trakehner, bill the crocodile, log pile and over the pistol log to finish.
Phew anyone still with me?

Recovered well again so I'm really pleased how my fitness is improving, no problem with Pidge's fitness he was ready to go again

. So cooled the boys off and sorted the pit sty that was my lorry out

went and ordered 2 cracking photos

and then looked at the results.
I'd come 9th in our section

and I'd gone round the 2184m course in a very quick 4.38s (time allowed was 5.07s) so I clocked up a whopping 29 penalties XC

So finished on 94.5. So if I can crack this dressage lark and slow down XC I think we'd do ok (6th place today was on about 74 penalties)
Anyway sorry for the long post but I'm pooped now but very much grinning from ear to ear and that's it I think I'm now officially hooked on this XC lark

 

[Sarah_Jane]

well done on a cracking xc round. Dressage can be worked on so don't worry about that. Lets face it is likely to be a better score next time

 

[Pidge]

thank you

let's face it I don't think I could get any worse at the dressage

Any tips on how to judge the pace XC as they don't let you wear a watch and today I just let him set the pace he was happy with but obviously we were way too fast

He's a 17hh ISH and is long (7' - 73" rug) so does have a pretty long stride

 

[MillbrookSong]

well done you must be very pleased!! re time it took me ages to work out what speed to go!! I would just try and think about what speed you went today and go a little slower other wise measure a a distance ie the speed they want you to go and then try and do that in a min and that should be it, you could also put a jump in to try and get it a bit more realistic!!

 

[Rosiefan]

Super report and well done. Can't help with judging the time but experience may help? You could always go up a level so you're allowed to wear a watch

 

[Rachel_M]

Congratulations, onwards and upwards!

 

[Pidge]

very pleasedis a kind of understatement

thanks for the tips on measuring speed i'll definately be having a play with those ideas, thanks

 

[Pidge]

thanks, may have to be a while before I'm allowed a watch then as it was only 2'-2'4" today

but am tackling a 2'6" HT in two weeks time

 

[Pidge]

thanks Miss HB am definately working on the upwards heightwise now

 

[PeanutButterDragon]

Congratulations!!!

 

[cobden99]

Sounds like excellent fun, well done !

 

[Cinders]

well done, sounds like you had a super day! I was also at Eland in the mini class, never been before but i was impressed at how well run it was and it's a lovely venue! Didn't have quite as a successful day as you but it was all good fun!

 

[kirstyhen]

Well done! I think I spied you, Pidge and Sunny looked very handsome!

 

[kerilli]

very well done, sounds like a good day, the xc's the most important bit, everything else can be worked on. well done on a great clear, sounds as if you just need a pace at which you have a bit more of a say and time to breathe!

 

[Pidge]

thank you

 

[Pidge]

It was so much fun, but I'm well pooped now, just got in from a well deserved curry and bed soon...........

 

[Pidge]

were you in Section B No 30? If so you were on after our friend who came with us, Jo and Caspar, it was her first one too

How did you get on then?

 

[Pidge]

thanks, we were on the front row of the lorry park right near the horse entry. You should have come and said hello?

 

[Pidge]

thanks Kerry

yes it was a good day

ooh I didn't know that the XC was the most important bit? Now I think I've got it cracked on getting him into jump mode I just need to peg the pace a bit

 

[palomino_pony]

Well done and nice to see you. Frances got 5th in her section!
So pleased for her!

 

[Cinders]

yep i was no.30 the one squashing the little chestnut pony

we got off to a good start with a dressage of 38, sj wasn't too bad, silly mare had a paddy at 3 and just bounced on the spot so we got 4 faults and also time faults as her little legs weren't fast enough lol xc we had several stops early in the course, got eliminated at no.3 god knows why, she was just having none of it from about fence 6 onwards she was ace and didn't stop anymore. Only trouble we had was the stupid water jump with the blue thing, my pony won't even trot through water so we ended up going round it. Sounds rubbish but a good day for us that was only our 2nd xc in a year and pony used to refuse everything so she's definitely improving!

 

[KatB]

Well done, I was parked 2 along from you in the lorry park but was in a hurry so didnt get to say hi before dr, then you'd gone!

 

[Pidge]

Nice to see you too

bet Frances was pleased with that result?

 

[KatB]

Ooh, were you doing the starting palomino_pony?

 

[Pidge]

dressage was good then

and hey if it was only you're 2nd XC then you should be pleased with what she's done, far better than our first attempt XC

 

[Pidge]

Oh bummer I never even noticed you sorry

I think I was so wrapped up with getting the DR over and done with, then boots on, treating Pidge's leg, then redoing boots and changing for XC I don't think I'd have noticed if Zara Phillips had been parked near us

LOL
Just off to read your report as been at Scope all day and then took the tired (NOT!) boys out for a quick hack tonight