sw123
Well-Known Member
First much anticipated novice this year, having had the slow (broken foot) start to the season!! Osberton is quite local but still got an early start so i went to walk the course night before thinking we could get that job done and assess the ground condition as well.
Well they'd tried really hard with the ground, SJ was fab, as was its warmup, dressage not too bad and XC some bits were great, others rubbish but i decided i was happy to run as i wanted the novice run before Chatsworth. Course looked great, v similar to Belton, well built by Stuart Buntine so many of the same fences as Belton but so inviting and not too many questions (imo) although some people said they felt it was quite a stiff novice.
The water had a skinny to the drop in which was excellent for me as thats what they've built at Chatsworth this year so good schooling but otherwise there was nothing too technical.
Anyway having left at 6.15am to get there for just after 7 we went to walk the course again, more so mum could see it but also just so I could check everything once more, it is nice when you can walk more than once albeit not v often!
Dressage - Nightmare the arenas are along the side of some woodland, 1 arena has a break in the woodland where there is a gateway, that was my arena. Just as the person before me finished her test about 30 cows came trotting over to the gateway to have a look at dressage. This was just as i had to go and trot round the arena, Tog clocked the cows and head was in the air (he's not v keen on them as the ones we used have here chased him) the entry to the arena was right next to the cows so i thought i'd try and trot past them once then have a good trot and canter round the judges car. She took ages to beep her horn so i had just started trotting round the arena again, he was very tense and as she blew the horn i was just by the entrance, did i do a circle, right next to the cows or trot round once more before going in. Decided on the latter and as we turned up the longside he just galloped off up the side of the arena, past the judges car and off towards the warmup. I now know that another 30 cows had just cantered over to the initial group to see what was going on. Managed to get him back to trot and keep going zoomed round the corner and up the centre line. Well i have never done such a tense test, everytime we were at that end of the arena his head went up and he was sort of snorting but the stuff at the judges end was ok and he definitaly got lengthened strides! I didn't know if we'd walk let alone freewalk but he did so that was lucky.
Anyway laughed as i saluted as well we couldn't really do anything else! Farmer came just then with the food for the cows so before the person after me started they all galloped off up the field for breakfast
I predicted my worst ever mark - i said 45, mum said 43.
So went to SJ, lovely course it wasn't too up to height but quite square with nice distances etc. Warmed up and was told I had to go in NOW having only jumped 1 oxer. Oh well. Cantered round brilliantly, kept the rhythm and went clear - easy when you do what instructor tells you!!! They then also said dressage was 36.7, VERY respectable considering the circumstances!!!
Was so excited about the clear, haven't had many at Novice, yet when you do its so easy!! Also shows that moreton morrell pn was just too small, i think for both of us as we both pay more attention when they get bigger.
Straight off to go XC. He was great, cantered round - again not quite up on speed yet (!!) but stayed in the same rhythm all the way over everything. There was a skinny pig just before the corner and i concentrated more on that than i should have done on the corner and did a crap approach meaning I was heading exactly at the tree we'd said not to aim for. I knew this but it was too late so i thought i'll look at where I wanted to go and he just popped it right on the edge and i took the flag with my knee but thats ok!!! Fab over the skinny into the water so was really pleased. So finished clear!!
Did get quite a few time faults (like 20!) but to be fair i didn't kick on still have rubbish balance so thats the last of my worries! There were v few if any rounds inside the time so wasn't too worried. The winner had 10 time faults i think.
So think we finished just outside the placings otherwise it will have been lower ones. Don't care though - got a point too!
He's so funny wasn't even blowing in the time it took to go from the finish to the trailer....(v sad really, last event in the trailer - unless my new lorry proves bad luck when we go in it next time......maybe i should do Chatsworth in the trailer...good reliable lucky old trailer)
Pics
SJ - foot still dodgy, just sort of hangs there doesn't it!!!
XC
Well they'd tried really hard with the ground, SJ was fab, as was its warmup, dressage not too bad and XC some bits were great, others rubbish but i decided i was happy to run as i wanted the novice run before Chatsworth. Course looked great, v similar to Belton, well built by Stuart Buntine so many of the same fences as Belton but so inviting and not too many questions (imo) although some people said they felt it was quite a stiff novice.
The water had a skinny to the drop in which was excellent for me as thats what they've built at Chatsworth this year so good schooling but otherwise there was nothing too technical.
Anyway having left at 6.15am to get there for just after 7 we went to walk the course again, more so mum could see it but also just so I could check everything once more, it is nice when you can walk more than once albeit not v often!
Dressage - Nightmare the arenas are along the side of some woodland, 1 arena has a break in the woodland where there is a gateway, that was my arena. Just as the person before me finished her test about 30 cows came trotting over to the gateway to have a look at dressage. This was just as i had to go and trot round the arena, Tog clocked the cows and head was in the air (he's not v keen on them as the ones we used have here chased him) the entry to the arena was right next to the cows so i thought i'd try and trot past them once then have a good trot and canter round the judges car. She took ages to beep her horn so i had just started trotting round the arena again, he was very tense and as she blew the horn i was just by the entrance, did i do a circle, right next to the cows or trot round once more before going in. Decided on the latter and as we turned up the longside he just galloped off up the side of the arena, past the judges car and off towards the warmup. I now know that another 30 cows had just cantered over to the initial group to see what was going on. Managed to get him back to trot and keep going zoomed round the corner and up the centre line. Well i have never done such a tense test, everytime we were at that end of the arena his head went up and he was sort of snorting but the stuff at the judges end was ok and he definitaly got lengthened strides! I didn't know if we'd walk let alone freewalk but he did so that was lucky.
Anyway laughed as i saluted as well we couldn't really do anything else! Farmer came just then with the food for the cows so before the person after me started they all galloped off up the field for breakfast
I predicted my worst ever mark - i said 45, mum said 43.
So went to SJ, lovely course it wasn't too up to height but quite square with nice distances etc. Warmed up and was told I had to go in NOW having only jumped 1 oxer. Oh well. Cantered round brilliantly, kept the rhythm and went clear - easy when you do what instructor tells you!!! They then also said dressage was 36.7, VERY respectable considering the circumstances!!!
Was so excited about the clear, haven't had many at Novice, yet when you do its so easy!! Also shows that moreton morrell pn was just too small, i think for both of us as we both pay more attention when they get bigger.
Straight off to go XC. He was great, cantered round - again not quite up on speed yet (!!) but stayed in the same rhythm all the way over everything. There was a skinny pig just before the corner and i concentrated more on that than i should have done on the corner and did a crap approach meaning I was heading exactly at the tree we'd said not to aim for. I knew this but it was too late so i thought i'll look at where I wanted to go and he just popped it right on the edge and i took the flag with my knee but thats ok!!! Fab over the skinny into the water so was really pleased. So finished clear!!
Did get quite a few time faults (like 20!) but to be fair i didn't kick on still have rubbish balance so thats the last of my worries! There were v few if any rounds inside the time so wasn't too worried. The winner had 10 time faults i think.
So think we finished just outside the placings otherwise it will have been lower ones. Don't care though - got a point too!
He's so funny wasn't even blowing in the time it took to go from the finish to the trailer....(v sad really, last event in the trailer - unless my new lorry proves bad luck when we go in it next time......maybe i should do Chatsworth in the trailer...good reliable lucky old trailer)
Pics
SJ - foot still dodgy, just sort of hangs there doesn't it!!!
XC
! lol how you doing Sal ??