Diane_Pepper
Well-Known Member
Well, another early start this week, up at 6am and left at 7 for a 3 hour drive down to SLM, and despite the rain in Wales on the way, we arrived in bright sunshine - a lovely warning that it would be absolutely boiling!
Did a quick walk round the course which looked very nice, almost had a heart attack when I saw the optimum time was 5 mins 57
, put it this way - Pepper very rarely makes the optimum so I had almost given up before we'd even started (note to self - think POSITIVE!)
It was a lovely course, some technical bits as usual, and I was whittling about the corner at 10 as we had a stop there last year, but it looked a damn sight less scary than last year
Thought the 2nd water was quite tricky, with an owl hole, rolltop on a mound, tight left turn to another rolltop & then a few strides to another rolltop just before the water, then a log immediately after the water (yes, they were all in quick succession!)
Finished walking the course - by this time, it was starting to get really hot, tacked up Pepper and off we went to the dressage.
We were the last to go in our section, so he got a bit manic & had to ask the person who went before me to wait as we did our test (we were right at the end of the field and the PNs doing their dressage were miles away!)
He warmed up ok, but was whinnying quite a bit for his g/f Lady, who also was competing.
Went in & did a smashing little test, he just went in a suddenly started concentrating!! Had one hiccup where he was a bit unbalanced K-A in the canter but apart from that, I really enjoyed it - shock horror! My score wasn't up for ages - even after going to look at the SJ which was in the nice outdoor arena but was rather a long way away from everything..
some piccies:
Tacked up ready for SJ, still very very hot
and everyone was still in jackets so dark jacket + sun was always going to be a nightmare!
Pepper warmed up nicely, pinged over the practice fence and we went straight in as no one else seemed to be ready.
He flew round, had to change his canter lead a few times which was annoying, but he gave them some air - didn't touch a single pole
and made it feel tiny! Even when we were a bit long & where he usually goes flat, he was really picking up his back end so that he didn't knock them
So had a lovely clear, but then heard that we'd had 2 time faults - typical, when we actually go clear, we still manage to get penalties somehow!!
(last fence) PLEASE ignore my sticky out toes
Quick tack change for XC, as I thought they'd be running early since I was the last to go - and didn't want to miss it! How wrong I was - there were already 15 horses warming up & then there was a massive hold up on the course for 40mins, so I got off and Pepper went to sleep..Didn't want to walk back to the lorry as it was quite a walk, and nobody knew how the long the hold would be (I hope the person who fell off is ok
)
So I sent my minion (mum's bf)
down the the scoreboard to check our dressage score and it was....27!!!
So that meant were were going xc on 29 pens...no pressure!
40mins later, galloped out of the start box, with rather a nappy pony, but managed to get him going forward with a little persuasion..flew 1,2,3,4,5 and the table at 6,
took 7 at an angle and managed 3 strides to 8 which was good,
galloped at great speed down the hill to the first water which he went through like an absolute pro! had a flier a the C element
and then sharp turn up a long pull to the corner, which he also flew
had a great stride at 11,
got a bit deep into 12a, but picked ourselves up over b,
flew 13,
and 14 the owl hole, up the mound to 15, amazingly sharp turn to 16 (I love having a plucky pony
) and went through the second water great too then galloped all the way home over 18, 19 and 20, with a very pleased mummy over the finish line!
Had another minion (sister
) waiting at the end so Pepper could be sponged down and then minion number 1 who had managed to time us on his stop watch said that we were inside the time!!
So walked back to the lorry with Pepper in hand and gave him a nice cool bath and walked him round, then went to the scoreboard to find that we were 2nd (finishing on 29 - winner was on 19
), and had missed the prizegiving
very embarrassing..couldn't hear the tannoy from where the lorry was and I couldn't exactly leave him there all sweated up, so was very apologetic to the secretary who didn't seem to mind & picked up a lovely rozzie and an easidri towel (I'm told these are good..?) and a massive horseware tack room first aid kit! It weighs a ton!
Got my test sheet to find we had a 9 for our halt
So a brilliant day, am so proud of Pepper - would never have thought that we could come from a motorbike canter which was impossible on circles in 2005 when we bough him, to a sub 30s dressage now..and only me riding & mum teaching.
sorry for the waffle - can you tell I'm pleased?!
Did a quick walk round the course which looked very nice, almost had a heart attack when I saw the optimum time was 5 mins 57
It was a lovely course, some technical bits as usual, and I was whittling about the corner at 10 as we had a stop there last year, but it looked a damn sight less scary than last year
Thought the 2nd water was quite tricky, with an owl hole, rolltop on a mound, tight left turn to another rolltop & then a few strides to another rolltop just before the water, then a log immediately after the water (yes, they were all in quick succession!)
Finished walking the course - by this time, it was starting to get really hot, tacked up Pepper and off we went to the dressage.
We were the last to go in our section, so he got a bit manic & had to ask the person who went before me to wait as we did our test (we were right at the end of the field and the PNs doing their dressage were miles away!)
He warmed up ok, but was whinnying quite a bit for his g/f Lady, who also was competing.
Went in & did a smashing little test, he just went in a suddenly started concentrating!! Had one hiccup where he was a bit unbalanced K-A in the canter but apart from that, I really enjoyed it - shock horror! My score wasn't up for ages - even after going to look at the SJ which was in the nice outdoor arena but was rather a long way away from everything..
some piccies:
Tacked up ready for SJ, still very very hot
Pepper warmed up nicely, pinged over the practice fence and we went straight in as no one else seemed to be ready.
He flew round, had to change his canter lead a few times which was annoying, but he gave them some air - didn't touch a single pole
So had a lovely clear, but then heard that we'd had 2 time faults - typical, when we actually go clear, we still manage to get penalties somehow!!
(last fence) PLEASE ignore my sticky out toes
Quick tack change for XC, as I thought they'd be running early since I was the last to go - and didn't want to miss it! How wrong I was - there were already 15 horses warming up & then there was a massive hold up on the course for 40mins, so I got off and Pepper went to sleep..Didn't want to walk back to the lorry as it was quite a walk, and nobody knew how the long the hold would be (I hope the person who fell off is ok
So I sent my minion (mum's bf)
So that meant were were going xc on 29 pens...no pressure!
40mins later, galloped out of the start box, with rather a nappy pony, but managed to get him going forward with a little persuasion..flew 1,2,3,4,5 and the table at 6,
took 7 at an angle and managed 3 strides to 8 which was good,
galloped at great speed down the hill to the first water which he went through like an absolute pro! had a flier a the C element
and then sharp turn up a long pull to the corner, which he also flew
had a great stride at 11,
got a bit deep into 12a, but picked ourselves up over b,
flew 13,
and 14 the owl hole, up the mound to 15, amazingly sharp turn to 16 (I love having a plucky pony
Had another minion (sister
So walked back to the lorry with Pepper in hand and gave him a nice cool bath and walked him round, then went to the scoreboard to find that we were 2nd (finishing on 29 - winner was on 19
Got my test sheet to find we had a 9 for our halt
So a brilliant day, am so proud of Pepper - would never have thought that we could come from a motorbike canter which was impossible on circles in 2005 when we bough him, to a sub 30s dressage now..and only me riding & mum teaching.
sorry for the waffle - can you tell I'm pleased?!
