indigosplat
Well-Known Member
Oh so so so happy! Myself and fluffy-cob-on-loan managed to qualify ourselves for the Golden Saddle Championships at our local show by coming second in the Cob class (never managed to win it, partially to do with one very nice clipped out cob always being in same class and partially because one judge insists she's not a cob and places her last everytime. 
never mind, I don't know what other class to put her in if not cob, though she would like quite amusing in the arab class just for a laugh..
annnyway so the champs where this weekend and I didn't expect to get anywhere as its the Best of Breed so we'd be in with the Welshies (curse their pretty knee action!) and Arab as well as that clipped out cob that keeps annoyingly beating us all the time
but thought at least I'd try my best. cue ridiculous flat cap/tweed ensemble (thanks to help from a thread), pristine horse (another thread) and bridle now with correct hunter noseband and browband (yet another thread, are you getting the theme yet?..
)
So sunday dawned, arrived at yard at half 7
() to a very dirty horse (have given up bathing her the night before as it's a losing battle) she then got a full bath and was gleaming and ready to go..
We usually do the 75cm showjumping class but we havnt had much luck this season, one silly mistake each time (some hers, some mine) meant we hadn't even got into the jump off once so thought we'd try the 65cm again just to get a bit of jumping in and plus gives us a bit more time to get ready before champs incase her feathers got muddy or she managed again to get green slobber down her front. and I dunno how but we managed to come second!!!!! we were on wrong leg and disunited (my fault not hers) for most of the course and ran out of 14 in the jump off as I turned too tight to it and she had no idea what I was asking her to do but second!! then got told we'd got a wildcard entry to the novice showjumping champs! excited face didn't quite cover it but then realised both championship classes where at the same time.. hmm.. problem
Luckily non-horsey mother, auntie and friend were on the ball and managed to somehow arrange on the spot costume changes and horse holding duties as well as the all important feeding and watering (of me and horse!) also told judge in SJ that we were in another class and could we go last, this was fine she said as there were 12 jumping...
So first champ class - B.O.B. - there were 8 of us in the class, me, winning-cob, 2 very nice welsh D's and some ponies, some nice some not so nice. As we were walking around the judge was asking what class we'd previously won to qualify and when she came to me and I said cob she said 'oh right, well that's not what I expected you to say..' oh dear. Not the start I was hoping for... so carried on walking round, lined up, did our show bit and then she sent us large and then she pointed to one of the D's (it was very nice) then she pointed AT US! i was like, noooo, surely she's picking us out to leave the ring or something? Nope! we came SECOND! out of everyone!! We even won a prize basket thing, I've never ever won anything for a show before! (plus clipped out cob didn't trot up properly so didn't get placed which was a shame for her owners who I know and like but I was still a little bit smug, lol)
But it wasnt all over, realised novice SJ champs had started so ran to car, quick change out of pants into jods then saddle on horse (we were inhand before) then into ring where people where glaring, apparently they were waiting for us EEKK so very quick canter and pop warm up jump once before going in..
then it struck me... the course had changed from this morning (I have no idea why I thought this wouldnt happen, my only excuse is that I'm an idiot..) this meant I had no idea at all about the course ..oh dear... Went to van where judges live, got beeped on way over. ignored beep. told judge I didn't know the course. judge was very nice and told me course. then realised as I set off that I could only just remember where number 1, 9 and maybe 14 where and nothing in the middle. oh dear... decided to yell at spectators on way to jump 1 that I didn't know the course and would they please maybe yell it for me? Then some angel in the crowd started 'white...to blue... to black.' I could have kissed her. Completed course with only one knockdown which wasn't enough to get placed but horse jumped fab but I don't think my nerves will ever be the same again...
Ice cream sundae and chocolate coated banana for all who finished that epic!!
and thank you everyone who's helped me this season with my ridiculous questions!! You've been very patient! x
never mind, I don't know what other class to put her in if not cob, though she would like quite amusing in the arab class just for a laugh..annnyway so the champs where this weekend and I didn't expect to get anywhere as its the Best of Breed so we'd be in with the Welshies (curse their pretty knee action!) and Arab as well as that clipped out cob that keeps annoyingly beating us all the time
but thought at least I'd try my best. cue ridiculous flat cap/tweed ensemble (thanks to help from a thread), pristine horse (another thread) and bridle now with correct hunter noseband and browband (yet another thread, are you getting the theme yet?.. )So sunday dawned, arrived at yard at half 7
() to a very dirty horse (have given up bathing her the night before as it's a losing battle) she then got a full bath and was gleaming and ready to go..We usually do the 75cm showjumping class but we havnt had much luck this season, one silly mistake each time (some hers, some mine) meant we hadn't even got into the jump off once so thought we'd try the 65cm again just to get a bit of jumping in and plus gives us a bit more time to get ready before champs incase her feathers got muddy or she managed again to get green slobber down her front
. and I dunno how but we managed to come second!!!!! we were on wrong leg and disunited (my fault not hers) for most of the course and ran out of 14 in the jump off as I turned too tight to it and she had no idea what I was asking her to do but second!! then got told we'd got a wildcard entry to the novice showjumping champs! excited face didn't quite cover it but then realised both championship classes where at the same time.. hmm.. problemLuckily non-horsey mother, auntie and friend were on the ball and managed to somehow arrange on the spot costume changes and horse holding duties as well as the all important feeding and watering (of me and horse!) also told judge in SJ that we were in another class and could we go last, this was fine she said as there were 12 jumping...
So first champ class - B.O.B. - there were 8 of us in the class, me, winning-cob, 2 very nice welsh D's and some ponies, some nice some not so nice. As we were walking around the judge was asking what class we'd previously won to qualify and when she came to me and I said cob she said 'oh right, well that's not what I expected you to say..' oh dear. Not the start I was hoping for... so carried on walking round, lined up, did our show bit and then she sent us large and then she pointed to one of the D's (it was very nice) then she pointed AT US! i was like, noooo, surely she's picking us out to leave the ring or something? Nope! we came SECOND! out of everyone!! We even won a prize basket thing, I've never ever won anything for a show before!
(plus clipped out cob didn't trot up properly so didn't get placed which was a shame for her owners who I know and like but I was still a little bit smug, lol) But it wasnt all over, realised novice SJ champs had started so ran to car, quick change out of pants into jods then saddle on horse (we were inhand before) then into ring where people where glaring, apparently they were waiting for us EEKK so very quick canter and pop warm up jump once before going in..
then it struck me... the course had changed from this morning (I have no idea why I thought this wouldnt happen, my only excuse is that I'm an idiot..) this meant I had no idea at all about the course ..oh dear... Went to van where judges live, got beeped on way over. ignored beep. told judge I didn't know the course. judge was very nice and told me course. then realised as I set off that I could only just remember where number 1, 9 and maybe 14 where and nothing in the middle. oh dear... decided to yell at spectators on way to jump 1 that I didn't know the course and would they please maybe yell it for me? Then some angel in the crowd started 'white...to blue... to black.' I could have kissed her. Completed course with only one knockdown which wasn't enough to get placed but horse jumped fab but I don't think my nerves will ever be the same again...
Ice cream sundae and chocolate coated banana for all who finished that epic!!
and thank you everyone who's helped me this season with my ridiculous questions!! You've been very patient! x
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