alexomahony
Well-Known Member
Hello
I love reading other people comp reports, and eventually I've figured out the adding photos thing, so here is my first competition report!
A few friends and I decided to enter the team jumping at Epworth on 25 March and what a fantastic day we had! The weather, the ponies and organization was absolutely spot on. Now I don't compete often, mainly as I'm not that competitive myself and prefer to do the back ground work and enjoy training/clinics more, however, Sky my 14.2 Connemara has recently picked up a naughty habit of randomly stopping at fences he would prefer to check out for a second time... He's a dream boat to jump around a course of fences - super rhythm, nice pace (if a bit slow at times), never strong and usually finds himself a good spot for take off unless rider error totally screws him up! Recently though, his loaner has been eliminated each time out as he just takes a random disliking to the odd fence... never a 'dirty drop the shoulder at speed stop' or a 'nervous back off 6 strides from the fence stop'.. just a '1, 2, oh right stop' - if you get me!
We do often have issues with him being a bit nappy leaving the other horses so the focus for me today was forwardness and getting over the fences!
This is Sky:
Butter wouldn't melt huh?!
Anyway I've decided to take him out a few times to figure this out and see if we can remind him that it's not ok to do this. I'm not into walloping them but more trying to figure out what's going through their head and reminding them what their job is... although I'm not opposed to one reminder behind the saddle
I was third to go in my team of 4 - he cantered into the arena - no nappiness, no backing off my leg and had a great rhythm! Amazing I thought, this feels fantastic.
SO I rode to the first - sailed over it, onto the second and flew it, the third arrived 4 related strides later and we hit our first issue, it was out of the blue and I hadn't felt it coming, gave him the benefit of the doubt (reflection said I should have reminded him there and then with a little tap behind the saddle), jumped it lovely on second attempt (see pink fence), kicked on after it, came round to number 4 - a spread with a big filler, kicked on jumped it lovely, round to 5, 6, 7 and 8 - flew them all - really felt he remember what his job was by now - number 9, the double and 1, 2, STOP! come round again, jumped the first half and them stopped in the middle (this is unheard of!) sadly this meant elimination for us, but not for the team!
See below a few lovely photos of us flying round to 90cm (please note i'm 5'9 so can dwarf the little guy a bit but he's plenty strong enough!)
Luckily the organizers let us jump the second round too which again, felt the same - I'm a bit of a truster and when he's forward and going well, I trust him to continue this for the full course and take away the pressure so again, the double got us - although post elimination he jumped through it lovely(typical!)
I felt positive mainly due to the fact that the rest of the team were AMAZING but also that even though we were eliminated, it doesn't tell the full story - he actually jumped beautifully and went really well with no nappiness or getting behind the leg. Plus, gold really suits him
All I can say is that our role in this team was to put pressure on the other three to go clear - and we won with an overall 4 faults (excluding my rounds!) (Photo of us all below - you'll see he's a bit smaller tan his team mates!
I have since taken him out to an arena hire - which he flew round with no stops with the course being 1m-1.05ish with lots of fillers and have plan to take him out a few more times before loaner gets him out again.
Looks like you'll be getting a few more reports on us ironing out this odd little habit Sky seems to have picked up.
Wish us look!
Thank you for reading - and I'm sorry it was so long!
I love reading other people comp reports, and eventually I've figured out the adding photos thing, so here is my first competition report!
A few friends and I decided to enter the team jumping at Epworth on 25 March and what a fantastic day we had! The weather, the ponies and organization was absolutely spot on. Now I don't compete often, mainly as I'm not that competitive myself and prefer to do the back ground work and enjoy training/clinics more, however, Sky my 14.2 Connemara has recently picked up a naughty habit of randomly stopping at fences he would prefer to check out for a second time... He's a dream boat to jump around a course of fences - super rhythm, nice pace (if a bit slow at times), never strong and usually finds himself a good spot for take off unless rider error totally screws him up! Recently though, his loaner has been eliminated each time out as he just takes a random disliking to the odd fence... never a 'dirty drop the shoulder at speed stop' or a 'nervous back off 6 strides from the fence stop'.. just a '1, 2, oh right stop' - if you get me!
We do often have issues with him being a bit nappy leaving the other horses so the focus for me today was forwardness and getting over the fences!
This is Sky:
Butter wouldn't melt huh?!
Anyway I've decided to take him out a few times to figure this out and see if we can remind him that it's not ok to do this. I'm not into walloping them but more trying to figure out what's going through their head and reminding them what their job is... although I'm not opposed to one reminder behind the saddle
I was third to go in my team of 4 - he cantered into the arena - no nappiness, no backing off my leg and had a great rhythm! Amazing I thought, this feels fantastic.
SO I rode to the first - sailed over it, onto the second and flew it, the third arrived 4 related strides later and we hit our first issue, it was out of the blue and I hadn't felt it coming, gave him the benefit of the doubt (reflection said I should have reminded him there and then with a little tap behind the saddle), jumped it lovely on second attempt (see pink fence), kicked on after it, came round to number 4 - a spread with a big filler, kicked on jumped it lovely, round to 5, 6, 7 and 8 - flew them all - really felt he remember what his job was by now - number 9, the double and 1, 2, STOP! come round again, jumped the first half and them stopped in the middle (this is unheard of!) sadly this meant elimination for us, but not for the team!
See below a few lovely photos of us flying round to 90cm (please note i'm 5'9 so can dwarf the little guy a bit but he's plenty strong enough!)
Luckily the organizers let us jump the second round too which again, felt the same - I'm a bit of a truster and when he's forward and going well, I trust him to continue this for the full course and take away the pressure so again, the double got us - although post elimination he jumped through it lovely(typical!)
I felt positive mainly due to the fact that the rest of the team were AMAZING but also that even though we were eliminated, it doesn't tell the full story - he actually jumped beautifully and went really well with no nappiness or getting behind the leg. Plus, gold really suits him
All I can say is that our role in this team was to put pressure on the other three to go clear - and we won with an overall 4 faults (excluding my rounds!) (Photo of us all below - you'll see he's a bit smaller tan his team mates!
I have since taken him out to an arena hire - which he flew round with no stops with the course being 1m-1.05ish with lots of fillers and have plan to take him out a few more times before loaner gets him out again.
Looks like you'll be getting a few more reports on us ironing out this odd little habit Sky seems to have picked up.
Wish us look!
Thank you for reading - and I'm sorry it was so long!
Really feel for the organizers at this time of year.
