henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Well for once we were loaded and ready for 7.30 am and arrived in plenty of time thanks to a short cut route from Miss de Meena.
The dressage arenas were very good, flat and good level of grass on them.
Chocolate appeared back to his usual self wih no mare travelling with him, and he did a very quiet if wobbly test, CCJ was annoyed he felt lazy, the monkey knows now she has no whip and plays on it. It didn't however look a bad test and she finished on 34, putting her in 14 th place after the dressage.
The new Sj arena is huge and surrounded by a bank, I think the atmosphere put some horses off, Mr Laid Back just ignored the spectators and jumped a lovely clear, he got a wallop at the double as he sort of looked at it, but other than that was good.
Off to the XC, by now she knew they were in with a chance, as already many of the bigger names in her section had jumps down (Mary King/Jade Lazenby/Lucy Wiegersma just to name a few!).
Chocx was not good at the first few fences, he hasn't quite grasped the technique of speed as yet, but after a massive leap over the ditch at fence 3 he woke up and got moving. No real problems XC, he took the straight route near the end over the angled skinnies effortlessly and finished up a very creditable 5th place.
It was super to find he had also won vouchers for £45, so that's £70 he's won in his two events so far!
The ground had been worked on between fences etc but was really rock hard in general away from the course, there were even cracks where it had dried up. (In April?)
I was really impressed with the new look Pontispool. There had been tons of work done, everything from new arenas to new roads, and the whole place looked really smart and welcoming. Theymust have worked more or less non stop to get the course ready, and we will be returning for the next event there.
I met Santa and her friend (Terrier or a name like that?) and it's always great to have such friendly support.
The only mishap came on the way home, the box has sprung a leak in a hose or the radiator and we had to stop on the hard shoulder twice to put water in it..
I bet Chocx sleeps tonight, the hot sun and excercise left him fast asleep on the way home! he has gone out for a leg stretch then in for his tea..
I think we'll do Blackdown Hills next, as he obviously is better at the bigger Pre Novice fences.
The dressage arenas were very good, flat and good level of grass on them.
Chocolate appeared back to his usual self wih no mare travelling with him, and he did a very quiet if wobbly test, CCJ was annoyed he felt lazy, the monkey knows now she has no whip and plays on it. It didn't however look a bad test and she finished on 34, putting her in 14 th place after the dressage.
The new Sj arena is huge and surrounded by a bank, I think the atmosphere put some horses off, Mr Laid Back just ignored the spectators and jumped a lovely clear, he got a wallop at the double as he sort of looked at it, but other than that was good.
Off to the XC, by now she knew they were in with a chance, as already many of the bigger names in her section had jumps down (Mary King/Jade Lazenby/Lucy Wiegersma just to name a few!).
Chocx was not good at the first few fences, he hasn't quite grasped the technique of speed as yet, but after a massive leap over the ditch at fence 3 he woke up and got moving. No real problems XC, he took the straight route near the end over the angled skinnies effortlessly and finished up a very creditable 5th place.
It was super to find he had also won vouchers for £45, so that's £70 he's won in his two events so far!
The ground had been worked on between fences etc but was really rock hard in general away from the course, there were even cracks where it had dried up. (In April?)
I was really impressed with the new look Pontispool. There had been tons of work done, everything from new arenas to new roads, and the whole place looked really smart and welcoming. Theymust have worked more or less non stop to get the course ready, and we will be returning for the next event there.
I met Santa and her friend (Terrier or a name like that?) and it's always great to have such friendly support.
The only mishap came on the way home, the box has sprung a leak in a hose or the radiator and we had to stop on the hard shoulder twice to put water in it..
I bet Chocx sleeps tonight, the hot sun and excercise left him fast asleep on the way home! he has gone out for a leg stretch then in for his tea..
I think we'll do Blackdown Hills next, as he obviously is better at the bigger Pre Novice fences.
