henryhorn
Well-Known Member
We started off quite well, on time etc, and it was only when C started to tack up with just 20 mins to her dressage time she discovered both girths dressage and stud had been left behind on the kitchen table..
I didn't panic because I knew we always carry some spares, but to my horror I soon realised the girth we had didn't fit either saddle at all.
I wandered round the boxes in a panic but couldn't see anyone familiar, eventually with ten mins to go and C and I hurling accusations at each other I spotted a really attractive man.
Now years ago I learned if you want something choose a good looking one as they tend to be more helpful for some reason, and sure enough, though he looked a bit surprised at my request offered to lend us a girth as one of his horses wasn't competing until after 2pm.. He was in a box with Puffa written all over it, but to be honest I'm not familiar with any of the top riders..(
)
I took it back and noted it was a very expensive leather stud girth which fortunately fitted, so C set off minus her dressage saddle with just 5 mins to her time..
In the meantime I had gone to get her number (we made a temp one with a black pen as time was so short) and the PC lady insisted on seeing her arm band, so back I trudged again.
As I passed the box again I warned the nice bloke that they would need to see his armband, but he said they had allowed him to compete without checking he had one..
It was at this point I realised perhaps he was someone I should recognise and asked his staff who he was..
They told me, Terry Boon..
Of course I felt a right prat for not recognising him but my excuse was he looked so nice and I was in a total panic, I just blushed even at my age and shot back to hide in our box.. (I have no shame in saying he was attractive because even if I am old enough to be his Mum, I can still appreciate a lovely bloke)
Well jumping saddle or no, Choc did his usual good test and was soon leading the section with a score of 29.5..
She went off to the Sj and I sat on the bench waiting watching the others do their rounds. I debated whether to go and warn her the time looked a bit tight , but decided after the fiasco of the girths I may get short shift, so left her to it. Choc jumped a lovely clear round but got 6 time faults.. On the video at one point I am heard to mutter "For *** sake, Caroline, get a MOVE ON"!
So it was obvious to me he was too slow. All the BE riders competing appeared to jump fluent rounds out of their stride in a steady rhythm, they all got time faults.. The PC lot whizzed round within the time at fast canters...
Anyway back for the XC.
Now he was at this point a very quiet horse, quite unlike him. She set off for the first fence and he instantly went "Nooooo don't want to do this, I fell last week!" and she had to chivvy him along over the first three or four jumps. Then by fence 6 he remembered he loved doing this and took off as normal.
There were no hiccups, but he did give the ditches and water some respect, obviously recalling that was where he fell last week. We think his quietness was perhaps him worrying about the XC.
In the end those 6 time penalties cost her first place... They came 3rd and without them, would have won.
Oh and Terry Boon? Well she beat him in that class (
) using his girth, and when I went to return it after cleaning it, he said "Actually you can keep it. I'll have your horse instead!"..
So a nice compliment from a decent rider about our stallion.
So a day of ups and downs, and it taught me a valuable lesson.
Tomorrow a plastic box will go in our lorry with more stuff than we usually carry (normally a bridle/headcollar, spare reins martingale and leathers plus a stirrup iron)
From now on we take at least four girths including a dressage saddle length one, a pair of irons and leathers and any other damn thing I think we may need..
The sheer horror of realising we had none was not worth the angst. Though we did wonder if they would allow her to ride bareback!
It was amazing how many people did try and help us with a dressage girth, but how refreshing to see someone who rides at that level offer their own girth not a spare so someone else could compete..
He was a real gentleman...
I didn't panic because I knew we always carry some spares, but to my horror I soon realised the girth we had didn't fit either saddle at all.
I wandered round the boxes in a panic but couldn't see anyone familiar, eventually with ten mins to go and C and I hurling accusations at each other I spotted a really attractive man.
Now years ago I learned if you want something choose a good looking one as they tend to be more helpful for some reason, and sure enough, though he looked a bit surprised at my request offered to lend us a girth as one of his horses wasn't competing until after 2pm.. He was in a box with Puffa written all over it, but to be honest I'm not familiar with any of the top riders..(
I took it back and noted it was a very expensive leather stud girth which fortunately fitted, so C set off minus her dressage saddle with just 5 mins to her time..
In the meantime I had gone to get her number (we made a temp one with a black pen as time was so short) and the PC lady insisted on seeing her arm band, so back I trudged again.
As I passed the box again I warned the nice bloke that they would need to see his armband, but he said they had allowed him to compete without checking he had one..
It was at this point I realised perhaps he was someone I should recognise and asked his staff who he was..
They told me, Terry Boon..
Of course I felt a right prat for not recognising him but my excuse was he looked so nice and I was in a total panic, I just blushed even at my age and shot back to hide in our box.. (I have no shame in saying he was attractive because even if I am old enough to be his Mum, I can still appreciate a lovely bloke)
Well jumping saddle or no, Choc did his usual good test and was soon leading the section with a score of 29.5..
She went off to the Sj and I sat on the bench waiting watching the others do their rounds. I debated whether to go and warn her the time looked a bit tight , but decided after the fiasco of the girths I may get short shift, so left her to it. Choc jumped a lovely clear round but got 6 time faults.. On the video at one point I am heard to mutter "For *** sake, Caroline, get a MOVE ON"!
So it was obvious to me he was too slow. All the BE riders competing appeared to jump fluent rounds out of their stride in a steady rhythm, they all got time faults.. The PC lot whizzed round within the time at fast canters...
Anyway back for the XC.
Now he was at this point a very quiet horse, quite unlike him. She set off for the first fence and he instantly went "Nooooo don't want to do this, I fell last week!" and she had to chivvy him along over the first three or four jumps. Then by fence 6 he remembered he loved doing this and took off as normal.
There were no hiccups, but he did give the ditches and water some respect, obviously recalling that was where he fell last week. We think his quietness was perhaps him worrying about the XC.
In the end those 6 time penalties cost her first place... They came 3rd and without them, would have won.
Oh and Terry Boon? Well she beat him in that class (
So a nice compliment from a decent rider about our stallion.
So a day of ups and downs, and it taught me a valuable lesson.
Tomorrow a plastic box will go in our lorry with more stuff than we usually carry (normally a bridle/headcollar, spare reins martingale and leathers plus a stirrup iron)
From now on we take at least four girths including a dressage saddle length one, a pair of irons and leathers and any other damn thing I think we may need..
The sheer horror of realising we had none was not worth the angst. Though we did wonder if they would allow her to ride bareback!
It was amazing how many people did try and help us with a dressage girth, but how refreshing to see someone who rides at that level offer their own girth not a spare so someone else could compete..
He was a real gentleman...
