only_me
Well-Known Member
Hope you are sitting comfortably, as this is a proper sized Pony Club Championship report!
On friday we set off at a decent hour to catch our ferry across to holyhead, 2 hours down 2 hours on the ferry then once at holyhead we only took 2 hours to get to chomondley on great roads! A very easy place to get to
Billy travelled well and settled into lovely big temporary stables (we were a bit worried bill would have to stand diagonal in them to fit!) and we were very lucky in that our stables were the nearest to the lorry park so handy enough
Celebrations for our area started that night as well as they won the intermediate dressage so a good start to the champs!
So not ideal after the travelling to compete the next day on saturday in the open dressage (individual) but the main aim was eventing on the monday. We warmed up a bit stiff and heavy in the hand so tried to supple him up did an ok test for 65% which left us pretty mid way in a close section with the winner on 69%. We were happy enough as the travelling took more than I thought out of him as it is his first time in the ferry!
More celebrations for our area as they got 8th in the individual open SJ and our branch won the intermediate team jumping which means our SJ trainer has now won
every SJ with our branch!
Sunday was the rest day were we also walked the xc course with our trainer who flew over the day before. The rest of our team had also arrived so spent the day
relaxing and watching the competitions and then early afternoon we worked the horses and I focused on lightening him up and suppled up.
Celebrations again for our area as one team came 2nd in the open jumping, 2nd in the intermediate eventing with one winning her arena, one 2nd and another 4th!
Monday morning dawned bright and early and good times but everything close together so not enough times for nerves to set in
Dressage we warmed up much better, more supple and light and working nicely from behind. Unfortunately in the test we got a bit deep and came behind the contact
slightly but he still maintained the engagement and lightness so we are getting there, unfortunately if I had pushed him into the contact he would have started
to go more up and tight! So I left him as he was and we managed to score 35, in other words 65%
so we go to both ends of the heavy/lightness spectrum yet still end up with the same score lol!
The rest of the team scored reasonable tests also, which was great!
Next up was the showjumping and I was super nervous, for some reason the course was not riding well and a lot of poles were falling, Billy and I had a disastrous round so I wasnt feeling all that confident about my riding and made the nerves for the xc even worse!!
Not sure if you lot have heard about the xc course for the open but boy was it tough!! It was causing MAYHEM and havoc - as we were warming up our first rider
was in the start box and then got held as another rider had fallen off at the coffin, then as the other rider on the course was re started our rider was then held again at the start as that rider had also fallen off at the coffin!! Trainer reckoned it was a 2* track easily.
We all warmed up on a mission; jumped each fence straight then jumping on angles and daring the horses a little to make sure they were listening and going when
asked.
Soon it was my turn out on course!
We set off on a mission,first fence lovely brush roller then uphill to a hay table where I growled at him to make sure he was listening as we had the big question at the base of the hill. He popped over then log downhill and I probably brought him back too early but they were a serious question. Fence 4 was a double of brush corners on a curve of 4 or a straight 3 strides depending on how brave you were! We met the first one nicely, waited a stride before turning and Billy locked on and jumped out fab! Big pats and onto the next.
We galloped as close as we dared to the tree (large horse low branches!) and jumped the quite large flowerbox and then over the boat to the very short
strided double of angled houses which i jumped to the left of centre to give us a bit more room.
Then we stood off to the parallel uphill and then brought him back for the barrels at the top of the hill, narrow barrels on a holding 4 curve to a skinny barrel.
Downhill to the picnic table which I over rode as had seen a few spook at the tablecloth. Uphill to a downhill brush and then into next section.
We came across and jumped up a step in the dark one stride to a log and then downhill into the light to an open corner - this is where i made a big whoopsie
i felt we were too far off so moved across but this left us too close but Billy being an out and out superstar climbed across and got his legs out of the way so we landed all together. Big pats for that 5th leg!! Apologies to the fence judge btw!!
Then over white rails to the trakener and then uphill over the castle.
Came down to the water next, popped over the house in and we trotted downhill into the water as Billy wasnt too sure, trotted over the treasure chest in the water and out over a roller. It was very educational for him, he has never done a jump in water let alone a skinny so very pleased how even though we came at a trot it
gave him more time to work it out which he did and found it ok! Big pats again
At this point I was getting tired as had been a bit of a mentally tiring round but popped the roller and then brought him back to a bouncy canter to pop through the coffin which was quite a steep downhill to the ditch and then uphill over the log. Next we jumped the road crossing rail to a narrow arrowhead which he locked onto from the get go, and popped the last to finish clear!
Huge pats all round and smiles, he felt so awesome and had himself sorted and helped me out big time at the corner!! Not bad for a 7 year old gypsy horse
First rider also finished clear, second had a glance off at 4b but was also on a young horse, unfortunately our final rider fell off and retired and walked back to the lorry park. The adrenaline also died down there was back pain so as a precaution went to hospital via air ambulance but was very very lucky has only deep muscle damage so relief in our camp!
It turns out that the XC was very influential; only about 40 of about 145 competitors went clear and only 4 out of 145 were double clear!!
We were thrilled to find out that our team finished 5th and I was placed 7th individually with the others being placed 7th and 10th in their arenas also!
So we had more celebrations that night we also managed to successfully hijack a buggy for our own personal use of going round the xc and then ferrying us across to prize giving! the buggy made mincemeat of the hills 
Thanks for reading, we had a super time and great success
On friday we set off at a decent hour to catch our ferry across to holyhead, 2 hours down 2 hours on the ferry then once at holyhead we only took 2 hours to get to chomondley on great roads! A very easy place to get to
Billy travelled well and settled into lovely big temporary stables (we were a bit worried bill would have to stand diagonal in them to fit!) and we were very lucky in that our stables were the nearest to the lorry park so handy enough
Celebrations for our area started that night as well as they won the intermediate dressage so a good start to the champs!
So not ideal after the travelling to compete the next day on saturday in the open dressage (individual) but the main aim was eventing on the monday. We warmed up a bit stiff and heavy in the hand so tried to supple him up did an ok test for 65% which left us pretty mid way in a close section with the winner on 69%. We were happy enough as the travelling took more than I thought out of him as it is his first time in the ferry!
More celebrations for our area as they got 8th in the individual open SJ and our branch won the intermediate team jumping which means our SJ trainer has now won
every SJ with our branch!
Sunday was the rest day were we also walked the xc course with our trainer who flew over the day before. The rest of our team had also arrived so spent the day
relaxing and watching the competitions and then early afternoon we worked the horses and I focused on lightening him up and suppled up.
Celebrations again for our area as one team came 2nd in the open jumping, 2nd in the intermediate eventing with one winning her arena, one 2nd and another 4th!
Monday morning dawned bright and early and good times but everything close together so not enough times for nerves to set in
Dressage we warmed up much better, more supple and light and working nicely from behind. Unfortunately in the test we got a bit deep and came behind the contact
slightly but he still maintained the engagement and lightness so we are getting there, unfortunately if I had pushed him into the contact he would have started
to go more up and tight! So I left him as he was and we managed to score 35, in other words 65%
so we go to both ends of the heavy/lightness spectrum yet still end up with the same score lol!The rest of the team scored reasonable tests also, which was great!
Next up was the showjumping and I was super nervous, for some reason the course was not riding well and a lot of poles were falling, Billy and I had a disastrous round so I wasnt feeling all that confident about my riding and made the nerves for the xc even worse!!
Not sure if you lot have heard about the xc course for the open but boy was it tough!! It was causing MAYHEM and havoc - as we were warming up our first rider
was in the start box and then got held as another rider had fallen off at the coffin, then as the other rider on the course was re started our rider was then held again at the start as that rider had also fallen off at the coffin!! Trainer reckoned it was a 2* track easily.
We all warmed up on a mission; jumped each fence straight then jumping on angles and daring the horses a little to make sure they were listening and going when
asked.
Soon it was my turn out on course!
We set off on a mission,first fence lovely brush roller then uphill to a hay table where I growled at him to make sure he was listening as we had the big question at the base of the hill. He popped over then log downhill and I probably brought him back too early but they were a serious question. Fence 4 was a double of brush corners on a curve of 4 or a straight 3 strides depending on how brave you were! We met the first one nicely, waited a stride before turning and Billy locked on and jumped out fab! Big pats and onto the next.
We galloped as close as we dared to the tree (large horse low branches!) and jumped the quite large flowerbox and then over the boat to the very short
strided double of angled houses which i jumped to the left of centre to give us a bit more room.
Then we stood off to the parallel uphill and then brought him back for the barrels at the top of the hill, narrow barrels on a holding 4 curve to a skinny barrel.
Downhill to the picnic table which I over rode as had seen a few spook at the tablecloth. Uphill to a downhill brush and then into next section.
We came across and jumped up a step in the dark one stride to a log and then downhill into the light to an open corner - this is where i made a big whoopsie
i felt we were too far off so moved across but this left us too close but Billy being an out and out superstar climbed across and got his legs out of the way so we landed all together. Big pats for that 5th leg!! Apologies to the fence judge btw!!
Then over white rails to the trakener and then uphill over the castle.
Came down to the water next, popped over the house in and we trotted downhill into the water as Billy wasnt too sure, trotted over the treasure chest in the water and out over a roller. It was very educational for him, he has never done a jump in water let alone a skinny so very pleased how even though we came at a trot it
gave him more time to work it out which he did and found it ok! Big pats again
At this point I was getting tired as had been a bit of a mentally tiring round but popped the roller and then brought him back to a bouncy canter to pop through the coffin which was quite a steep downhill to the ditch and then uphill over the log. Next we jumped the road crossing rail to a narrow arrowhead which he locked onto from the get go, and popped the last to finish clear!
Huge pats all round and smiles, he felt so awesome and had himself sorted and helped me out big time at the corner!! Not bad for a 7 year old gypsy horse
First rider also finished clear, second had a glance off at 4b but was also on a young horse, unfortunately our final rider fell off and retired and walked back to the lorry park. The adrenaline also died down there was back pain so as a precaution went to hospital via air ambulance but was very very lucky has only deep muscle damage so relief in our camp!
It turns out that the XC was very influential; only about 40 of about 145 competitors went clear and only 4 out of 145 were double clear!!
We were thrilled to find out that our team finished 5th and I was placed 7th individually with the others being placed 7th and 10th in their arenas also!
So we had more celebrations that night
we also managed to successfully hijack a buggy for our own personal use of going round the xc and then ferrying us across to prize giving! the buggy made mincemeat of the hills
Thanks for reading, we had a super time and great success
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We didn't do particularly well. Our test was on the tense side, T reacted to the more buzzy atmosphere and found one of the NAF banners VERY scary! Finished 7th on 64.70% so not our best but considering the quality of the competition I was very pleased. Now focusing on BRC Championships in September! 
