Project Z- and co.: the extended edition

[LittleRooketRider]

Hello again! Long time no see!

Well, my resolution to keep a "log" of roo and my progress has spectacularly flopped and therefore I'm gonna treat you lovely lot to an update to challenge the length of the Danube. For my own sanity I think I will deliver in instalments: Warning, fragmentation will probably be random and illogical!

So... The start to our early summer "campaign" was dramatically and utterly foiled in May. We went to a local show to have a quiet, low pressure go at jumping competitively on grass. For some unknown reason Roo- a good traveller- panicked on arrival resulting in her bashing her poll open on the top of the trailer. 3 shots of anaesthetic,7 staples, and 7 hours of waiting round for her tone fit to travel later and we lost a month of being able to do any proper work. She had jumped spectacularly in training a couple days before the show and I had been looking forward to some fun away from exams... But oh well, horses...!

 

[LittleRooketRider]

Staples out, head healed, minus a browband ( as advised by vet in case it irritated her/ the scar) and badly in need of my horsey fix during exams we set to work again. We were very fortunate to have a couple of lessons with Emma Fisher (u25s team GB coach) on the flat and jumping and we were getting some really nice work. I selected our target and carefully persuaded my parents that we could squeeze an unaffiliated ODE on the weekend before my last exam😜.
It was at a local course I knew would suit her with big, old fashioned xc fences designed to be ridden forward and bold, with a handful of technical skinnies. So we entered the 90cm, not very big, but big enough for our first ode, the aim being to get round and have fun.

The dressage, due to lack of prep within boards with a car parked at the end, tooting to start... On my very traffic shy horse. But we stayed within the arena and did everything sort of in the right place, but considerably faster than the test intended.
The SJ course was very straightforward, but VERY tight. So I was chuffed with clear.
Despite being eliminated at the water I was really pleased with Roo as she flew the downhill approach ski-jump and then came back to pop through the line of three skinnies straight after. She just went very green and nappy at the water, situated near the start....😖... Well at least we know what to work on. She then went on to merrily fly the the drop wall and the hedge.

 

[LittleRooketRider]

The saga continues....

Having finished my last exam at 12, I was packed, Roo was bathed, her tack cleaned and her wardrobe ( more extensive than mine) was packed by 5. We arrived at Harroway at 8pm and our summer began.

To be continued ... (Supper calling)...

 

[claracanter]

ooo.. nasty injury, lucky she recovered so well.........ODE sounded lovely( despite water) sounds like one of those' not good on paper but actually quite chuffed 'days..can't wait to hear the next instalment

 

[LittleRooketRider]

Right, where was I ah yes...


Since arriving at Harroway not only have Roo and I had privileged access to intense training to improve our flat work and build on our jumping technique, but I have also been reunited with Sprinkle ( now 5yo, tobiano bay, 14'2 mare). Sprinkle was bred by my instructor Mrs Bryer and her daughter Cindy Sims; I helped to break her in as a 3 yo, began the process of bringing on last summer and now the plan is to produce her as an event pony.

Area SJ was our first scheduled competition and I'll admit to being cautiously optimistic. Optimistic because Roo was jumping brilliantly; cautiously, because we were yet to compete on grass and the ring was on a considerable and undulating slope. As our troubles tend to stem from the surrounding environment rather than the jumps I allowed plenty of time to just ride Roo around the warmup at a walk and chill. I couldn't have been more pleased with how relaxed she was in both rounds and she jumped spectacularly in both for clear in the first round and an unfortunate 4 faults in the second. Completely my fault and if she hadn't really stepped up to play it could have easily been more. We came up the hill from no. 6 (a spread) quicker than I anticipated, thus overshooting the roll back turn down hill to a double of uprights, and ended up jumping them on an angle 😣 Roo very kindly chipped in and showed off the very height of her athleticism. From the double was a tight dog leg to a full up 3'6 upright with a water tray underneath. We came out of the double very disorganised and I failed to regroup quickly enough, so she really wasn't e petting another fence due her greenness, suddenly realised but then noticed the water tray and her hesitation decimated what little momentum we had. We quickly came back round and jumped it without issues do then sailed over the last2 fences with ease and me kicking myself.