Rambo
Well-Known Member
So we tootled off to Pyecombe on sunday with Bo to contest the 1.10m Open and the 1.15m Members Cup qualifier.........and to exorcise a few demons too as the last time we were there in August we ended up turning a somorsault over the practice fence and coming home very lame and very bruised
Anyway, the course for the 1.10m was, as expected, bang up to height. It was also the first time i have jumped one of the new separate NC/1.10m Open classes with a combined course walk at the start, and a combined prize giving at the end, but classes run completely separately. As it was a 2-phase this really made little difference to proceedings but it will still be interesting to see how they work if they run as Table A7
So, the course was strong, but fair, and Bo warmed up well. The arena at Pyecombe is superb with about 80m x 40m being set aside for the ring. Bo jumped really well and was just unlucky to push out the front rail of fence 6...a big square oxer on 4 strides from the double. It caught a fair few out but he jumped so well i wasn't too disappointed
Next up came the 1.15m Member Cup qualifier, which was a Scope qualifier and a Welsh Masters qualifier too. The course was big and technical...and the last double of upright to oxer was actually 1.20m rather than 1.15m (the 'joy' of Jump4Joy wings with the heights printed on them
). Anyway, we weren't bothered about the height, but the turn from fence 3 to 4 was designed specifically to catch Bo out...i'm sure of it
A right turn from oxer to another oxer....right next to the entrance to the arena. Bo has a tendency to nap towards home on a just such a turn so i was determined to be ready for it what i was sure would come. Before we entered the ring though, about 5 horses before us in fact, we witnessed a pretty horrendous fall in the practice arena that brought back too many memories of our own from August. This time the horse appeared to roll on the rider, and although she did eventually get up, it looked like her shoulder was in a pretty bad way
We went in for our round, and he jumped the first 3 well....then came the feared turn to 4 and as expected he tried it on...i caught him early though and managed to sort him out to come at the oxer from about 3 strides...but he napped again forcing me to circle and take a good shot at it. After that he settled well and really ate up the track never even so much as feeling he would touch anything. Another 4 fault round, and although a little frustrating, a lot of positives to be taken from the day
I really do feel like i have finally got his measure and we are a partnership at last
Just need to protect his legs over the summer now and keep him sound
Anyway, the course for the 1.10m was, as expected, bang up to height. It was also the first time i have jumped one of the new separate NC/1.10m Open classes with a combined course walk at the start, and a combined prize giving at the end, but classes run completely separately. As it was a 2-phase this really made little difference to proceedings but it will still be interesting to see how they work if they run as Table A7
So, the course was strong, but fair, and Bo warmed up well. The arena at Pyecombe is superb with about 80m x 40m being set aside for the ring. Bo jumped really well and was just unlucky to push out the front rail of fence 6...a big square oxer on 4 strides from the double. It caught a fair few out but he jumped so well i wasn't too disappointed
Next up came the 1.15m Member Cup qualifier, which was a Scope qualifier and a Welsh Masters qualifier too. The course was big and technical...and the last double of upright to oxer was actually 1.20m rather than 1.15m (the 'joy' of Jump4Joy wings with the heights printed on them
