Red Hot Rackham Weekend!

Hattikins

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All in all a very encouraging weekend. Took little coloured chappy for the saturday intro and he coped incredibly well in the heat with his times at mid day :eek: . Produced what I felt was a really lovely test, only one transition I'd liked to have improved as he resisted the contact slightly but still very happy. Went on to jump a lovely clear SJing and whizzed round the XC way inside the time (I just dont know how he manages it - he's only 15hh and chunky and Im never trying to go fast on him but he is SO nippy round the turns and wastes no time over and away from fences...he only goes in a nathe snaffle and i never have to take a pull to steady him so maybe thats why!?) Turns out he posted a 26.5 dressage! Which was the best in the section so we won our second intro!! So very very chuffed to bits with him, he's really such a joy to ride and I'm so lucky to have been given the ride on him this year :D ( and well done to eventingismygame with T who did extremely well to come 4th and have written a lovely report :D)

Onto to my ginger girlie who I havent evented since our rather disasterous SJing incident at Hambleden. She's had two runs with a long legged man, one great, one good but not so XC as she'd clearly had enough of someone telling her what to do and she threw several toys out of the pram with him and made his life a little difficult - being wiggly and generally not really helping matters! So hoping she may prefer me on her again(!!) we did our homework last weekend and did the Felbridge PN Combined Training which she came 2nd in so was feeling positive about the SJing again, and then we took her to Rackham for the sunday PN.

Dressage was kind of worth glossing over as I was first to go in and the judge never turned up! Lots of very very fed up, hot competitors who had all spent 30mins already warming up then had to spend another 30mins waiting for a replacement judge which was luckily found. Poor Hatts was completely off the boil, she posted a 30.5 test which in the circumstances sounds good and it was, out of the first 7 competitors (ironically the ones that had also had to wait around for ages) and then suddenly the judge started marking REALLY irratically - she gave several in the teens, the winner was on a mark of 10 !!!!!! But in between those tests she was giving the odd mid 30/early 40 score - wierd! Think she got herself in a bit of a pickle maybe? Anyway didnt really matter to me as the SJing was the important bit for us and Hattie was back to her old self :D She jumped what felt like a lovely clear round, full of confidence and feeling really happy and forward going. So lots of pats and fuss.

Onto the XC and, well, it looks rubbish on paper as came home with 40pens (one at the second fence where I took her for granted and she just seemed to say 5 strides out "hang on Mum I dont believe you're with me - please say you are?" and I just was too slow and blase about it to help her out) and the second was at the step into the water - the water was orange and clearly she was unimpressed! But she went in. But what's more she gave me the most lovely happy horse ride round the rest of the course, she met everything really well, jumped all the trickier combinations full of confidence and also jumped the tricky corner combination that i was really worried about, with ease. So all in all a very encouraging result I feel! :D Think lesson learnt is to ride every fence with me giving her my 100% backing and therefore instilling her with confidence - it's definitely a case of trust with her at the moment, but that all feels very doable which I'm pleased about! Think I've nearly got my happy confident eventer back :D

Thank you for reading that ramble, and mini gingerbread men and tea for all!
 

KatB

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Was waiting for your report! Fantastic with little coloured boy, you are doing a fantastic job with him, and another amazing result!! Pleased Hatts is feeling back to herself, and everything sounds very encouraging. Well done hon!
 

Tangaroo

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Im glad Hatts is back to her old self. The little coloured chap is going great guns isnt he. Well done. A great weekend.:D
 

OskyWoskyPonio

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Sounds like a great time! :) Well done on the little coloured chappy :D and glad that Hats is getting back to how she was :) How you managed in this heat I don't know! I was baking just sitting in the shade!! :eek:
 

SteveGG

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Glad you had a good run.
The second fence caused a few to look - I think it was the white sacks especially as the first fence was quite small.
Were you parked next to a large green lorry ?
 

HammieHamlet

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well done - sounds like a brilliant weekend. Do you have any photos of the little chunky one? He sounds like so much fun!!

As for hattie, I wonder if its a chesnut mare thing... she sounds so much like my ginger madam too - if I ever had the slightest of doubts (and I mean, like a 1/10000th doubt) then with the solid fences she would sense it and dither around / sometimes stop. Sounds really obvious but I do think some horses are so intuitive!

Where are you taking them next? xx
 

Hattikins

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Thank you all! :D Here are a few links to some photos from this weekend (click right) - hadnt realised the photographer got them up so quickly otherwise they'd be in my original post!

H:

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...1000-1030;i=34;img=1026061-rackbe1-04082f.jpg

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg... Camera 1;i=41;img=1026061-rackbe1-04445b.jpg


J:

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...1100-1200;i=47;img=1026061-rackbe1-00454f.jpg

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...turday/XC/Sat BE90 XC-1140-1220 Camera 1;i=20

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg... Camera 2;i=17;img=1026061-rackbe1-00537c.jpg




KatB: hehe thank you! Fingers crossed it's coming back together again, taken a little while but hoping it's been worth taking our time a bit with her again :)


Stilton & OWP: Thank you! little coloured chappy is just such a sweetie - so much character and cheeky but so loveable. and Hatts is certainly getting there which makes me very happy! Not sure how we coped in the heat especially as you were only allowed to compete without a jacket if you had long sleeves (like Pony club rules!) which was just daft - i felt v. wobbily after my dressage on Hattie and that was 9.30 in the morning! Thank god we can go XC with short sleeves!

SteveGG: Not sure to tell you the truth!! we were in the front row on sunday with a lorry to our left and with a small equitrek type lorry to our right, opposite the SJing warm up. I think i saw you when i was walking back from the dressage along the horse walk and you were standing facing the SJing warm up in the shade?

Hammiehamlet: I definitely think it's a mare thing - unless they are super bold, they like to know their rider is committed and there for them and then they'll put in 110%, Hattie's actually v. good but she definitely likes to be able to trust her rider XC whereas SJing she'll do it blindfolded if it were possible! How are you at the moment? What are you up to?
 

jumptoit

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Well done, they both look absolutely great! Little coloured sounds like a star and glad to hear Hatts is back on form :).
 
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Hattikins

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Thank you! we're off for a spot of showing now eek!! I'm rather looking forward to it, and not sure quite what to expect as I've never done any showing on the coloured chappy! Taking Hatts to Tweseldown in two weeks time for a quiet run - unfortunately it has to be an Intro as we're showing Jack on the PN day but she's needs a run of some sort so that'll have to do! Then off on holiday so nothing until Little Mattingley! :)
 

Rosiefan

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So pleased to hear the Hattie girl is finding her mojo - for what it's worth (cos I know nothing) I have a feeling Rosie would agree with you about mares - and as for the coloured lad, just brilliant!!
 

ljslaughter

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wow,well done on the coloured,hes gorg isnt he!! NOW how on earth can u get inside the time round a BE track and Mr p cant??
I got 20 odd time pens at RC thing over the PN track,i just dont get it!! At chilham ODE i was 1 min too fast!! Ive lost faith in all timing equipment,seems to go wrong when-ever im riding!! thats my excuse and im sure im talking aload of rubbish!!! I think P goes Up over jumpies and then doesnt make a quick get-a-way over jumps xc as we r going as fast as he can poss go!!! and it doesnt feel slow to me!!
The dressage judge @rackham obv didnt have a clue of BE scoring,NO1 can get a 10??(well they obv did)! .I knew i shud have done Rackham,i may have got a sub 20 score in error hehehex
 

HammieHamlet

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Hammiehamlet: I definitely think it's a mare thing - unless they are super bold, they like to know their rider is committed and there for them and then they'll put in 110%, Hattie's actually v. good but she definitely likes to be able to trust her rider XC whereas SJing she'll do it blindfolded if it were possible! How are you at the moment? What are you up to?[/QUOTE]


That's certainly true!! Kiri was exactly the same with me - SJ wise, I couldn't interfere as she always knew best too!! Hamlet would always just bowl through anyway... he's a man though so things are always a bit more simple ;o)

I'm ok thanks - I'm living in Moscow for 2 years now due to my OH's work, so no eventing... or even that much riding :eek:( Miss it like crazy!!! Kiri is in somerset with Isobel from SW Eventing and is doing so well! Hamlet is now a dressage diva and will soon be doing his first Medium test with his rider which is great considering his injury a few years back...

Lovely to see photos of the SE events, and hope you are all well. Good luck for the rest of the season! :eek:) xx
 
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