SJ alone

K

kate081

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 March 2007
Messages
654
Location
Milton Keynes
Visit site
Following on from Gamebird's post, who goes show jumping alone?

I'm happy doing dressage & ODE's alone, but find SJ a struggle cos of walking courses. I end up really stressed especially if course is indoors so I can't watch others going.

How do people cope??
 
Yup I do it - just make sure your number is quite far down (20th or so) so you can walk course then watch first few go, then get on after. You could always tack up before course walk to save time.
 
Can you hire a stable?

That way you can tack up, tie horse up whilst you walk the course and watch a few people jump
laugh.gif
 
Me, I go out competing quite a lot on my own (hoping less now my sis has bought a new ned). Just leave Bodey in the horse box until I need him. He is happy as larry as long as he has food.
 
When i've got really stuck i've smiled very nicely at a knowledge person with standing around with their hands free to hold my horsey. They never seem to mind either!

Just remember to smile lots
laugh.gif
 
I go alone and usually end up asking a random stranger to hold horse while I walk course as there aren't enough there to leave horse in trailer while I walk. Luckily horse is really quiet and will happily stand for anyone. If SJ is outdoor and I can watch then I won't both walking course but when it's indoor and I can't watch I grab someone to hold horse. Most people don't mind
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
When i've got really stuck i've smiled very nicely at a knowledge person with standing around with their hands free to hold my horsey. They never seem to mind either!

Just remember to smile lots
laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I do that when I cannot drag OH along
grin.gif
 
Think I need to be a bit braver about asking randoms to hold her! I don't like the idea of not knowing if I'll be able to walk course. Often trailer can be too far away to put horse back & get back in time to walk course.

Putting number further down list is a good idea too. It's good to know others go alone - I always seem to be the only one.
 
I sometimes prefer not walking the course tbh, otherwise I get scared if some of the fences look a bit big!
blush.gif


I am also a bit of a pro at turning up hungover, only having time to jump two in the warm up and going DC and getting placed
grin.gif
(although that was only at discovery
tongue.gif
)

I think my biggest problem with going alone is the practise area, esp if there is some local pro who thinks them and their minions own the warm up fence
mad.gif
 
I go SJ'ing on my own sometimes. It's no real problem, just go near the end so you have time to walk the course and watch a few go if necessary. I don't like having two in the same class if i'm alone though...that is too much hassle
blush.gif
 
I'm on my own nearly every time I compete. Often the BN is the first class of the day so I just go early enough to walk the course and then go and get myself and the horse ready afterwards. I usually draw early so if I go clear and can stick Jenny back on the box and find out the JO course and work out where I am going.
Its more tricky if I want to do the 2nd class as well, particularly if I've been placed in the first class and been in the prize giving. If I have then I sometimes have to ask a kind stranger to hold her while I quickly walk the course - I generally don't stride out the distances as they are usually (not always) the same as for the previous class but just jumped in a different order/from the other direction etc and that saves a little bit of time. If I haven't been placed then I'd usually put Jenny back on the box while I walk the course and draw late. It is do-able to go out on your own - but you do have to be mega organised.
I find the main draw-back for being on your own is not having someone to adjust the practice fence for you and having to just jump whatever other people are warming up over which can vary widely and end up jumping some huge oxers before going in because people have left them like that before going in - but I suppose that's not a bad thing as it forces me to do them and probably makes me more confidant.
 
Before current horse I would just ask radom strangers to hold while I walked course. Current horse is a bit to unpredictable to do that but loads brilliantly so she just goes back on lorry.
warmup used to be a bit tricky it fences had been left too high but again not a problem with current one.
wink.gif
 
Yup, I often go alone.
Echo lots of what others have said. If I'm in the first class I try to get there before it starts and walk the course while horse still on lorry. Other classes if they're outdoor I sometimes just settle for watching a few go, counting strides etc. If its indoor I smile sweetly and ask someone to hold horse if there's no time to put her back on the lorry in between. People are generally very helpful and sometimes the steward offers which is nice. It also helps that both of my horses are angels to hold so it's not as much of an imposition as if your horse is going to fidget or otherwise be a pain for someone to hold.

Practise jumps can sometimes be tricky so I've learned not to be too fussy. Ideally I tag onto someone else's warm-up, I've yet to find anyone who minds that. Failing that if there's nothing suitable to jump I just have to ask nicely again. There's usually somebody who will help.
 
I try to park quite near to the arena entrance so I can leave horse tied up at trailer in between walking courses. Otherwise, I just ask someone standing about to hold my horse for me! Its ODE's that I hate going to on my own.
 
I sometimes get a stable, but failing that he stands on the lorry while I walk the track and I tag onto someone else's warm up as well - helps when you know loads of people though! I used to get mega stressed at shows - always liked to be there super early to walk the track and warm up, but since I've moved yards and now travel to shows with the most disorganised bunch in Scotland I'm becoming a pro at getting dressed in the back of the lorry on the way in, diving in to enter while someone else is hopefully tacking up, having a quick look at the course, 5 min warmup then straight in. And sometimes straight into the class above what I'd been planning to jump - told you we were disorganised! I've even gone to meet them at shows when I've been working in the morning and got there before them and the horses... BSJA people are usually very friendly and helpful at shows though, someone will usually give you a hand
smile.gif
 
I went to Holland to compete SJ with 2 horses on my own and although a bit scary really dont mind it. If you do it enough times you end up being really chilled out because you realise that you've just gotta get on with it as best you can. Sure its not great if your early to go but the you have to warm up before the class starts and ask some1 very nicely to hold the horse or go and put it back in lorry or stable. And jump whatever fences you can get to in the warm up!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top