LittleRooketRider
Well-Known Member
Well I've decided to do a report on the summer so far as its been a fab one and I always like to hear what the rest of you get up to, so figured it was my turn to contribute. 
To begin wth I am spending the summer as a Working Pupil with Cindy Sims at Harroway House stables, i am usually taught by her mother Mrs Bryer (who set this up) at least once a week. As I am able to keep my girly here it as worked out fab because a) Anne Kershawe from NZ, a craniosacrial and zero balance therapist helped me get my girl sound (and told me to burn my saddle..so the search begins..again!) b) I get lots of instruction and as a result c) I can now get her working consistently on the bit
So now for a very late competition report on the PC Area 14 Intermediate Show Jumping....
Cindy very kindly took us in her trailer...with a slight detour through the center of Bristol. We did arrive a little later than planned but had enough time to quickly but properly walk the course.. quite a test as it was on a very sloping arena with a lot of related distances but it was only 1m so not imposing in size. It was then a bit of a rush to tack up, put in studs and get changed myself but tjis was made easier by help from my aussie friend and thankfully all of the plaits had remained intact and relatively neatish...note putting a pair of tights is really good for keeping the tail clean and neat, I will definitely be doing this again. As a team we then made our way to the tack check and then began warming up...Kitty wasn't being particularly cooperative at fist due to the excitement of being out competing for the first time in a while but she did unwind a smidge enough to get some nice pops over the warm up fences.( only jumped each once due to the hard ground) and then having watched the rest of the team whilst warming it was our turn... as last on there was a little pressure as although the first two had gone clear our third rider hadn't had much luck with her horse. Kitty flew round to a lovely clear round, phew! We all returned to the trailers to unwind and eat a we had another three hours until the second round.
The course went up to 1.05m for the second round and now included a water tray spread thingy but as Kitty isn't particularly spooky I wasn't particularly worried. However the first and last line were I think quite challenging. The first fence was a spread downhill continuing downhill quite quickly to an upright with the ground dropping away slightly. The last two were once again donhill to a slightly bigger spread (ie it was a square oxer at the full limit of 1.10m wide) downhill quite quickly to some planks. Kitty was once again a star, flying round clear despite me making quite a bad error at one and getting very ahead of her (sorry Kitty!) but we recovered and completed clear. Our team had one another clear and one on four faults, unfortunately the same team member didn't have much luck again with her horse despite some very good and determined riding. However the best three scores count so we wee on a collective score of 4 faults which we were all quite pleased with......and then we found out we had won!
Team first meant qualification for the Pony Championships at Cholmondely Castle!WooHoo!It then got better ...there were only 6 double clears out of a class of 50 ish , Kitty and I were one of them! we were told over the PA that all six of us qualified but they wanted us to jump off to decide the individual placings, even though they had timed the last round. The 6 of gallop for itus plus DCs and trainers had a quick discussion and decided as the ground was hard and we all qualified anyway we would be happy to take the placings based on the times from the last round....but then two decided that they wanted to jump off (interesting as only 10 minutes before one - my team-mate - had been telilng us how she didn't think she would do the SJ at the champs because she was already doing the individual eventing and didnn't want to push her horse especially on this hard ground...oh well its their decision)
So anyway we went back to the trailer happy that those two would take first and second and the rest of us would qualify anyway.....hal an hour later having untacked and put kitty away and waiting for prizegiving I was told to go and get back on because it turned out that actually only 4 qualified . Cindy had already tacked Kits back up so off we went to the warm up ring saying we would only go round the jump off if she didn't feel tired etc.....she warmed up the best she had all day... so in we went. My heart wasn't really in it and I was tired plus a little worried about the ground so we did all the tight turns and lines but did not really gallop for it . The jumps had been put up to a good 1.10m and Kits jumped beautifully but I got the last one a little wrong and we had it down.
We still came 3rd!..AND qualified for the individual championship also at Cholmondely! Not bad for a pint sized 13'2 homebred!who accordin to my PC because she is 13'2 is not capable of jumping anything over 90cm...mmm!
Cheshire here we come!
On top of all this excitement on my girly SJ Cindy has got me riding side-saddle and I love it! I have had one session on one f her schoolmasters and over the last couple of weeks she has been teaching me on Sprinkle as we introduce her to sidesaddle....sprinkle is Mrs Bryer's coloured 4 YO who I helped her break in last summer and over the winter. its gong brilliantly..today we started gatting a nice soft and rounded outline in walk and trot, but there is a little work to do in the canter....all so exciting!
Anyhoot I'm not to keen on the 6hour + journey up to Cheshire next week but I'm still really chuffed to be going...love my pony! Choccy digestives for all who survived this thread and apologies for the length
To begin wth I am spending the summer as a Working Pupil with Cindy Sims at Harroway House stables, i am usually taught by her mother Mrs Bryer (who set this up) at least once a week. As I am able to keep my girly here it as worked out fab because a) Anne Kershawe from NZ, a craniosacrial and zero balance therapist helped me get my girl sound (and told me to burn my saddle..so the search begins..again!) b) I get lots of instruction and as a result c) I can now get her working consistently on the bit
So now for a very late competition report on the PC Area 14 Intermediate Show Jumping....
Cindy very kindly took us in her trailer...with a slight detour through the center of Bristol. We did arrive a little later than planned but had enough time to quickly but properly walk the course.. quite a test as it was on a very sloping arena with a lot of related distances but it was only 1m so not imposing in size. It was then a bit of a rush to tack up, put in studs and get changed myself but tjis was made easier by help from my aussie friend and thankfully all of the plaits had remained intact and relatively neatish...note putting a pair of tights is really good for keeping the tail clean and neat, I will definitely be doing this again. As a team we then made our way to the tack check and then began warming up...Kitty wasn't being particularly cooperative at fist due to the excitement of being out competing for the first time in a while but she did unwind a smidge enough to get some nice pops over the warm up fences.( only jumped each once due to the hard ground) and then having watched the rest of the team whilst warming it was our turn... as last on there was a little pressure as although the first two had gone clear our third rider hadn't had much luck with her horse. Kitty flew round to a lovely clear round, phew! We all returned to the trailers to unwind and eat a we had another three hours until the second round.
The course went up to 1.05m for the second round and now included a water tray spread thingy but as Kitty isn't particularly spooky I wasn't particularly worried. However the first and last line were I think quite challenging. The first fence was a spread downhill continuing downhill quite quickly to an upright with the ground dropping away slightly. The last two were once again donhill to a slightly bigger spread (ie it was a square oxer at the full limit of 1.10m wide) downhill quite quickly to some planks. Kitty was once again a star, flying round clear despite me making quite a bad error at one and getting very ahead of her (sorry Kitty!) but we recovered and completed clear. Our team had one another clear and one on four faults, unfortunately the same team member didn't have much luck again with her horse despite some very good and determined riding. However the best three scores count so we wee on a collective score of 4 faults which we were all quite pleased with......and then we found out we had won!
Team first meant qualification for the Pony Championships at Cholmondely Castle!WooHoo!It then got better ...there were only 6 double clears out of a class of 50 ish , Kitty and I were one of them! we were told over the PA that all six of us qualified but they wanted us to jump off to decide the individual placings, even though they had timed the last round. The 6 of gallop for itus plus DCs and trainers had a quick discussion and decided as the ground was hard and we all qualified anyway we would be happy to take the placings based on the times from the last round....but then two decided that they wanted to jump off (interesting as only 10 minutes before one - my team-mate - had been telilng us how she didn't think she would do the SJ at the champs because she was already doing the individual eventing and didnn't want to push her horse especially on this hard ground...oh well its their decision)
So anyway we went back to the trailer happy that those two would take first and second and the rest of us would qualify anyway.....hal an hour later having untacked and put kitty away and waiting for prizegiving I was told to go and get back on because it turned out that actually only 4 qualified . Cindy had already tacked Kits back up so off we went to the warm up ring saying we would only go round the jump off if she didn't feel tired etc.....she warmed up the best she had all day... so in we went. My heart wasn't really in it and I was tired plus a little worried about the ground so we did all the tight turns and lines but did not really gallop for it . The jumps had been put up to a good 1.10m and Kits jumped beautifully but I got the last one a little wrong and we had it down.
We still came 3rd!..AND qualified for the individual championship also at Cholmondely! Not bad for a pint sized 13'2 homebred!who accordin to my PC because she is 13'2 is not capable of jumping anything over 90cm...mmm!
Cheshire here we come!
On top of all this excitement on my girly SJ Cindy has got me riding side-saddle and I love it! I have had one session on one f her schoolmasters and over the last couple of weeks she has been teaching me on Sprinkle as we introduce her to sidesaddle....sprinkle is Mrs Bryer's coloured 4 YO who I helped her break in last summer and over the winter. its gong brilliantly..today we started gatting a nice soft and rounded outline in walk and trot, but there is a little work to do in the canter....all so exciting!
Anyhoot I'm not to keen on the 6hour + journey up to Cheshire next week but I'm still really chuffed to be going...love my pony! Choccy digestives for all who survived this thread and apologies for the length