Diane_Pepper
Well-Known Member
Was doing some SJ and The open derby at a local show today.
It was mainly just to get my confidence back after breaking my collar bone, but Pepper jumped amazingly!
We did the open SJ (against about 20 people) & I wasn't expecting to get past the 1st round as SJ is Pepper's crappest phase by far!
But he went in a beautiful rhythm and met everything perfectly apart from an upright which he got quite close to, and usually he would have knocked that down, but today he picked his little feet up really quickly and cleared it by miles!
So got through to the jump-off & thought out my route with mum, then went in and he did another lovely round - you couldn't fault him & we had everyone cheering us on
He had a brill time of 39secs, we have a slight advantage over the rest of the seniors cause he's so nippy!
Waited for the results to hear we were 1st!! 2nd was on 42secs so we were pretty far in the lead
And that was Pepper's first EVER red rossette!
Absolutely chuffed with him!
Mum said she'd never seen him jump so well - I think it is mainly down to his canter improving so much recently, he's always in a really nice, constant rhythm now - compared to when we bought him 2 & a half years ago when he wouldn't even canter a circle & motorbike round corners!
Onto the derby where we weren't so lucky, but it was my fault!
It was the same course as the open SJ, but with an extra few fences including a sizeable bench/chair on 4 strides to an upright over a ditch, then some planks uphill on a VERY tight turn to a step down, then another set of planks on 10 yards from the bank.
Pepper was clear all through til the last set of planks!
I wasn't expecting him to jump so far off the bank & didn't push enough for a long stride, so he put a tiny one in & just tapped the planks which came down
Everyone watching went 'oooooh!!!'
So didn't get through to the jump off in that, but only about 3/15 did!
Overall, immensly happy with his progress & my confidence has definitely returned
no signs of any pain on the collar bone front either
That'll probably catch up with me tomorrow LOL.
Sorry for the essay!
It was mainly just to get my confidence back after breaking my collar bone, but Pepper jumped amazingly!
We did the open SJ (against about 20 people) & I wasn't expecting to get past the 1st round as SJ is Pepper's crappest phase by far!
But he went in a beautiful rhythm and met everything perfectly apart from an upright which he got quite close to, and usually he would have knocked that down, but today he picked his little feet up really quickly and cleared it by miles!
So got through to the jump-off & thought out my route with mum, then went in and he did another lovely round - you couldn't fault him & we had everyone cheering us on
He had a brill time of 39secs, we have a slight advantage over the rest of the seniors cause he's so nippy!
Waited for the results to hear we were 1st!! 2nd was on 42secs so we were pretty far in the lead
And that was Pepper's first EVER red rossette!
Absolutely chuffed with him!
Mum said she'd never seen him jump so well - I think it is mainly down to his canter improving so much recently, he's always in a really nice, constant rhythm now - compared to when we bought him 2 & a half years ago when he wouldn't even canter a circle & motorbike round corners!
Onto the derby where we weren't so lucky, but it was my fault!
It was the same course as the open SJ, but with an extra few fences including a sizeable bench/chair on 4 strides to an upright over a ditch, then some planks uphill on a VERY tight turn to a step down, then another set of planks on 10 yards from the bank.
Pepper was clear all through til the last set of planks!
I wasn't expecting him to jump so far off the bank & didn't push enough for a long stride, so he put a tiny one in & just tapped the planks which came down
Everyone watching went 'oooooh!!!'
So didn't get through to the jump off in that, but only about 3/15 did!
Overall, immensly happy with his progress & my confidence has definitely returned
That'll probably catch up with me tomorrow LOL.
Sorry for the essay!
