Soap's Newbury County Show report - He only went and bloomin' WON!!!!!!!!!!!

Chloe_GHE

Chloe_GHE

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I'm still smiling! :) :) :) :) :) and I can't believe it's because I've been showing!!!!!

I have categorically NEVER felt so out of my depth and out of place in my life as when we turned up in the car park at Newbury! I really don't think I grasped the true scale and importance of the show when I entered it online, I could feel myself shrinking as we walked to the sec tent as I noticed no stocks, no skull caps, and absolutely NO orange saddles!!!!! Yikes!

We did our best to spruce him up, and I toddled off to the warm up to let him see all the action which included a VERY loud steel drum band right next to our ring, and several whirling fairground rides. Soap couldn't give a hoot about any of this instead he spooked at the plain rustic 5 bar gate I asked him to walk through, special horse!

We had spotted (mother and I) that lots of peeps had helpers touching up their horses, preening and priming so not to be out done, my mum started to empty my hand bag poised to fill it with brushes and cloths!!!! I managed to talk her out of it, and we found a spare bucket to use instead! :)

I went in the arena, mindful to not go 1st as I needed to watch at least 2 other people's shows as I had prepared nothing. In fact preparation from TEAM GHE for this was minimal to say the least Soap was last ridden on Saturday before his Physio on Monday then he ended up having all week off because I was away with work! Still he's pretty chilled and felt really good and supple and swinging from his time off, so I'm going to claim it was all part of my winning formula! ;)

We walked trotted and cantered round large on each rein and he was fab he didn't look at all the hubbub and he only went a little tense past the steel band the first few times, but soon settled :) The judge then pulled us in for the prelim line up and we were 3rd! Crikey I was thinking that's bloomin good imagine if we stayed 3rd!!!! I was happily sitting there running through in my brain what I had to inc in my show when the other riders started to get off.....ummmmm what?....

Turns out I had TOTALLY READ THE WRONG CLASS SPEC and this one involved the judge riding, and a confo trot up. Ooooops! I copied everyone else and put my stirrups down, then out of the corner of my eye I saw my mum bustling across the arena. My instant thought was 'oh no oh god what's she doing?.... she's not allowed in here, oh how embarrassing' then I saw some other grooms also coming over, and a wave of relief hit me as I realised this was apparently par for the course! Durrr :)

The judge (John Conifey) mounted Soap and off he went, and before I knew it I had a microphone in my face and was being interviewed!!!! By this point I realised that the best tactic in a situation where you have no idea what's going on is to blag it, so I happily chattered away to the compare guy whilst Soap was being put through his paces behind me, then he came back a bit puffed and looking almost as baffled as me! :)

Next up people started removing tack so cue me and mother doing the same, and throwing in some frantic sweat mark brushing for good measure. I walked over to the confo judge (Cindy Sims) and stood Soap up and for once he stood square and didn't fidget, she then said 'ok off you go' to which I replied 'sorry, what do you want me to do?' Honestly she must have thought I was a simpleton! So off we went walked out trotted back, back to the line to re-tack and get on

At this stage I was just reeling, sitting there thinking 'well that wasn't quite what I had planned, but I think it went ok' We walked back out large after a bit of 'standing pretty' and wandered about whilst the judge made his final decision. Next thing I know is the lady with the clip board is summoning me to come in, and I thought they must be doing reverse order, awww drat :( But the girl next on said a massive congrats to me and finally the penny dropped!!!!! WE HAD WON!!!!!!! :) :) :)

I sat there beaming, and was still in shock when they came to hand out our prizes, and Cindy Sims eventually had to put my rosette on for me because I was being so kack handed about it!!! We got 2 frillies the main one a lovely dark green :) £50 Tesco voucher and a ROR jacket which also just happens to be GHE Green!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

We whizzed off on our lap of honour and I felt so proud it was a moment to rival our 10th/11th place at Larkhill, and my mum was so astonished she hugged the lady next to her who was also grooming and had given her tips on what to do :) :) :)

Turns out we have qualified for the ROR Champs now at Hickstead in June 2011!!!!!! and Amanda my instructor is already on the case in search for blinging brown bands and an 'appropriate' saddle to borrow!!!!!!

The best bit of the day was when they came to award us our placing and the judge said he had given us 1st because Soap had given him the nicest ride and he was impressed with how well he was schooled, and that he was the only horse in a snaffle :) :) :) He may not be a red hot eventer, and sometimes that bl**dy sjing really does get me down so it was so nice for Soap to get some recognition for what he IS good at which is just being the most honest, straight fwd, polite little horse I've ever had. So 3 cheers to Soap 'hip hip horray' I told him this morning whilst he was eating his brekkie that he's now 'king of the racehorses' and he just farted and walked off so I take that as he's pretty pleased too :) :) :)

lots of pic, video, and more waffle on my blog - http://www.gifthorseeventing.co.uk/2010/09/soap-wins-the-royal-county-of-berkshire-show.html


and I have to say showing peeps are really nice when I came out the arena loads of them stopped and said well done and even the racers waiting to go in the next class congratulated Soap. :)

I only have very limited supplied to offer atm I'm afraid but you can have something nice later once I've been to Tescos with my voucher, tonight supper is on Soap! :)
 
Massive congratulations! I usually go to Newbury show but missed it this year - any other year I'd have seen you! Cindy Sims is a very well known judge (her mother taught me side saddle many years ago and her sister is my back person!) - so no mean feat to win under her. Will you do more showing now? :)
 
Wow, wow, wow! Congratulations! He looks gorgeous in the vid, a well desrved win and just goes to show that a good horse is a good horse, whatever you do with it!
 
camilla4 said:
Will you do more showing now? :)
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Deffo doing the champs, think it will be a fun wkend and nice experience to have. Have been to Hickstead 3 time for sch jumping things so keen to go back, but as for more showing.....hhhhmmmm...... not sure I only entered this because I thought it would be good 'big venue' experience for him I had no expectation even of being placed let alone win!
 
lindsayH said:
Wow, wow, wow! Congratulations! He looks gorgeous in the vid, a well desrved win and just goes to show that a good horse is a good horse, whatever you do with it!
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Thank you, my very helpful OH got the footage he was encouraged by the promise of a beer afterwards! I think Soap had heard he might be on the transfer list because Dustry was sticking around so thought he better pull something special out of the bag to secure his place! :)
 
Well done, and he does look smart, definitely the best one there by far. By the way, the bridle is a hunter style, which is great for my meathead of a cob, but not for a tb, and the saddle is made for a fatty, which your tb definitely aint.

I know totally how you feel to be out of your depth out showing, been, there, seen it and got the t shirt and yes, beat all those snobby buggers out there who sneered at my little 14.3hh cob in a snaffle (yes have dont it as well). Go on Soap, go and show them how its done.
 
Totally brilliant, love the report. Beginner's Luck holding true then. ;) ;)
I just love the thought of you being called in first with a totally miserable face because you though it was in reverse order. I bet the girl who congratulated you was nearly blinded by the sudden turning on of a megawatt smile!
Brilliantly well done to have turned out such a well-schooled boy in a snaffle, who obviously gave the judge a really super ride. Excellent. I'd stick to the orange saddle if I were you, if it was comfy for the judge's bum, and Soap went well in it!
 
kerilli said:
Brilliantly well done to have turned out such a well-schooled boy in a snaffle, who obviously gave the judge a really super ride. Excellent. I'd stick to the orange saddle if I were you, if it was comfy for the judge's bum, and Soap went well in it!
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Yeah I'm in 2 minds about changing his saddle for the champ, but it's quite a way off so hopefully something suitable will turn up. He likes what he goes in (light saddle, big padded poll on bridle, NS snaffle) that's why I din't swap him I have a pelham but he used to xc in that then as he got more schooled it became too much for him so now it's gathering dust.

Hopefully we can find a nice black dressage saddle I can borrow, and I'll just put my leather reins on and buy a bling green and white brown band. Not even sure if black tack on a dark bay is 'correct'!!!! I have a feeling I'm going to be bamboozed by it all :)
 
Well, you've done okay being bamboozled thus far. ;)

Well done! Not just for the results but for producing such a lovely boy who not only took all the newness in his stride but produced his best. Big pats all around. :)
 
Welldone! Better get the sissors and pretty browband out!
I watched the class last year and it was carnage! The judge fell off one horse!
 
Ayla84 said:
Well done, you must be super chuffed!!! lots of carrots for soap now :)
Just looked at piccies, i quite like your orange saddle :P
lots of bling browbands on here, http://www.showstoppersbrowbands.co.uk/ very very bling!
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Crikey! Really? that bling my goodness I will have to wear sunglasses, where can I get just a simple green and white velvet one?....
 
charlie76 said:
Welldone! Better get the sissors and pretty browband out!
I watched the class last year and it was carnage! The judge fell off one horse!
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hahahahhaha poor judge, he was pretty brave imho to get on and hoon them about like he did, I couldn't really watch much of that but I did see one horse who he was trying to gallop just sort of go zig zaging up the long side
 
Well done. Another nice bit is that in a few weeks you will get a cheque for more money from Newbury Show as there is their prize money as well as the ROR stuff.
 
Well done you and Soap.

You want to go and have a look at Crystal Browbands too. I have a custom one from them, its quite gorgeous (if you are into showing of course!)
 
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