Teenage beginners - good vids & encouraging ideas pls!!

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diddy

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Hi all,

My 13 year-old had his first ever show jumping experience this morning. I'm so proud of him, but he was really upset as he went the wrong way & got eliminated :(

To help him feel better, could anyone point me in the direction of some good videos of professional riders doing something just as silly to reassure him it can happen to any of us..?! I had a look on youtube but can't seem to find anything other than a lot of people falling off!

Also, although he was a superstar right up to the point of getting eliminated, I felt rotten for him as pretty much all the other kids in his beginners class weren't what I would call beginners. They had all obviously been riding for years rather than months & were really good whizzing around the course on proper jumping ponies. Although he had some lessons when he was tiny, my son has only really starting riding this summer so is still a bit wobbly & does very well to get our pretty chunky cob off the ground at all as he's not really built for leaving it :) I was wondering if those of you with late-starting teenagers had any encouraging words about events or activities he could be doing, given that he's at the stage with his riding that a lot of kids have been through being much younger..?

I'm just so chuffed he's doing it at all, & he's really enjoying his riding at home. I thought it'd be nice for him to get out & about but I don't want him to be put off before he gets going..! Or should we just stay home until he's a bit more confident? Any ideas at all would be really helpful as I just want him to have some fun & jumping seems to be his thing!

Thanks everyone!!

D. x
 
It's just one of those things. Starting before the bell was one of my red faced moments. He should put it behind him, chalk it down to experience and carry on. Stick to clear round for a while, then he can have another go if he gets it wrong. Also, if a competition, did he walk the course? That is something you will certainly see the 'big names' doing. Watching other competitors jump the course, and discussing their approach and angles to the fence can also help fix the route in your mind. I think they used to say that mishaps like this are 'character forming'!
 
Well i am not a recognised famous showjumper in europe, but i was in africa back in the 1970's and 1980's, even competeted for my country when rhodesia became zimbabwe and we finally had other countries to compete against, and i won individual for zambia, whilst the team came 3rd, and after not riding for over 20 years, i competed my ex racehorse and when it came to the jump off, i went in there all brazen i can do this, and guess what after the 2nd fence i couldnt remember the rest of the jump off course, i did remember and made sure i didnt cross my lines but it meant i came 3rd due to time faults, so tell him it happens to the best of us and only doing it regularly is what keeps our minds tuned in to remembering things like dressage tests and show jumping courses. I was realy annoyed with myself.
 
I can't remember which top female event rider forgot her dressage test halfway through...

And I once attempted fence no 1 from the wrong side, was allowed to restart, and was eliminated at fence no 2!
 
I was at Olympia once and Ellen W came in thinking she was gods gift to show jumping..... After a massive stop she then jumped the wrong fence!!!!!!

She left red faced, head down and kicking her horse to kingdom come!
It happens to us all......and next time he won't forget!!!!
 
Bettina Hoy went through the start bell wrong at the 2004 Olympics (eventing SJ phase) and cost herself individual gold, and Germany team gold...

I'd say join up to a nice PC and get involved with all they offer. Join one which has boys/ novices of a similar age (phone round and ask the DCs!) and join him up- it's amazing how much your peers can inspire you to push yourself and improve.
 
Hi everyone. Thanks for your ideas (& for sharing your trauma there Putasocinit!) He's feeling a bit better about it now & he's going to try a couple more clear rounds in before he gets too competitive :)

D. x
 
Get him to try lots of different ways to remember the course...by number, colour, visualise himself riding it, draw it out on paper etc

I always found it helped to walk the course, then stand at the entrant to the ring and look at all the lines I'm going to ride and go over each colour of the jumps I'm going over......
 
Well done on him doing a jumping show since only riding the summer! ! I wouldn't sugar coat things, but reassure that these things happen to everyone , if he wants to do more shows there will be ups and downs. My 6 nearly 7 yr old will be doing some show jumping the winter season and i take her to a local venue couple times a month and let her walk the mini/midi/maxi course and she generally gets to grips with learning the course watching a couple of riders jump after walking the course . She also watches a huge amount of horse and country lol, anything jumping related and can generally remember first 8 jumps or so , so if you have sky get some show jumping recorded:)
 
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