only_me
Well-Known Member
So first of all, hello everyone 
we havent evented in a while and so were a bit rusty, we have really only been doing showjumping and dressage separate and as combined training comps so to say horse was hankering for some galloping would be an understatement
So Nice event, new to me and horse, and I knew the xc track would be strong as it is used as one of the lead ups to a 1* here.
So first off, the dreaded stressage! He warmed up nice enough, was fantastic in walk where he started to (Finally) stretch down into the contact, but he forgot about that in the test
It was ok, not great, not too bad, and summed up by my dressage judging friend
It looked a bit like Do we really have to? Oh, ok then
But with a score of 36.7 I was very happy as thats one of our best scores so far and we are definitely improving and I am starting to be able to ride a test! Its only taken 9 years or so
The jumping was next, course was odd, up to height but felt a lot smaller than the jumping at champs!! So we were a bit Blasé about it; but thankfully we jumped a nice clear
So the xc we were trialling a new bit, a straight bar flexible rubber sided snaffle. Oh, and the course was 5mins 44 seconds, nice gentle starter back into the way of things
eek
Well, the first fence was a tiny log off an awkward turn start to a hole in the hedge fence to a stone gorse fence. Got a bit cross here with him as he wasnt paying attention to the fences and wouldnt go (he was having a nice jolly in the park ) but after a quick discussion he decided it would be in his best interests to concentrate for 5 minutes
So next was difficult fence, a big table in the hedge line to a hidden Big white corner off 5 curved strides Merlin flew the table and popped the corner nicely
Then over 2 angled pheasant feeders and over a table decorated with carrots, cabbages and parsnips, long gallop up the field to another combination of a calf hut skinny, 3 short strides to a roll top then 3 short strides to another calf hut skinny on the turn jumped quite nicely through
Then downhill over a big dyke trakener, to a big fallen log, very tight turn right 3 short strides to a log perched on top of a quarry into water had to really ride here as horse wouldnt see water until last moment, through the water and up steep hill to a very skinny (burhley-esque type) log. In fact, the whole combo screamed mini burhley But he jumped it sweetly enough, even if I wasnt quite so tidy on top
Then up another hill to a (what was a ) birch hedge parallel, over a stone wall (at an acute angle steering wasnt great at this stage perhaps he took our discussion seriously ) and jumped a big brush at the top of the hill again I wanted to jump through the cut gap, but Merlin decided that was too boring mummy and decided to jump the uncut bit
Then over a drop palisade downhill to a very odd log/bank fence, then over a log straight into the water and out over a skinny log to the right, popped (or scuttered) over a white wall, down the hill over a stone wall/log fence, jumped the tiger trap well (he did, me not so much )
The through another combo of 2 upright gates and up hill to a very odd corner bank you could either jump it or bank it! I decided to jump it, but had half a mind that merlin would probably bank it so didnt ride overly fast so he could see what it was and I was right he banked it Irish style
The downhill to a step up to big brush roller, over a stone cart and through the finish!
I was happy to go clear, but also very depressed as the watch said I was a minute and a half over the time 36 ish time penalties
Which continued for a while until I realised I couldnt have been that slow as I did at least gallop the 2nd half of the course
That was, until I realised I didnt remember setting the watch to 5.54 (10 secs to start) and thought I had it at 4.54
Duh!! Turns out I had 10 time penalties (not great either but a hell of a lot better than 36!!)
This is the the back of no.2, and then me (I need to go on a diet)
(humpf. Him enjoying his jolly in the park)
So yes, not a very fast report but we jumped another double clear which means another shiney point, and we were also 8th which is great
So one more point to go before we can enter an Intermediate I know there is no way we will make the time (he just jumps too big over every fence = 1 second lost per fence which unfortunately adds up) but we are doing it just for fun
Sorry about the longest report ever, and will post the pro pics when they go up
Thanks for reading Um, last bits of salted chilli chicken and noddles up for grabs
we havent evented in a while and so were a bit rusty, we have really only been doing showjumping and dressage separate and as combined training comps so to say horse was hankering for some galloping would be an understatement
So Nice event, new to me and horse, and I knew the xc track would be strong as it is used as one of the lead ups to a 1* here.
So first off, the dreaded stressage! He warmed up nice enough, was fantastic in walk where he started to (Finally) stretch down into the contact, but he forgot about that in the test
It was ok, not great, not too bad, and summed up by my dressage judging friend
It looked a bit like Do we really have to? Oh, ok then
But with a score of 36.7 I was very happy as thats one of our best scores so far and we are definitely improving and I am starting to be able to ride a test! Its only taken 9 years or so
The jumping was next, course was odd, up to height but felt a lot smaller than the jumping at champs!! So we were a bit Blasé about it; but thankfully we jumped a nice clear
So the xc we were trialling a new bit, a straight bar flexible rubber sided snaffle. Oh, and the course was 5mins 44 seconds, nice gentle starter back into the way of things
eekWell, the first fence was a tiny log off an awkward turn start to a hole in the hedge fence to a stone gorse fence. Got a bit cross here with him as he wasnt paying attention to the fences and wouldnt go (he was having a nice jolly in the park ) but after a quick discussion he decided it would be in his best interests to concentrate for 5 minutes
So next was difficult fence, a big table in the hedge line to a hidden Big white corner off 5 curved strides Merlin flew the table and popped the corner nicely
Then over 2 angled pheasant feeders and over a table decorated with carrots, cabbages and parsnips, long gallop up the field to another combination of a calf hut skinny, 3 short strides to a roll top then 3 short strides to another calf hut skinny on the turn jumped quite nicely through
Then downhill over a big dyke trakener, to a big fallen log, very tight turn right 3 short strides to a log perched on top of a quarry into water had to really ride here as horse wouldnt see water until last moment, through the water and up steep hill to a very skinny (burhley-esque type) log. In fact, the whole combo screamed mini burhley
But he jumped it sweetly enough, even if I wasnt quite so tidy on top Then up another hill to a (what was a ) birch hedge parallel, over a stone wall (at an acute angle steering wasnt great at this stage perhaps he took our discussion seriously
) and jumped a big brush at the top of the hill again I wanted to jump through the cut gap, but Merlin decided that was too boring mummy and decided to jump the uncut bit Then over a drop palisade downhill to a very odd log/bank fence, then over a log straight into the water and out over a skinny log to the right, popped (or scuttered) over a white wall, down the hill over a stone wall/log fence, jumped the tiger trap well (he did, me not so much )
The through another combo of 2 upright gates and up hill to a very odd corner bank you could either jump it or bank it! I decided to jump it, but had half a mind that merlin would probably bank it so didnt ride overly fast so he could see what it was and I was right he banked it Irish style
The downhill to a step up to big brush roller, over a stone cart and through the finish!
I was happy to go clear, but also very depressed as the watch said I was a minute and a half over the time 36 ish time penalties
Which continued for a while until I realised I couldnt have been that slow as I did at least gallop the 2nd half of the course
That was, until I realised I didnt remember setting the watch to 5.54 (10 secs to start) and thought I had it at 4.54
Duh!! Turns out I had 10 time penalties (not great either but a hell of a lot better than 36!!)
This is the the back of no.2, and then me (I need to go on a diet)
(humpf. Him enjoying his jolly in the park)
So yes, not a very fast report but we jumped another double clear which means another shiney point, and we were also 8th which is great
So one more point to go before we can enter an Intermediate I know there is no way we will make the time (he just jumps too big over every fence = 1 second lost per fence which unfortunately adds up) but we are doing it just for fun
Sorry about the longest report ever, and will post the pro pics when they go up
Thanks for reading
Um, last bits of salted chilli chicken and noddles up for grabs 
