Lolo
Well-Known Member
Today, Team Reggie set off at the crack of dawn (6am. Seriously... Not a fan!) to have what was hopefully going to be a confidence boosting run at a low-pressure event. Arrived and pottered round the XC course, decided it was a lovely course with plenty to make Reg think despite being 90cm, rather than the 1m he's been doing recently.
He warmed up for the dressage beautifully, he improves every time out now and he was soft and supple and really moving well. The warm up area was heaving but he didn't bat an eyelid at various ponies flying about- he's so focussed and calm now it's just lovely
Unfortunately, the arena was slightly delayed and the warm up was already pushing the boundaries of where he's happy so by the time he got to the test he'd tightened up a little bit behind. This is an issue we're very aware of, as is his instructor, his physio and the vet and the advice is to keep working with him as Al does, building up his stamina. It's working, and he is so much better but he does get slightly inconsistent behind when he's tired. We've still not got any Vetrofen as well which isn't helping!
The judge spoke to Al at the end of her test about this, and was satisfied with Al's response and was very understanding. In the comments, she said she felt she really couldn't give him the top marks due to the inconsistency but once that was resolved every 7 would be an 8. So he was on a 31, nearly straight 7s with an 8 or two as well- this is SO promising... Sub 30s suddenly seem like a real possibility rather than a distant dream!
Love this photo, he is such a gorgeous boy (so biased!)
Onto the SJ after a very quick change and everyone was slightly apprehensive. The new technique has been working brilliantly and the course would be a good test as it was causing no end of problems. There was a bank, lots of interesting turns and a very long-strided double... Fregs warmed up sweetly, and blow me down did the most lovely round! Two very unlucky poles- the second part of the double, where he did the 2.5 strides it walked absolutely perfectly and found himself knee deep in poles... Oops! He was very clever and got nearly all his legs out the way but the 4th wasn't quite quick enough. Did the bank complex really well, despite there being ample opportunity for SJ Skittles, and then rubbed the last fence which came down. There were very few clears though, and he jumped very well with no arguments or fussing- many polos for him
In the warm up, a video of the round is at the end. He was so good!
Finally, the best bit and Reggie was, as ever, the ultimate XC machine. He stormed round making mincemeat of a course which was causing a lot of stops. Flew the angled houses, the dog-leg coffin, the bank to a skinny, the water complex, the isolated pimple fence (a previous nemesis!)... And was cruising for the most beautiful clear. Locked onto the penultimate fence, a corner, and flew it.
(caused no end of stops!)
You can't deny how adorable he is! He was storming round having one of those amazing rounds where absolutely everything goes well and every fence is just right.
However, Al didn't quite make the corner... A low-hanging branch caught her in the face, and pretty much wiped her off a stride before the fence!!! They made it over the corner as almost-one, and Reg saw his next fence and began to turn to it. Al, however, was busy performing a 180 flip up the neck and over his ears She hit the ground with a thump, Reg high-tailed it to mum and her first fall of the year was over. Hopped back on, jumped the last to finish well.
Note the desperate attempt to keep hold of Reg- she's a proper PC girl All those years of ponies who'd sod off as soon as you hit the ground taught her well....
[youtube]zGHFxPfVQJQ&feature=youtube_gdata[/youtube]
Gutted doesn't even cover it right now for Al as she feels she let him down. We keep telling her it doesn't count as it was a freak accident rather than anything going wrong, and in her head it should be a lovely clear round. She's pleased as punch with him though and he's eaten his bodyweight in polos
Was also lovely to meet dafthoss and the rather awesome Yellow Pony, who I am going to have to pony-steal at some point!
Also, Baby Bee is going SO well!
Loving her cuddles...
And being super grown up in the field. She had her first proper lesson (and was much-approved of, and worked her socks off with NO SPOOKING!), first solo hack (brave pony, she likes her 'string' to follow) and is merrily popping 70cm confidently. And objecting violently to ever touching a pole!
All is good in the land of Team Racehorse it seems
He warmed up for the dressage beautifully, he improves every time out now and he was soft and supple and really moving well. The warm up area was heaving but he didn't bat an eyelid at various ponies flying about- he's so focussed and calm now it's just lovely
Unfortunately, the arena was slightly delayed and the warm up was already pushing the boundaries of where he's happy so by the time he got to the test he'd tightened up a little bit behind. This is an issue we're very aware of, as is his instructor, his physio and the vet and the advice is to keep working with him as Al does, building up his stamina. It's working, and he is so much better but he does get slightly inconsistent behind when he's tired. We've still not got any Vetrofen as well which isn't helping!
The judge spoke to Al at the end of her test about this, and was satisfied with Al's response and was very understanding. In the comments, she said she felt she really couldn't give him the top marks due to the inconsistency but once that was resolved every 7 would be an 8. So he was on a 31, nearly straight 7s with an 8 or two as well- this is SO promising... Sub 30s suddenly seem like a real possibility rather than a distant dream!
Love this photo, he is such a gorgeous boy
(so biased!)Onto the SJ after a very quick change and everyone was slightly apprehensive. The new technique has been working brilliantly and the course would be a good test as it was causing no end of problems. There was a bank, lots of interesting turns and a very long-strided double... Fregs warmed up sweetly, and blow me down did the most lovely round! Two very unlucky poles- the second part of the double, where he did the 2.5 strides it walked absolutely perfectly and found himself knee deep in poles... Oops! He was very clever and got nearly all his legs out the way but the 4th wasn't quite quick enough. Did the bank complex really well, despite there being ample opportunity for SJ Skittles, and then rubbed the last fence which came down. There were very few clears though, and he jumped very well with no arguments or fussing- many polos for him
In the warm up, a video of the round is at the end. He was so good!
Finally, the best bit and Reggie was, as ever, the ultimate XC machine. He stormed round making mincemeat of a course which was causing a lot of stops. Flew the angled houses, the dog-leg coffin, the bank to a skinny, the water complex, the isolated pimple fence (a previous nemesis!)... And was cruising for the most beautiful clear. Locked onto the penultimate fence, a corner, and flew it.
(caused no end of stops!)
You can't deny how adorable he is! He was storming round having one of those amazing rounds where absolutely everything goes well and every fence is just right.
However, Al didn't quite make the corner... A low-hanging branch caught her in the face, and pretty much wiped her off a stride before the fence!!! They made it over the corner as almost-one, and Reg saw his next fence and began to turn to it. Al, however, was busy performing a 180 flip up the neck and over his ears
She hit the ground with a thump, Reg high-tailed it to mum and her first fall of the year was over. Hopped back on, jumped the last to finish well.
Note the desperate attempt to keep hold of Reg- she's a proper PC girl
All those years of ponies who'd sod off as soon as you hit the ground taught her well....[youtube]zGHFxPfVQJQ&feature=youtube_gdata[/youtube]
Gutted doesn't even cover it right now for Al as she feels she let him down. We keep telling her it doesn't count as it was a freak accident rather than anything going wrong, and in her head it should be a lovely clear round. She's pleased as punch with him though and he's eaten his bodyweight in polos
Was also lovely to meet dafthoss and the rather awesome Yellow Pony, who I am going to have to pony-steal at some point!
Also, Baby Bee is going SO well!
Loving her cuddles...
And being super grown up in the field. She had her first proper lesson (and was much-approved of, and worked her socks off with NO SPOOKING!), first solo hack (brave pony, she likes her 'string' to follow) and is merrily popping 70cm confidently. And objecting violently to ever touching a pole!
All is good in the land of Team Racehorse it seems
