MandyMoo
Well-Known Member
Popped Socks over to VV today for the 95cm Bluechip qualifier and aimed to do the 95cm open warmup class beforehand, and maybe do the Discovery afterwards. Well....they got through the classes very fast because by 11am as we arrived they were about to start the Bluechip qualifier (class 3!) so I had little choice but to go straight in at that........
Quickly walked the course upon arrival and I was suspicious that it wasn't 95cm and was definitely a good up to height 1m course ...and I have yet to go straight into a 1m class with Socks without a warmup class (plus it had a big fat water tray in it) so I was a little nervous... Waited for about half the class to jump (there was about 50/60 in it I think) and then put my number down towards the end and went to warm him up. Well my friend who came with us has a horse who is a rather highly strung traveller, and so Socks was rather fresh and wound up when I got on - definitely not like him, he is the donkey of all donkeys!!!
So he needed a fair bit of warming up to settle him down, and I popped a few fences a bit on the speedy side but manageable. Went in for the qualifier and my goodness it was carnage (ok I exaggerate....on the video recording it isn't that bad, he jumps the majority of them fine) but I did have 12 faults; two down and a run out. I had barely any control...he was enjoying himself far too much and was locking onto every fence in his sight! haha, what a nightmare - the run out was simply lack of control and he just flew past the fence..and the two down were because he jumped flat due to the speed. He nearly jumped me out of the saddle over the water tray too....nearly lost my rein and just maaged to quickly re-gather myself before the next fence! So no bluechip qualification for us..........!!! hahaha ah well, in hindsight I really should've got their early and done the warm up class first...but hey ho you live and learn! He isn't usually a mad man so I thought he'd be fine....nevermind!
To be honest he was then a lot more settled for the discovery - which was also very up to height and single phase so we did both the first round and the jump off despite having two down..oops! But to be frank, I don't mind about those two down as he barely touched them, and he felt absolutely fab. Because he was so lively and fresh today (he lives in now and is a lot fitter due to me having more time to ride him recently) after his sillyness had gone in the first class, his energy was much more controllable in the discovery, and I felt like I really had him under me with his hocks engaged, and I could contain all the power, sit up and push him forwards from behind - its a great feeling up to a fence, and is something that I really struggle to get with Socks as he is naturally laid back and naturally built a bit on the forehand...
So overall a bit of a naff day...12 faults and then 8 faults...BUUUUT I got a nice photo (its arriving in the post sometime next week) and despite the first class feeling horrendous we;
a) went straight in at prettymuch 1m which we've never done before as a pair so that's a step up,
b) he was very forward and loving life, really enjoying himself - as was I,
c) the discovery felt fab and he was jumping out of his skin (and nearly me out of the saddle he was basculing so well! haha)
Onwards and upwards! I'll have a go at the Discovery Bluechip qualifier in a couple of weeks, you never know
I highly highly doubt i'll qualify....but if I don't enter it my chances of qualifying are 0! May as well give it a go :biggrin3:
Apologies I have no videos as the discovery video was sadly really blurry and you can barely see anything (actually quite annoyed about that as it was a really good round and I'd have liked to see it..) and the video from the first class is a bit embarassing!!! hahaha
Hope everyone is well! Thanks for reading
Quickly walked the course upon arrival and I was suspicious that it wasn't 95cm and was definitely a good up to height 1m course ...and I have yet to go straight into a 1m class with Socks without a warmup class (plus it had a big fat water tray in it) so I was a little nervous... Waited for about half the class to jump (there was about 50/60 in it I think) and then put my number down towards the end and went to warm him up. Well my friend who came with us has a horse who is a rather highly strung traveller, and so Socks was rather fresh and wound up when I got on - definitely not like him, he is the donkey of all donkeys!!!
So he needed a fair bit of warming up to settle him down, and I popped a few fences a bit on the speedy side but manageable. Went in for the qualifier and my goodness it was carnage (ok I exaggerate....on the video recording it isn't that bad, he jumps the majority of them fine) but I did have 12 faults; two down and a run out. I had barely any control...he was enjoying himself far too much and was locking onto every fence in his sight! haha, what a nightmare - the run out was simply lack of control and he just flew past the fence..and the two down were because he jumped flat due to the speed. He nearly jumped me out of the saddle over the water tray too....nearly lost my rein and just maaged to quickly re-gather myself before the next fence! So no bluechip qualification for us..........!!! hahaha ah well, in hindsight I really should've got their early and done the warm up class first...but hey ho you live and learn! He isn't usually a mad man so I thought he'd be fine....nevermind!
To be honest he was then a lot more settled for the discovery - which was also very up to height and single phase so we did both the first round and the jump off despite having two down..oops! But to be frank, I don't mind about those two down as he barely touched them, and he felt absolutely fab. Because he was so lively and fresh today (he lives in now and is a lot fitter due to me having more time to ride him recently) after his sillyness had gone in the first class, his energy was much more controllable in the discovery, and I felt like I really had him under me with his hocks engaged, and I could contain all the power, sit up and push him forwards from behind - its a great feeling up to a fence, and is something that I really struggle to get with Socks as he is naturally laid back and naturally built a bit on the forehand...
So overall a bit of a naff day...12 faults and then 8 faults...BUUUUT I got a nice photo (its arriving in the post sometime next week) and despite the first class feeling horrendous we;
a) went straight in at prettymuch 1m which we've never done before as a pair so that's a step up,
b) he was very forward and loving life, really enjoying himself - as was I,
c) the discovery felt fab and he was jumping out of his skin (and nearly me out of the saddle he was basculing so well! haha)
Onwards and upwards! I'll have a go at the Discovery Bluechip qualifier in a couple of weeks, you never know
I highly highly doubt i'll qualify....but if I don't enter it my chances of qualifying are 0! May as well give it a go :biggrin3:Apologies I have no videos as the discovery video was sadly really blurry and you can barely see anything (actually quite annoyed about that as it was a really good round and I'd have liked to see it..) and the video from the first class is a bit embarassing!!! hahaha
Hope everyone is well! Thanks for reading
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