_MizElz_
Well-Known Member
We did our first ODE today. I'd had a few worries about it - the height was bigger than the hunter trial - thusfar our only XC experience - that we did two weeks ago. We also had to do dressage - never a forte of Ellie and I - as well as conquering all our SJ demons...
She warmed up beautifully for the dressage; she felt really light in my hands and was very responsive - far more than normal! I started to think we might be about to pull something semi-extraordinary (at least by our standards!) out of the bag...but then was brought back down to earth with a bump. White dressage boards = onset of equine terror! White dressage markers = excuse to turn head purposefully in other direction and bend outwards rather than inwards...
However, in spite of a slight keenness issue in walk (she broke into trot when I asked her to stretch down, which I was gutted about as walk is usually a strong point 
) she actually did a pretty sweet test. Her canter was greatly improved from previous efforts in past years - we actually got a 7 for her first canter! Rest of the marks were 6s with a couple of 5s and a 4 for the walk. Very pleased - 44 in total, which put us slap bang in the middle of the scores (lowest I saw was 31, highest 57).
Onto the showjumping....this was the thing I was most worried about. She warmed up nicely and popped a couple of practice fences (I HATE practice fences
) and we went in ahead of schedule as no one else was around. I trotted her right around the ring first, then chose the most godawful line into the first fence Poor Ellie...she had to put a horrid jump in, but the main thing was that we got over it. Second fence was much better, and she began to settle a bit as we went on (although the little devil backed off the planks - never normally an issue!) We went clear, and I came out like this 
We were about half an hour ahead of schedule, but it was so lovely and laid back that they were happy for me to go XC almost straight away. Again, we warmed up nicely over some simple fences, then set off on the course. She flew the first line - there were five fences all in a line down the side of the field, and it rode really beautifully. Then onto a scary blue train fence which she put a massive jump over, then a combination of rails with a dip which was a bit hairy as she got very deep to the second one! She flew the next couple - a wall and a couple of logs going up onto a bank, and then we got to my favourite, a lovely barrel jump that felt awesome to go over. The only prob was, the barrels were only a few strides from the water, and as I checked her after the jump to bring her back to me, her eyes started popping out and she completely dug her toes in. The bottom line was, there was no WAY she was going to jump into that water! I kept trying to coax her in, but we were eliminated The judges let us walk through down the slope though, so we were then able to finish the course which was fab, as she got back into her stride and really flew the rest of them!
I am really, really chuffed with her She was such a star, a real pleasure to take out as always. It is ironic that today is the only time we have EVER been eliminated - I retired in the ring a couple of times when we used to show jump but we were never eliminated. But hey ho - she did everything perfectly except the water, so we just need a bit more practice! 
These are my favourite pics (courtesy of JNB Photography) - I will post the others in the PG in a bit!
Fence two in the show jumping (never thought I'd ever have an SJ photo of us again!)
The lovely barrels:
When we eventually made it into the water, this was how keen she was to get out!!!!
Just cant wait for the next one now; am gutted as I think I have to wait a month before anything else is on in this area!
She warmed up beautifully for the dressage; she felt really light in my hands and was very responsive - far more than normal! I started to think we might be about to pull something semi-extraordinary (at least by our standards!) out of the bag...but then was brought back down to earth with a bump. White dressage boards = onset of equine terror! White dressage markers = excuse to turn head purposefully in other direction and bend outwards rather than inwards...
However, in spite of a slight keenness issue in walk (she broke into trot when I asked her to stretch down, which I was gutted about as walk is usually a strong point ) she actually did a pretty sweet test. Her canter was greatly improved from previous efforts in past years - we actually got a 7 for her first canter! Rest of the marks were 6s with a couple of 5s and a 4 for the walk. Very pleased - 44 in total, which put us slap bang in the middle of the scores (lowest I saw was 31, highest 57). Onto the showjumping....this was the thing I was most worried about. She warmed up nicely and popped a couple of practice fences (I HATE practice fences
) and we went in ahead of schedule as no one else was around. I trotted her right around the ring first, then chose the most godawful line into the first fence Poor Ellie...she had to put a horrid jump in, but the main thing was that we got over it. Second fence was much better, and she began to settle a bit as we went on (although the little devil backed off the planks - never normally an issue!) We went clear, and I came out like this We were about half an hour ahead of schedule, but it was so lovely and laid back that they were happy for me to go XC almost straight away. Again, we warmed up nicely over some simple fences, then set off on the course. She flew the first line - there were five fences all in a line down the side of the field, and it rode really beautifully. Then onto a scary blue train fence which she put a massive jump over, then a combination of rails with a dip which was a bit hairy as she got very deep to the second one! She flew the next couple - a wall and a couple of logs going up onto a bank, and then we got to my favourite, a lovely barrel jump that felt awesome to go over. The only prob was, the barrels were only a few strides from the water, and as I checked her after the jump to bring her back to me, her eyes started popping out and she completely dug her toes in. The bottom line was, there was no WAY she was going to jump into that water! I kept trying to coax her in, but we were eliminated
The judges let us walk through down the slope though, so we were then able to finish the course which was fab, as she got back into her stride and really flew the rest of them! I am really, really chuffed with her
She was such a star, a real pleasure to take out as always. It is ironic that today is the only time we have EVER been eliminated - I retired in the ring a couple of times when we used to show jump but we were never eliminated. But hey ho - she did everything perfectly except the water, so we just need a bit more practice! These are my favourite pics (courtesy of JNB Photography) - I will post the others in the PG in a bit!
Fence two in the show jumping (never thought I'd ever have an SJ photo of us again!)
The lovely barrels:
When we eventually made it into the water, this was how keen she was to get out!!!!
Just cant wait for the next one now; am gutted as I think I have to wait a month before anything else is on in this area!
