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I took my very green little sports cob to his first 'proper' event today - although Jensen has just turned 7 he had done absolutely nothing before I got him a year ago, so we have been building things up over the winter. We did an 'arena event' last year, but due to my broken ribs earlier this year we haven't been out and about this year nearly as much as I wanted!
Today was all about training really - I have to admit, it was a walk & trot dressage test and 70cm SJ and XC course! - but he was absolutely fab. Warmed up for the dressage nicely, he hasn't got flashy paces at all but he is getting to be very consistent and he has nice rhythmical correct paces so I really enjoyed our test (apart from the first centre line where he was busy spooking at a photographer!!!) I had no idea what my score was, but times were pretty tight between phases so I just got on with it and warmed up for the show jumping
I was wondering what would happen in the SJ really, we haven't been out to practice our show jumping at all (!!!) we have just been jumping at home and they were 'jump for joy' fences with very interesting fillers.... He is so honest bless him, he inspected each fence/filler very carefully before popping over it but we got round with only 1 down (I let him get too unbalanced on a turn)
It wasn't fluid or pretty but I wasn't expecting that, I was just incredibly pleased with his attitude.
Then off to the XC, and I managed to fall off at our first attempt over the practice fence!!!! He approached really nicely but did a very dirty little duck out at the last second which completely took me by surprise (stupid me!) Got back on and did it a few more times then went off round the XC. Obviously at that height there was nothing too awful, he carefully inspected each fence again before jumping it just in case
I was incredibly cross with myself that we had a stop at the hay wagon - he had been very nappy with hay wagon fences when we went XC schooling last weekend, I thought I was riding with determination but clearly not
Other than that no problems at all (although a bit of verbal encouragement over the slightly scary painted house).
Got back, washed off etc and went to find our results - I was incredibly pleased to find we had scored a 30 dressage and had been emphatically in the lead after that stage AND after the SJ-ing even with our fence down
It was a small class so having the stop XC dropped us down to 4th.
Really really pleased with my honest, genuine boy, he makes it all so much fun

Today was all about training really - I have to admit, it was a walk & trot dressage test and 70cm SJ and XC course! - but he was absolutely fab. Warmed up for the dressage nicely, he hasn't got flashy paces at all but he is getting to be very consistent and he has nice rhythmical correct paces so I really enjoyed our test (apart from the first centre line where he was busy spooking at a photographer!!!) I had no idea what my score was, but times were pretty tight between phases so I just got on with it and warmed up for the show jumping
I was wondering what would happen in the SJ really, we haven't been out to practice our show jumping at all (!!!) we have just been jumping at home and they were 'jump for joy' fences with very interesting fillers.... He is so honest bless him, he inspected each fence/filler very carefully before popping over it but we got round with only 1 down (I let him get too unbalanced on a turn)
Then off to the XC, and I managed to fall off at our first attempt over the practice fence!!!! He approached really nicely but did a very dirty little duck out at the last second which completely took me by surprise (stupid me!) Got back on and did it a few more times then went off round the XC. Obviously at that height there was nothing too awful, he carefully inspected each fence again before jumping it just in case
Got back, washed off etc and went to find our results - I was incredibly pleased to find we had scored a 30 dressage and had been emphatically in the lead after that stage AND after the SJ-ing even with our fence down
Really really pleased with my honest, genuine boy, he makes it all so much fun