What has been your best achievement this year and why?

[Pidge]

The main one for me is Pidge coming 100% sound after being diagnosed with hock spavin in his off hind on the 8th May, and as result of his treatment finally being able to do all sorts of lateral movements

which in the 2 years I'd had him we'd never managed any at all

and here's the proof

 

[_jetset_]

Hmmm, it would have to be when Grace qualified for the Area Finals at Hartpury for the Prelim and the Novice... it's such a shame that we cannot go

 

[Pidge]

Just look at it this way no one can ever take that away from you and it was fab to qualify for both

despite not being able to go you still have Grace in one piece

 

[Hemirjtm]

Competing at my first (and only - this year!) show!! We got a clear round, came second in the 2ft class, and considering we had NEVER done a course of more than 4 jumps, i was so proud! The best part was the fact i wasn't sick

I then had loads of problems in the 2ft6 class, but i still came out with a smile on my face!! And to finish the day off i competed in the puissance...and was the youngest at only 15 - everyone else was over 30! Although i was the first to be eliminated i was still proud as we cleared 1.20

I rode REALLY REALLY badly, but i had fun and enjoted myself!!!

 

[the watcher]

Going to the Royal Show and the pony being placed - it really gave me the bug for higher level showing

 

[Mistyrocks]

Taking Breeze to an indoor jumping show and her taking her in everything calmy, and we got our two clear rounds!
Recently though, we both cleared about 4ft 3in at home bless her.

 

[madhector]

Taking J XC schooling again after he broke my leg, and jumping the dreaded log.....

 

[ann-jen]

Well my aim for 2007 was to get Jenny show-jumping again - the plan was just to be able to get round an unaffiliated course but I'm very proud to say we are now affiliated again and jumping British Novice. This is on a horse many people told me to have destroyed because of her bad behaviour.

 

[kandm]

Well i don't know if i count this as a achievement but this year (well over the last 5 years) me and my family got Mickey from being the so called unrideable pony, who his owner would never let anyone else ride him.
To him leaving me this year and going to a lovely local riding school so other little children can learn to ride on him!

And even though i miss him more than you can imagine, i am glad with what we achieved and it shows everyone who called him a little sh*t, and the naugty, horrible, nasty pony, that actually he is BRILLIANT!

He made me the rider i am now, and together me and my family gave him another life. A life where now he is safe and loved by all who go there.

Thankyou Mickey.....

And that is my our achievement over not just this year but over the last 5!

 

[WishfulThinker]

Being able to no longer be scared of my horse

and going from a nervous wreck who was scared to canter into any jump to being able to jump 1.20m and all sorts of scary things and to finally take him to a few shows!

 

[Super_Kat]

Jumping my first Newcomers (and getting 8 faults in the jump off) on Olympic 6 months after starting jumping again ater totally loosing my confidence.

 

[Colleen_Miss_Tom]

It would have to have been when Missy recovered from a sprained tendon and having to be placed in box rest for 6-8 wks and then , Just more or less coming out of box rest with 1 week or so to spare and getting placed at balmoral

 

[Scarlett]

A year ago I got asked to rehome a 3yo exracer tb filly... she was so great I couldnt bear to let her go... we spent this year playing about, went to dressage, sj, showing, xc and she has gotten me over my stupid irrational fear of hacking out...

We'll never be world beaters but I have brought her on myself - and I'm not the bravest rider in the world - from a horse who couldnt trot to jumping a small course, 60% dressage score and going XC like a pro... she is still only rising 5 and I cant wait to see what we can go out and do next year...

this is how I'll remeber this year, me on her back and both of us grinning cos we are having fun!!!

 

[atot]

Going for a blast on epsom downs - feeling out of control but very happy!!!

 

[Mooch]

Can't say I have any riding achievements

I am very proud to have my old boy alive though. He really shouldn't be now, but he has not only gone into this winter looking great and with weight on; he is thus far keeping that weight on!

I have lost 3 stone since the summer and if I loose another stone I am going to start to ride him again! (he, he little does he know ha, ha)

 

[ChowChow]

Buying this cheeky chappie. He had been for sale for a while but I wasn't in a position to buy a horse, finally when I was he was still available. Now he's mine

 

[Zobaby]

I had a week of achievements!
First i took major napping, rearing Morris on a hack with my friend and her horse and we went lead file most of the way round, without a single hesitation let alone a rear!
Then we jumped 4ft - my lifetime goal! 5ft, here we come! :S
Then, i took him to a local training show and - when a couple of months ago he would rear and nap big time and then stop at every jump in the place as he was so wound up - he jumped a double clear for me and we got 4th!
i love my big evil boy

 

[spotty_pony]

Winning my SJ class at my first Pony Club show!

 

[elsielouise]

Double clear at our first ODE! Yaaay!

Time faults don't really count do they!!! Was soooooooooo pleased. We even jumped the spectacularly scary (for me) BLUE fence with trees in! And the chairs... double of 'em... and the completely bonkers jump dressed as a feed stall.. am still not over it, can you tell?

 

[DiablosGold]

Gaining my confidence back, going out competing, coming 3rd in the local riding club championships and 3rd again in the same riding club team jumping. All after horrid battles with nerves.

Getting a first will be my goal for 08!

 

[lilym]

probably backing my 5yo, prevoiusly untouched, just left to his own devices!
taking the same 5yo to a show and winning his classes

and having a successful year showing the cob! :

 

[MillbrookSong]

Getting my confidence fully up and running on song XC - even being one of the fastest Xc round sapey (2) in the novice and then being placed and getting anothre point!!

And with gogs being placed in his 1st ever dressage test and then finishing 2 out of 3 ODEs - not bad for a little syco!!

 

[lizzie_liz]

Registering Honey with BD at the beginning of the summer and going to the Area Festivals with her. Not bad for a horse with LOU and who we all thought at one point would never be ridden again let alone compete.

 

[bex1984]

Finding and buying Murphy...and all the little things we've achieved since

He has proved to be everything I wanted and more and has helped me get my confidence back.

 

[Gorgeous George]

Buying my first horse this May after dreaming about it for 30years, and finding my dream horse almost on my doorstep!

 

[gloster_image]

I have a few achievements that have made my year a proud one:

Firstly - Not giving up on Rock when the vets said his breathing would never be the same again

After going to a homeopathic vet she discovered he was allergic to the flu vaccine and treated him - now he has his whole future ahead of him as a fit, NORMAL BREATHING eventer

Secondly - Getting the job as a working student with william fox pitt. Words cannot describe it.

Finally - Schooling and bringing on Bria, nell, Arrow and the other horses i have brought on this year - all of whom were previously written off - they, and their owners, have made me excessivly proud

 

[KatB]

Winning a ODE on a horse produced by myself and my first "proper" baby horse in his first competing season.

Tied in was getting a 30 (70%)dressage on two seperate occasions.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Mine was going to my first and only show so far, i did an inhand veteran class and we came second, and qualified for the veteran horse of the year, it did not stop raining that day either but i loved it and felt so proud of my mare

i have not shown her since and more than likely wont as she gets very stressed travelling, i refuse to take her to shows for my benefit only when she clearly gets stressed, but i have that one wonderful day to remember and thats all i need, saying that, if there any shows next year that are hacking distance i may well go along

 

[clipclop]

[ QUOTE ]
Jumping my first Newcomers (and getting 8 faults in the jump off) on Olympic 6 months after starting jumping again ater totally loosing my confidence.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, that is one hell of an achievement. Well done you!

 

[teapot]

I love Pidge, reminds me of a horse I occasionally ride ~yoinks whilst Pidge isn't looking

~

Jumping a course on grass on a pony that I didn't know too well at the time is my biggest achievement of the year.

Why? It means a lot to me on many levels, I've never been confident jumping on grass due to having more bad experiences than good experiences whenever I've done it, and subsuquently wimping out at any given opportunity. Plus loving about 98% of my confidence last year, not due to a horse, but from the actions of people. I've never been so knocked down by a person at any one time, and me being me where I lack in confidence anyway really did hit me sideways.

Wasn't able to get riding again due to ill health (had almost a year out of the saddle) so getting back into it was tough.

Actually was watching a mate ride in the field and asked what I wanted to do with pony I was riding and I said jump on grass

- probably the quickest decision I ever made and I survived the experience, really enjoyed it too

I knocked a couple of demons on the head all within an hour!

Jumps were barely 2ft high and sounds nothing compared to what a lot of people have done on here but when you've been so nervous to ride that it takes you 6 weeks to book a lesson at the yard you've been with 7 years, anything is a bonus