What is your greatest competitive achievement to date...

[MizElz]

...and is it the same one as your greatest personal equestrian achievement?

I'm feeling a a tad down at the mo, so I have decided to focus on the good times!

For me, my greatest competitive achievement was being placed Reserve Champion at the Trailblazers SJ finals - it was an amazing feat for me, considering I was the 'girl who always falls off'

However, as wonderful as this was, the greatest buzz I have ever known was at Newbury show; I was jumping in the Discovery and then my first ever Newcomers, and the course was HUGE! There was also a water jump in the Discovery, which I have never known before or since, and even my mum thought that it was too much, and that I should have pulled out of the classes. But for once, my nerve held, and we went in and jumped a double clear, eventually being placed 5th out of 79. We then went on to have just a pole down in the J/O of the Newcomers - it was the best day I think I have ever had at a show, in terms of personal achievement! I guess it proves you dont necessarily need to win prizes to feel you have done well!

 

[Gorgeous George]

my greatest competitive achievement wasn't a horsey one, as a kid I was always picked last for sports teams / games etc. so in 2006 I decided to bury those demons and run the London Marathon and I did it running all the way without stopping:

My greatest equestrian achievement was definately only 24hrs ago!

Just a good excuse to post that pic again!

You have had some amazing horsey achievements!

 

[laf88]

Hmmm.... greatest competitive achievement would prob be winning the junior horse trials at the riding club champs but it wasn't very big and i didn't feel like it was a massive achievement so my greatest personal achievement would have to be jumping clear round our pony club areas when i was only 14 id only done a few pn's and the course was supposed to be novice standard but was def verging on intermediate - ive never jumped round as big a course since! Luckly my horse was (and still is) absolutley fantastic xc and all i had to do was point and stay on! Cant remember very well but dont think i was placed so you def dont need prizes to feel like you have done well!

 

[Santa_Claus]

I'm trying hard to consider which is my biggest equestrian competitive achievement as I have been lucky to have quite a few notable ones. Riding for Jersey in England was a biggie at the the old festival for future stars that was held both at Addington and Hickstead in '96-98. Coming =3rd at the old style Talent Spotters Final was a big one as well because I got there borrowing horses at every round and the old style was borrowed horses only so everyone was judged purely on merit, and for the likes of Adam Kemp and the other judge to say they would employ us all without question

Lastly coming 5th in the U21 final at Bicton was fantastic, biggest course I had ever jumped at the time (i ignored the fact it was easily 1m30 in the first round), but managed to not kill ourselves and somehow got up to the top end with some top names and also my first prize giving in the main ring at Bicton

As for biggest personal acheivement is not horsey and something quite personal to me but basically I had to step a long way out of my comfort zone to prove something to me...

 

[Weezy]

Spain, 1st or 2nd ever Sunshine Tour, standing in the mounted prize giving with 2 Olympians placed BELOW me

 

[Santa_Claus]

now THAT is an achievement Lou! photos????

 

[Rambo]

I've been lucky enough to have a couple of memorable ones...

Firstly was a run of form spread over about a two week period where I qualified for both the Winter Grade C Finals and the summer B&C Finals (at RIHS!) on my tiny 15.3hh ex-racer. The B&C track was the biggest i've ever jumped and was pushing 1.40m in the JO...I was 15 I think

Messr's Funnell and Inglis were in the same line-up and I managed to beat my trainer...one Mr Hoekstra

The other that will always live long in my memory was qualifying for and competing in a major Pro-Am Final. I was paired with my childhood hero Michael Whitaker riding his top Grand Prix horse of the tim...Disney Way. We had a real nightmare leading up to the final though as my horse went lame and only came sound a week or so before and so we had no warm-up

Fortunately for me, my run-out at the first fence was nullified by Michael having a pole in his round too. I think we finished up about 6th out of the 12 finalists

 

[Seahorse]

Axel qualified for the Part Bred and Anglo Arab In-Hand UK Championships in 2005, he was a 3 year old.
I am just a 1 horse owner and Axey is my scruffy grey pony that lives out, so I wasn't holding my breath, but we went up to Keysoe for the finals anyway.

Axey won his first class which was 3 yr olds PB and Anglo over 153cms

I was so overwhelmed I could barely speak! The 2nd class was Arab 1st cross youngstock which he also won

The other was with my last horse Rocky, we were jumping at Hickstead it was the BSJA area show. All the top names were there and I felt very intimidated, when I walked the course for the Discovery it was massive and I very nearly withdrew as he was only 4 and I felt it was too big for him. I held my nerve and we jumped a fab clear and got into the JO. Out of 75 starters there were only 11 clears!!!
I had a pole down in the JO and came 7th, but the rosettes only went to 6th place

Sam x

 

[ironhorse]

Hmm...between being placed in team chase on my hairy cob which I was riding side saddle, winning the nov wh at the side saddle champs on a very green baby cob over a really trappy course and winning a side saddle class on an American Quarter Horse that could seriously lose the plot at times!

But sometimes its not about being placed....I rode my friend's horse in the ladies hunters at the Royal and got to gallop alongside the famous grandstand in the main ring. I'd wanted to do that since I was a toddler, and although he only ended up 7th, he was the perfect horse to do it on.

 

[Solstar]

erm...

With Solo, it's probably winning a Turnout & Condition class- being a TB he's quite hard to keep any weight on, and it made all the prep work worth it!

With Red, it was winning the Working Hunter class- only 2'9 but i was SO chuffed!

I don't get out to compete as much as i'd like.

 

[Weezy]

[ QUOTE ]
now THAT is an achievement Lou! photos????

[/ QUOTE ]

Sadly not

We are talking about the days before digital PMSL! I know the photographer personally that was there taking the pics and have asked and asked for more photos but he could only find ones from the first class which I have posted before (ones of me and Cercs) - we are talking a LONG time ago now!

 

[rara007]

Umm- Riding, either representing GB in under 10's dressage ino Germany, Jumping 128CM's at HOYS or ridign FR at HOYS...

I peaked at about 7 *sigh*

Driving-East Anglian PN champions maybe, or 9th Junion in GB indoors from last years leaugues in my first season, or Champion Novice Junior '07, being selected for the GB squad.... But driving we are still improving, I think!