henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Well we had one today.
Off we went to the Equine Fair to exhibit Chocolate in the Stallion parade.
CCj plans her display, discusses with her Dad exactly how she wants the jumps etc, and I stand in the gallery camera in hand.
First disaster, no film in camera..(card)..it's in the other one.
Second disaster, Chocx who is so laid back it's not true, takes great exception to entering the arena..
Third disaster, he goes in but proceeds to be so behind the leg he would barely move..
I can see from C's expression she is thinking "What the hell do I do now?"
Normally you would wallop him one or two and make himn shoot forwards, but with several thousand people watching, you smile weakly and try and ride through it..
Fourth disaster, she comes round at the first part of a two foot double and the bugger stops!!!
At this point I cover my eyes, grateful the camera isn't working, and the commentator makes nice noises about the arena spooking a lot of the horses..
He then jumps, but no way his usual syle or grace, more a forced jump and looks horrible.
We discover her Dad has altered the distance she requested, plus the jump was supposed to be away from the wall, but hey ho, we have to repeat the whole damn thing tomorrow and hope it will go better..
He ended up clearing the fences but we felt really disappointed.
Then Terry Boon came in on Catherston Liberator and that didn't go well either, the stallion looked as worried as Chocolate did. He didn't attempt to jump it.
The person who had the worst deal however was the rider of a smart connemara, he bounced in, the music started, he did a huge buck and off she flew.....
I bet she is dreading tomorrow too!
I think the plan for tomorrow use the sharper spurs, move the jump away from the track, whizz him up a bit up the long side (all of 25 m.. and both should be more relaxed, as C was nervous too..
If you see a woman wearing a huge brown paper bag over her head when he does his demo, well that'll be me.. seriously it was incredibly intimidating, you can see why horses at the HOYS go ape in that atmosphere, it must be terrifying..
I met bonzabean however and her helper, and it was super to find she was as nice in the flesh as on here..
Choc is now back in his box no doubt wondering what all the fuss was about, and I could have cried later on when in Mary King's demo I heard her say, "Your horse MUST be off your leg"
We bl**dy know that, but sometimes it just doesn't go to plan.....
Off we went to the Equine Fair to exhibit Chocolate in the Stallion parade.
CCj plans her display, discusses with her Dad exactly how she wants the jumps etc, and I stand in the gallery camera in hand.
First disaster, no film in camera..(card)..it's in the other one.
Second disaster, Chocx who is so laid back it's not true, takes great exception to entering the arena..
Third disaster, he goes in but proceeds to be so behind the leg he would barely move..
I can see from C's expression she is thinking "What the hell do I do now?"
Normally you would wallop him one or two and make himn shoot forwards, but with several thousand people watching, you smile weakly and try and ride through it..
Fourth disaster, she comes round at the first part of a two foot double and the bugger stops!!!
At this point I cover my eyes, grateful the camera isn't working, and the commentator makes nice noises about the arena spooking a lot of the horses..
He then jumps, but no way his usual syle or grace, more a forced jump and looks horrible.
We discover her Dad has altered the distance she requested, plus the jump was supposed to be away from the wall, but hey ho, we have to repeat the whole damn thing tomorrow and hope it will go better..
He ended up clearing the fences but we felt really disappointed.
Then Terry Boon came in on Catherston Liberator and that didn't go well either, the stallion looked as worried as Chocolate did. He didn't attempt to jump it.
The person who had the worst deal however was the rider of a smart connemara, he bounced in, the music started, he did a huge buck and off she flew.....
I bet she is dreading tomorrow too!
I think the plan for tomorrow use the sharper spurs, move the jump away from the track, whizz him up a bit up the long side (all of 25 m.. and both should be more relaxed, as C was nervous too..
If you see a woman wearing a huge brown paper bag over her head when he does his demo, well that'll be me.. seriously it was incredibly intimidating, you can see why horses at the HOYS go ape in that atmosphere, it must be terrifying..
I met bonzabean however and her helper, and it was super to find she was as nice in the flesh as on here..
Choc is now back in his box no doubt wondering what all the fuss was about, and I could have cried later on when in Mary King's demo I heard her say, "Your horse MUST be off your leg"
We bl**dy know that, but sometimes it just doesn't go to plan.....
