So our event season started yesterday with an entry in the BE90 at Eden Valley. As you know I am hoping to move to Novice this year and after a fall, I decided that the 90 was a good starting point as I wanted to check that I was fit enough to ride and make it an easy run round for J.
So in the run up to the event I had a week off work to assist hubby with lambing duties. During the week Trudy (the truck) decided that she wasn’t feeling very well and had a temperature so I had to admit her to lorry garage leaving me with no transport to the horse trials! Thankfully my friends offer the use of their lorry or trailer and as Hubby still has a 4x4 I opted for the trailer.
Loaded everything including the dog into the car and headed down at 7am. The M74 had been closed at one point near Annan due to an accident but there were no hold ups at all. Got down there with plenty of time and met up with Mum who had come along for the day to watch, be groom and look after chief course walker that is my lovely Labrador!
Walked the XC, was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the ground absolutely perfect. There were a couple of extra fences but nothing to worry about at all. I have been trying hard to work on J’s fitness so for me this was also a test to see how we would get on.
Tack up and headed over for the Dressage. This is not my strong point and in my excitement at being at the first event of the year I got on too early. He warmed up beautifully and for once I felt that our canter work might actually be good. Sadly it wasn’t to be as I had got him ready too early and he was switched off by the time we went in. Ended up with a 37, which I’m pleased about really. The judge said there was a lot to like. Our sheet had mostly 6’s and 7’s. His walk needs work – how to do you get a horse that doesn’t like to free walk, to actually free walk?! Thank goodness the walk wasn’t a x2 score!
Anyway onto SJ, last year we totally fluffed the first fence and nearly fell over it – my friend is the judge there and she had had a giggle at my rubbish riding (and facial expression at it) – thankfully this year we redeemed ourselves and jumped a lovely clear round. Met some friends on the way out who recognized my orangyness! Everyone said it was a lovely round – I didn’t get ahead of his movement and we left everything up
Headed back to the lorry, chucked in his studs and tacked up for XC. Hopped on – and headed over. Once we walked into the XC warm up he totally lit up. I felt like he was going to jump the queue just so he could get out there on the course
cantered round and jumped a couple of jumps, didn’t feel like we needed
to do anymore at all and headed over to watch the one before me set
off. Had a lovely chat to the steward, and then the
countdown…..5..4..3..2..1 Had to hold J back – I swear he has learnt to
count! We set off with a blast, and flew round to the first hill after fence 6, took shorter routes to the fences to save time and he took everything on. Once over 6 we headed up the hill – I thought this would be when I could find out how fit he was – (when I walked the course in the morning there were some seriously out of breath horses one of which nearly fell over the double at the top) and I can say I didn’t need to worry
once at the top he locked onto the double and flew them. Didn’t feel
it was a long two strides at all. Flew the rest of the course and
didn’t slow when going back up the hill. I rode him determined through
the water as I wanted him to keep cantering through it and I needn’t
have worried, he was just brilliant So came home clear, and even better inside the time
Bagged ourselves a foundation point but just missed out the tickets and finished 12th. Big pats to the grey boy, he wasn’t even that puffed when we finished either and I’m pleased to report that aside from a bit of muscle pain on Sunday, my legs worked fine too!
Photos very kindly taken by a friend – many thanks for them – they are brill
Galloping across the countryside!
Splish Splash
second to last fence
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