As you know I had planned on running at our first BE Novice. It would be a first run for both of us so a decent step. I was determined to try and get ourselves ready for it – last season was a washout so we had stuck to running at a couple of BE100’s. Early season runs at Eden Valley BE90, Kirrimuir BE100 and Hunwick 100 meant that I knew we were fit enough but time faults would be the norm as we always get them!
Prepared for our first run for Burgham and went to a two day camp at Park End last Monday/Tuesday and a flatwork lesson on Thursday with my weekly instructor with the event then on Saturday. Thought we were very prepared for it and I had planned to work him in for Dr well as his trot and canter work has come on a lot recently. SJ warm up planned to get him in front of my leg and going forwards over the practice jumps making sure we jumped the oxer at full height before going in to get him in the air. XC warm up was just to get him going forwards and try to ride him away from the fences properly to save time and my aim was to try and get into a rhythm before the 3rd fence.
Anyway Saturday dawned, got up at 5am, fed and plaited him up then loaded up to leave at 6am. The journey would take 2.5 hours and as my Dr was late in the section at 10.50 I wanted to get there to walk the xc before I started. Collected hubby on the way out along with chief coursewalker (my Lab) and headed off on time for 6am.
Then disaster struck…..
About an hour into the journey the EDC light came on and the lorry dropped to half power. Creeped for 10 mins like this, even stopping and starting the lorry to reset it but ended up having to give in and turn for home.
Called the secretary who said that they could move me to the end of the
section at 11.46 so I worked out that if we got back we probably had 5
minutes to unload, and load everything into the car/trailer we might
just be lucky enough to get there in time but there would be no time for
warm up or to walk xc. I decided I’d worry about that later!Cue calling my friend who owned the trailer, she kindly saved us 10mins by driving to my house, collecting hubby’s car and taking it to the yard where her trailer was kept – it was 5mins closer for us. We arrived just as she pulled in, so hitched up, chucked everything over and gave her a very quick low down on how to drive my lorry back to my house. Big thanks to L for all her help.
On the road again, hubby was driving so I could get changed and all tack ready to have all systems go when we arrived. He also drives the trailer better than me anyway! Headed down the long road and managed to get there for 11.46. The secretary called me to say the judge had kindly agreed to have a break then judge me so I had a small amount of breathing space. HUGE HUGE thanks to AM the Dr judge. Was also told to go straight to the SJ warm up as the class finished at 12.30 and they wouldn’t wait for too long for me. Decided to jump in my dr bridle, and gave OH his boots, martingale and whip as well as mounting block to carry over which he left with the secretary while bringing my number bib over to the DR.
Anyway warm up was tense and not very good! Poor horse had been in transport for 5 hours by this point, literally had 10 mins warm up then into DR for a 41.5 score. Our average Dr score for tests is between 33.5 and 38.5 so not bad for a level up and a rubbish start.
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Cantered straight to SJ, jumped a few then went straight in. Had two down but I would say they were pretty unlucky, he was jumping really well, fence 3 pole rolled inwards and the second part of the second double was perhaps due to being too forward going in.
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Finally poor J managed to have a rest and a drink as I chucked him at hubby and went off to run the xc. As I was also feeling a bit under the weather (grumbling cold) I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I then found out that I only had 20mins to get to xc warm up! When the organisers found out I hadn’t walked it, they offered to drive me round so I was given a quick tour of the course and was back at the trailer in record time!
Hubby had put his XC boots on and changed his bridle so he was ready to go – with the exception of his studs which I had no time to put in – was a little worried about this but didn’t need to, the ground was hard but grippy and he had good footing the whole way round.
Set off out the startbox and he backed off the first one and needed a slap of encouragement on the shoulder, headed off to fence two and it was a similar experience. He then started to become more confident but still needed lots of positive riding. We came down to fence 5 which was a jump into water – never having done this before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but he jumped in beautifully and popped out over the step to skinny brush – a jumped that shared the intermediate course! Headed off over the next few single jumps and over to a double of logs which he flew and onto a tricky skinny tight turn to corner – some riders had had problems at this and there was an alternative but he did it textbook! Jumped over the skinny, beautiful 5 curving strides and over the corner. What a fab pony
off down to the skinny to trochaner, which I rode badly and he really
could have stopped there if he wanted to. We got really deep to the
trochaner with no impulsion but he just popped it and headed off ears
pricked 
onto a skinny before water splash then over to skinny water skinny and
up the the rugby ball skinny to goal post – again flew them without any
issues and onto the 3rd before last. It was such a simple skinny that I
didn’t ride it properly – kept my stick in the wrong hand and reins a
bit long, just as he was about to take off the plant pot on the top
fluttered and he leapt sideways off the fence boo, 20 penalties, circled round and he popped it perfectly on second attempt and flew the last two home. 3b -
Just out of the last water
Skinny after last water:
So our XC record now shows penalties but I’m super thrilled by my boy, I’m totally gushing at how amazing he was after such a rubbish day. We did end up with 22 time faults, probably only 8 of those were due to the run out so still too slow but I’m not bothered, lots of time to work on it.
Big pats and polos to him and a MAHOOSIVE thanks to the organisers at Burgham for their awesomeness
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