For those of you who don't know I will be venturing off to France to compete in a CIC 1* in 3 weeks. Just recently I received a letter inviting me along to France to compete in a squad of Juniors. I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I read the letter but it is actually true, I keep thinking that they are going to ring and say "sorry that wasn't meant for you" but it has been 3 weeks and everything has been booked and no-one has rung to say otherwise so I guess that means I am off to FRANCE with Estella YAY!!
FEI Passport is done, FEI numbers for Estella and I are done, application form done, acceptance letter received, ferry booked, vaccinations now done and little break for Estella we are ready to step our training.
I will be doing regular updates about Estella and I on our training plan to get us to France.
Sunday 24 July 2011
Sunday 17 July 2011
Brightling Horse Trials, where to start!
My first 1* turned out to be just another novice!
Top hat and tails on and off ! I go to my dressage with a pristine horse who soon turns into a muddy one! I trekked through the carpark which was a mud bath, lorries being pulled in and out, it was just as bad as longleat!
So anyway I headed up to the dressage, 3 seconds into my warm up an official ventures over to me stops me and says "Unfortunately". As soon as I heard that I thought no no no I dont want to hear it...
Apparently we misread the rules, flu jabs need to be done every 6 months done for FEI, home and abroad. Estella's vaccinations are booked for next week, a week too late!
Anyway they were very kind and said I could go into the novice. Top hat ad tails off and Tweed and Beaguler now on, I had 15 minutes to learn the new dressage test and I went and pulled off the best dressge test I have ever done, in sitting trot as well! It was a 26.5! Finally a great dressage test!
Pre-show jumping whilst warming up, I wondered what on earth Mum was doing, it turns out she lost her footing and fell over in the deep, slushy mud. Leg still intact and holding together, she stood watching my jumping propped up on the stewards car.
Show jumping, I went into the ring and the wind blew some of the jumps over at the same time, I thought it did not bode well, but we did a good clear she just chickened out on me at the double which meant she chipped in and scrambled over it, the rest of the course I had to ride very hard, so next time I will make sure I give her a reminder that she should be doing her job as well as me!
I got ready for the xc and I was so looking forward to it, my time was 1.06, I got down there at 1 and no one was there, the jump judges had gone, flags across jump and the steward was having her lunch. Control had not told the stewards that I was running in the Novice. The steward did apologise and they refunded our money which was good of them. So back to the lorry it was, I was not able to complete, so I untacked and we went home!!
I was very pleased with my dressage and show jumping it was a very confidence giving day!!
Top hat and tails on and off ! I go to my dressage with a pristine horse who soon turns into a muddy one! I trekked through the carpark which was a mud bath, lorries being pulled in and out, it was just as bad as longleat!
So anyway I headed up to the dressage, 3 seconds into my warm up an official ventures over to me stops me and says "Unfortunately". As soon as I heard that I thought no no no I dont want to hear it...
Apparently we misread the rules, flu jabs need to be done every 6 months done for FEI, home and abroad. Estella's vaccinations are booked for next week, a week too late!
Anyway they were very kind and said I could go into the novice. Top hat ad tails off and Tweed and Beaguler now on, I had 15 minutes to learn the new dressage test and I went and pulled off the best dressge test I have ever done, in sitting trot as well! It was a 26.5! Finally a great dressage test!
Pre-show jumping whilst warming up, I wondered what on earth Mum was doing, it turns out she lost her footing and fell over in the deep, slushy mud. Leg still intact and holding together, she stood watching my jumping propped up on the stewards car.
Show jumping, I went into the ring and the wind blew some of the jumps over at the same time, I thought it did not bode well, but we did a good clear she just chickened out on me at the double which meant she chipped in and scrambled over it, the rest of the course I had to ride very hard, so next time I will make sure I give her a reminder that she should be doing her job as well as me!
I got ready for the xc and I was so looking forward to it, my time was 1.06, I got down there at 1 and no one was there, the jump judges had gone, flags across jump and the steward was having her lunch. Control had not told the stewards that I was running in the Novice. The steward did apologise and they refunded our money which was good of them. So back to the lorry it was, I was not able to complete, so I untacked and we went home!!
I was very pleased with my dressage and show jumping it was a very confidence giving day!!
Tuesday 12 July 2011
Double clear at Rackham for Pearl
I went to Rackham Riding club event on Sunday again on the Pearly whirly to consolidate what we had done a couple of weeks ago but the most exciting news is we have our lorry back so we went in style to Rackham! When I say style, it is the old blue box, on a white chassis and silver luton and skirts! We were definately different!
Dressage, well there where glimpses of stunning work but typical Pearl she threw in a few bucks only two this time so she is getting better, but I think I have come to a conclusion of what it is, I think what happens is when something goes slightly wrong or I feel Pearl is going to do something instead of ignoring her and relaxing and pushing her on - I tense my legs and then use my heels not my calves which means I block her and then she bucks to almost say "Hey stop blocking me I cant move". Mum is sceptical but I know Pearl she is not being naughty she is just telling me what I am doing wrong, but anyway she got 36.8 due to her bucking .
Show jumping she did a beautiful clear a little fast but at the moment I dont mind that and she didnt freak when she got a little close she just used her back and sprung up which is perfect! The steward commented to Mum that I had a very talented horse! Well haven't I always known that?
XC again faultless she is just taking me now and is very bold.
So this resulted in a lovely joint 4th but I was put down to 5th placing due to how they scored, I was very pleased!
Dressage, well there where glimpses of stunning work but typical Pearl she threw in a few bucks only two this time so she is getting better, but I think I have come to a conclusion of what it is, I think what happens is when something goes slightly wrong or I feel Pearl is going to do something instead of ignoring her and relaxing and pushing her on - I tense my legs and then use my heels not my calves which means I block her and then she bucks to almost say "Hey stop blocking me I cant move". Mum is sceptical but I know Pearl she is not being naughty she is just telling me what I am doing wrong, but anyway she got 36.8 due to her bucking .
Show jumping she did a beautiful clear a little fast but at the moment I dont mind that and she didnt freak when she got a little close she just used her back and sprung up which is perfect! The steward commented to Mum that I had a very talented horse! Well haven't I always known that?
XC again faultless she is just taking me now and is very bold.
So this resulted in a lovely joint 4th but I was put down to 5th placing due to how they scored, I was very pleased!
Monday 4 July 2011
Eridge Under 18 Novice
I rode my dressage test within an inch of my life all in sitting trot and even in the medium trot!
I came out of the test feeling extremely pleased, it flowed, I was accurate for once and Estella and I were really connected and as one! But the judge didn't like what she was seeing and didn't give me an overly good mark - 35.5. Small gripe coming up - as a junior and this was the under 18 class, I am constantly learning, if a judge is going to put 6's on my sheet they should explain why! I need to know. Only comment on my sheet was "nice mare, needs to work over her back more". I now have no idea what to work on. (gripe over)
Taking comments from other people that watched it, they felt it was harshly marked, hey ho. You win some and you lose some. I have decided not to change what I am doing - since I don't know what I should be changing and to see if I can get more constructive comments next time.
We did the best Show Jumping we have ever done, ok before we may have gone clear but it certainly wasn't pretty! This time I did it in a snaffle, I have been training in it and it really does seem better than the Pelham. Only one minor hiccup, Estella took a hold on one of the fences and ran herself into trouble, just tapped it and it came down, but the rest of it was really good and flowed well.
We did a superb cross country with time penalties but everyone had them. There's fit and then there is Eridge, have you seen the size of those hills?! Stella was extremely fit and she did her best and so did I!
Final position 9th! Would have liked to have been a little higher up the order but we will take a placing.
Next event will be my first CIC 1* at Brightling - watch this space to find out where my second one will be, can't tell you yet, do not want to jinx it - now that is exciting!
I came out of the test feeling extremely pleased, it flowed, I was accurate for once and Estella and I were really connected and as one! But the judge didn't like what she was seeing and didn't give me an overly good mark - 35.5. Small gripe coming up - as a junior and this was the under 18 class, I am constantly learning, if a judge is going to put 6's on my sheet they should explain why! I need to know. Only comment on my sheet was "nice mare, needs to work over her back more". I now have no idea what to work on. (gripe over)
Taking comments from other people that watched it, they felt it was harshly marked, hey ho. You win some and you lose some. I have decided not to change what I am doing - since I don't know what I should be changing and to see if I can get more constructive comments next time.
We did the best Show Jumping we have ever done, ok before we may have gone clear but it certainly wasn't pretty! This time I did it in a snaffle, I have been training in it and it really does seem better than the Pelham. Only one minor hiccup, Estella took a hold on one of the fences and ran herself into trouble, just tapped it and it came down, but the rest of it was really good and flowed well.
We did a superb cross country with time penalties but everyone had them. There's fit and then there is Eridge, have you seen the size of those hills?! Stella was extremely fit and she did her best and so did I!
Final position 9th! Would have liked to have been a little higher up the order but we will take a placing.
Next event will be my first CIC 1* at Brightling - watch this space to find out where my second one will be, can't tell you yet, do not want to jinx it - now that is exciting!
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