Swalcliffe BE100 21st March

Last week around work I spent my time preparing for Swalcliffe ODE, we had a brilliant time XC schooling on Tuesday and I had a fantastic dressage lesson on Friday with Ann. I felt well prepared and we set off in the lorry on Saturday morning with Tracey and her new horse, Twist.

 

On our way there, luckily we had pulled in to fill up with diesel and we were not on the road but the clutch broke! Our knight in shining armour Eddie the mechanic came to our rescue and after only half an hour delay we were back on our way! Who ever said unnecessary stress wasn't good for you...Tracey and I had been busy planning how to get the horses home!

 

As soon as we arrived I left Toy on the lorry with my Mum and Dad keeping a watchful eye on him and jogged round the XC course. I should have perhaps in the past taken more notice of BE100 courses as it looked quite big and there were a few technical lines. However, I felt like I had prepared for the step up and was actually pleased it would be a true test of our ability.

 

Warming up for the dressage I tried to remember everything from my lesson the day before and worked Toy quite hard....leg yield, shoulder in, simple changes, our newly developing half pass and before I knew it we were off down the centre line. I haven't had chance to school on grass over the winter and Toy struggled with his balance, particularly on the downwards transitions. I later found out we had scored 29.5 and I was over the moon!

 

We warmed up for the show jumping, knowing it is my weakest phase but with the knowledge that we had jumped well a few weeks before at Aston Le Walls. We started well over fences 1 and 2...3 and 4 were a bit sticky and I think I just took my leg off. The double at 5 he got a bit close to the first element and then knocked a pole on the second part but he didn't shoot off like he can do at home when he knocks them so I was pleased. We re-grouped well for fences 6 and 7 and the at fence 8 he stopped and I fell off! It was a bit of a shock as one minute we were jumping quite nicely and the next I was on the floor, unscathed but stuck between the poles and wings because of all the flowers! The very nice arena helper gave me a leg up and we jumped it the second time. Fence 9 was fine and then at fence 10 Toy decided to stop/spook and off I came again! I think I was feeling a bit defeatist by that point and watching the video back I could probably have stayed on but I really didn't think he would do it again.

So 2 falls in as many minutes meant I had to chat to the medic and was not allowed to go XC. Very annoying but probably for the best as I would not have set out in the right frame of mind. Even more annoyingly for me I know that about 99% of my riding is in my head and my confidence is easily knocked. I have spent the last 2 days reflecting on the falls ranging from "I'm never going to try a BE100 again" to "For gods sake just get on with it".

 

What I have tried to remember is that eventing is my hobby, I do it because I love it and for no-one else's benefit but my own. I should enjoy it and if it isn't enjoyable then there is no point putting myself under all that pressure. I want to achieve the most I can with Toy....as long as we are still having fun along the way.

 

Unfortunately I cannot get the day off work for Ascott Under Wychwood so we will have to wait until the 29th April for the new event at Whitfield. In the mean time we are going on a Sponsored Ride and may take a late entry into the unaffiliated ODE at Aston Le Walls.....just a few things to keep us busy!

***Since writing this blog I have had an "emergency" jump lesson and came out of it wondering why I had not ridden like that at Swalcliffe...as Charlie Unwin would say I am filling my mind with good positive memories and have my confidence back!***

 

 

Aston Le Walls BE90 8th March

So the 2015 eventing season has officially started!!

 

I spent last Saturday running around getting things organised and walking the XC course and then went to bed early with an alarm set for 4am! With the lorry packed and Toy plaited we set off out of the yard in the dark and arrived at Aston Le Walls just after dawn. Team Toy was down the bare minimum as it was just Lynne and I in the lorry and then Hicksy and Hamilton met us there.

 

The dressage warm up is cramped at Aston and despite the small number of lorries there seemed to be hundreds of horses. It was difficult to do the warm up I normally plan due to lack of space and I barely managed to canter a circle. However, Toy went into the arena like a pro and performed brilliantly. I tried not to rush the trot work and took my time performing each movement. I was pleased to see on the video that he is stretching forwards more into the bridle and only came back with a slightly shorter neck in some of the canter work. The last centre line was a bit wobbly but our halt was square and I thought the test had felt good. I scored 33.8 which I was a bit disappointed with to be honest, the test felt better than that but I could have written the test sheet myself as the comments are all things I already know and have just mentioned above. With hindsight I probably played it a bit safe and for such a simple test it then had no wow factor, plan for next time is to give it a bit more oomph!

 

Onto the show jumping and the all too familiar nerves returned...that horrible nauseous feeling cannot be mistaken for anything else and I think it will plague me forever! Toy was very relaxed in the warm up and jumped beautifully, not touching a pole. The show jumping course was straight forward, a few tight turns for a big horse but I know that he can loose impulsion on the turns in canter so I just kept me leg on and tried to remember everything I have been practicing at home. We went clear but I was a little disappointed with myself as it felt disorganised and a bit fraught....having watched the video it looks a lot better than it felt and I actually think we may have improved over the winter!

With a huge feeling of relief that the show jumping was over, I actually managed to eat something and we got changed ready for the XC. The course was what I had expected...the ground at Aston is flat so I was not concerned about fitness and there were no jumps that I was particularly worried about. Having said all that Toy and I haven't been XC schooling yet this year so I did wonder what he would make of it all.

 

By the time I had walked to the start and had a canter round it was clear that Toy remembered what to do! We had a little wobble going out of the start box but he saw the first fence and we were off! The ditch was early in the course at fence 3 and I was undecided before hand whether to bring him back to trot or just kick on...he was feeling bold so I just collected the canter slightly, let him have a brief look and before I knew it we were over. He jumped the rest of the course easily and even leapt into the water causing a huge splash, it was all over so quickly and he made it all feel so easy.

So we finished our first event of the season on 33.8 and a double clear! Over the moon that he has just come out after the winter, 6 months since his last event and just picked up where we left off. Cannot wait for Swalcliffe, our first BE100!

 

 

Jump lesson 2nd March

So the pre-season training has not gone to plan over the past week, the lorry would not start which meant we could not get to the Mandy McGlynn show jumping clinic and then for one reason or another we have not been X-Country schooling either. Luckily I had a jump lesson booked on Monday with David.

 

There were a few new jumps in the arena but I asked not to jump them as Toy can be a bit difficult with new fillers and I really just wanted to feel confident jumping and to end on a high.

David set out a figure of eight with four jumps in the arena. First of all just with poles and using the repetition of cantering round and round to get Toy to settle. I have never asked Toy to do a flying change but he knows how to do them and if he lands on the wrong lead after a jump he will change himself, so this exercise was quite good as I could get used to asking him to change canter lead over the second poles.

David then put the jumps up and I just popped round the figure of eight in each direction. He also set up a skinny fence on the centre line at one end so I could vary the route and get Toy thinking. Even though it was a fairly simple exercise I finished the lesson feeling amazing, I now feel so relaxed about jumping Toy and am happy to sit up straight and wait for the jump rather than panicking and either dropping him or chasing him on the last stride. Toy didn't chip in any short strides or get too close and balloon the fence so I was really happy.

 

 

Also, very pleased that the height of the fences are creeping up week after week and I am feeling more confident jumping bigger...even if David does put the poles up a hole or two when I'm not looking!

 

Next stop Aston Le Walls for our first event of the season on Sunday....cannot wait!!