Post by racaille on Aug 28, 2014 5:57:56 GMT
But I couldn't be happier. 
Took the teenager, Sam and Paco down to a training day near the coast where they have a very nice sandy XC course in a pine wood.I was a bit alarmed to be in the 'big' group but I felt much more stable and brave so I had a go at almost everything. It just felt great and I had a ball. Yes, I did come off and christened the new BP I'd bought the day before but it wasn't a big deal and entirely my fault: P had been skipping out at the second phase of a very skinny log jump on a corner, the angle was difficult and it was quite big compared with its width. I kept trying to close the door on him but he just wasn't up for it until at last he really had no option and after making me think he was going to stop, he did an enormous sheep leap. I was pinged into the air, lost both stirrups and when I caught my breath realised we were heading for a tree. I panicked and couldn't decide how to get around it and we zig-zagged at speed and I was lost. No harm done though.
My pride was saved when our bloke team member came off at the coffin: he was warned it would happen and it did.
So not the only 'oldie' to eat dirt!
It was very very hot and I was pretty bushed after a morning on the XC but having gone all that way I'd signed up for the SJ in the afternoon too. It felt great! Only smallish jumps but I was working on fluid canter and rebalancing P, and it went really well. Towards the end I had a serious dip in energy - coming round a corner my coach was yelling at me to change canter lead but I was too tired to do anything and we brought the pole down. My coach was a bit cross, saying that I KNOW P hasn't got the balance to manage that, but I was dead in the saddle. So I finished with a short series in a good canter and was very happy.
Despite the fall, I am thrilled and had a brilliant day. Feel I am making progress and my coach thinks so too which is the most important!
Sam didn't do the SJ as the teenager didn't want to over-jump him. He was pretty good on the XC, other than making a fuss about the water, but he eventually managed the jump down into it very nicely. He was very cross to be away from P in the afternoon and was shouting his head off.
Took the teenager, Sam and Paco down to a training day near the coast where they have a very nice sandy XC course in a pine wood.I was a bit alarmed to be in the 'big' group but I felt much more stable and brave so I had a go at almost everything. It just felt great and I had a ball. Yes, I did come off and christened the new BP I'd bought the day before but it wasn't a big deal and entirely my fault: P had been skipping out at the second phase of a very skinny log jump on a corner, the angle was difficult and it was quite big compared with its width. I kept trying to close the door on him but he just wasn't up for it until at last he really had no option and after making me think he was going to stop, he did an enormous sheep leap. I was pinged into the air, lost both stirrups and when I caught my breath realised we were heading for a tree. I panicked and couldn't decide how to get around it and we zig-zagged at speed and I was lost. No harm done though.
My pride was saved when our bloke team member came off at the coffin: he was warned it would happen and it did.
So not the only 'oldie' to eat dirt!It was very very hot and I was pretty bushed after a morning on the XC but having gone all that way I'd signed up for the SJ in the afternoon too. It felt great! Only smallish jumps but I was working on fluid canter and rebalancing P, and it went really well. Towards the end I had a serious dip in energy - coming round a corner my coach was yelling at me to change canter lead but I was too tired to do anything and we brought the pole down. My coach was a bit cross, saying that I KNOW P hasn't got the balance to manage that, but I was dead in the saddle. So I finished with a short series in a good canter and was very happy.
Despite the fall, I am thrilled and had a brilliant day. Feel I am making progress and my coach thinks so too which is the most important!
Sam didn't do the SJ as the teenager didn't want to over-jump him. He was pretty good on the XC, other than making a fuss about the water, but he eventually managed the jump down into it very nicely. He was very cross to be away from P in the afternoon and was shouting his head off.
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
