Post by fimacg on Apr 23, 2012 8:33:05 GMT
... in the car park before my XC round! 
As per usual I didn't leave myself enough time so was running late... and it took me longer to walk the course than I anticipated, so raced through tacking brave up and jumping on board... got to the warm up ring and I had forgotten to put on my medical armband.
Was trotting back to the trailer when Brave spooked at a horse going up into a lorry. Well I had my mind on other things wasn't paying attention and just went over his shoulder. They do make quite a crack when they go off... which sent Brave into a tizzy... and he disappeared back to the warm up arena! Someone reappeared with my pony and had to hang on to him for me as I raced to the trailer to get the armband and dump the now useless air jacket...
Popped him over the practice fence a couple of times which he had no respect for as it was a little log on the ground (we were only doing the 60cm course) so decided as he had already had a gallop around the car park he was warmed up.
Had a little difficulty going into the starting box but then it was time for us to go and we cantered strongly out towards the first fence. The announcer on the Tannoy spoke, and Brave went from canter to halt in 1 stride and then swiftly into reverse as this great voice from heaven was booming out andhe couldn't work out where it was coming from. I decided to play safe and trot to the fence and just as I was approaching the tannoy went again and again he went into reverse - this time for 100m all the way back to the start box. I was tempted to reverse him to the first fence when the decided to send out the next horse so I got a lead off that over the first 2 fences and Brave was chasing its tail and I was staying on top.
Had a stop at fence three cos the horse in front had stopped so Brave wanted to double check there were no tigers in there, then he stopped and fannyed around at a field boundary where ther grass changed and you could see people and horses on the other side coming back....
got past that and into the woods, Brave suffering in his confidence a bit and it was all I could do to keep him trpotting around the corner and to a fairly robust looking wooden spread fence where the professional photographer was... Brave was all for stopping but I was n't so we WALKED over that one.... Photographer was laughing at us and said as we past now he had seen it all, plenty of refusals and falls at it but we were the first to step over it one leg at a time!
after that we started to find our stride and popped the next for or five with no difficulties... Then it was the water a ride through went in fine in trot but had to stop for a soak and to look at the rubber ducks at one side of it when the horse behind came past and basically pushed us out of the side... but never mind we had been for a paddle...
cleared the next couple with Brave getting stronger and stronger all the time then to a fence that was causing lots of trouble the horse that had overtaken us in the water was refusing so Brave had to stop, they waved the first horse on as Brave and I were having our second attempt which he cleared with no problem, then it was a flat out race to the next jump I felt I was pulling his teeth out to get his attention, I did have to circle away to give them room to jump which got his attention back and we finished very strongly over the last two...
so all in all a very good day, I loved despite my unexpected dismount and not bad for my first XC competition in 3 years. The jumps were a bit small for him to respect but we got around safely.
Best summary of the day: "No go to No Whoa"
and I am going back to the same course next Sunday for some schooling over the bigger 75cm course.
Still got a grin on my face but I do ache today!
As per usual I didn't leave myself enough time so was running late... and it took me longer to walk the course than I anticipated, so raced through tacking brave up and jumping on board... got to the warm up ring and I had forgotten to put on my medical armband.
Was trotting back to the trailer when Brave spooked at a horse going up into a lorry. Well I had my mind on other things wasn't paying attention and just went over his shoulder. They do make quite a crack when they go off... which sent Brave into a tizzy... and he disappeared back to the warm up arena! Someone reappeared with my pony and had to hang on to him for me as I raced to the trailer to get the armband and dump the now useless air jacket...
Popped him over the practice fence a couple of times which he had no respect for as it was a little log on the ground (we were only doing the 60cm course) so decided as he had already had a gallop around the car park he was warmed up.
Had a little difficulty going into the starting box but then it was time for us to go and we cantered strongly out towards the first fence. The announcer on the Tannoy spoke, and Brave went from canter to halt in 1 stride and then swiftly into reverse as this great voice from heaven was booming out andhe couldn't work out where it was coming from. I decided to play safe and trot to the fence and just as I was approaching the tannoy went again and again he went into reverse - this time for 100m all the way back to the start box. I was tempted to reverse him to the first fence when the decided to send out the next horse so I got a lead off that over the first 2 fences and Brave was chasing its tail and I was staying on top.
Had a stop at fence three cos the horse in front had stopped so Brave wanted to double check there were no tigers in there, then he stopped and fannyed around at a field boundary where ther grass changed and you could see people and horses on the other side coming back....
got past that and into the woods, Brave suffering in his confidence a bit and it was all I could do to keep him trpotting around the corner and to a fairly robust looking wooden spread fence where the professional photographer was... Brave was all for stopping but I was n't so we WALKED over that one.... Photographer was laughing at us and said as we past now he had seen it all, plenty of refusals and falls at it but we were the first to step over it one leg at a time!
after that we started to find our stride and popped the next for or five with no difficulties... Then it was the water a ride through went in fine in trot but had to stop for a soak and to look at the rubber ducks at one side of it when the horse behind came past and basically pushed us out of the side... but never mind we had been for a paddle...
cleared the next couple with Brave getting stronger and stronger all the time then to a fence that was causing lots of trouble the horse that had overtaken us in the water was refusing so Brave had to stop, they waved the first horse on as Brave and I were having our second attempt which he cleared with no problem, then it was a flat out race to the next jump I felt I was pulling his teeth out to get his attention, I did have to circle away to give them room to jump which got his attention back and we finished very strongly over the last two...
so all in all a very good day, I loved despite my unexpected dismount and not bad for my first XC competition in 3 years. The jumps were a bit small for him to respect but we got around safely.
Best summary of the day: "No go to No Whoa"
and I am going back to the same course next Sunday for some schooling over the bigger 75cm course.
Still got a grin on my face but I do ache today!
Sort of thing I'd do I am afraid........
- the same girl who has the air jacket does that each year and says it is great fun on good ground, and I am almost certain Ben did it with his previous owner Moira.
)
Always saddle your own horse
