In some respects its been a busy month and in others, mainly on the horse front its been quiet! Well kind of!
After Skipton & Eland both the girls headed to Malpas, an event I haven't been to before. Lady was in the BE100 and Candy the Novice. They both performed average tests, but in nearly 30 degree heat and a tweed jacket it wasn't surprising! Trying not to make the other one look bad they both scored a 37.5 can you believe!
Onto show jumping which was a nice course but caused the occasional fault with undulating ground. Both Lady and Candy coped well and came out with a clear round. I went on to walk the cross country, even with a map I was lost and confused! After asking numerous walkers and fences judges I finally got to the finish in a panic, running late and a size smaller then when I set off due to the heat! OK the last a slight exaggeration but that's how hot it was!
I was a little optimistic about the track and worried how it might ride. Lady was up first and showed me what a honest bold horse she really is, There was a very nasty fence 3 which had a fence on a angle one stride through a fence which the horse only saw at the last minute and with it being angled gave the horses an easy route out of jumping it. The water fence again needed bold riding with a log in the water then a big jump out over a step. Another few big hedges in-between and a rather large in your face looking trekhaner took you to half way round the course. A long gallop down to a very dingy wood with a A and B element which many horses would look at with the sudden change of light. The route back home was more relaxing a steady drag uphill to a ABC log ditch log complex followed by another AB angled element. The course rode considerably well to how it walked and I was chuffed to pieces with Lady's second double clear at her second BE100 and how she had tackled the course confidently throughout, answering all the questions. A 9th frilly later it was Candy's turn to motor round the cross country.
This course really appealed to me for Candy after walking it mainly because it was a more traditional style course. It need riding fast and confidently. They were a couple of fences I was slightly concerned about. Candy hasn't jumped many steps up to fences and the ones she has done didn't go very well! Well this course would either make or break this little concern I had and thankfully it went the right way. I rode them much stronger and gave her no choice but to jump them! Bang on the optimum time we returned with another double clear at Novice level. This lifted us to 4th place and I am now left ponding where and what to do next! I have a horse that is feeling great and confident with us both comfortable at this level . I think it might be another go at 1 star very soon!
Coming up is Pony Club Area 6 Show jumping this weekend which our branch the Barlow are running this year. Lady is then at Breckenborough doing the BE100. The week after its Pony Club Area Eventing with Candy which I am really looking forward to.
After Skipton & Eland both the girls headed to Malpas, an event I haven't been to before. Lady was in the BE100 and Candy the Novice. They both performed average tests, but in nearly 30 degree heat and a tweed jacket it wasn't surprising! Trying not to make the other one look bad they both scored a 37.5 can you believe!
Onto show jumping which was a nice course but caused the occasional fault with undulating ground. Both Lady and Candy coped well and came out with a clear round. I went on to walk the cross country, even with a map I was lost and confused! After asking numerous walkers and fences judges I finally got to the finish in a panic, running late and a size smaller then when I set off due to the heat! OK the last a slight exaggeration but that's how hot it was!
I was a little optimistic about the track and worried how it might ride. Lady was up first and showed me what a honest bold horse she really is, There was a very nasty fence 3 which had a fence on a angle one stride through a fence which the horse only saw at the last minute and with it being angled gave the horses an easy route out of jumping it. The water fence again needed bold riding with a log in the water then a big jump out over a step. Another few big hedges in-between and a rather large in your face looking trekhaner took you to half way round the course. A long gallop down to a very dingy wood with a A and B element which many horses would look at with the sudden change of light. The route back home was more relaxing a steady drag uphill to a ABC log ditch log complex followed by another AB angled element. The course rode considerably well to how it walked and I was chuffed to pieces with Lady's second double clear at her second BE100 and how she had tackled the course confidently throughout, answering all the questions. A 9th frilly later it was Candy's turn to motor round the cross country.
This course really appealed to me for Candy after walking it mainly because it was a more traditional style course. It need riding fast and confidently. They were a couple of fences I was slightly concerned about. Candy hasn't jumped many steps up to fences and the ones she has done didn't go very well! Well this course would either make or break this little concern I had and thankfully it went the right way. I rode them much stronger and gave her no choice but to jump them! Bang on the optimum time we returned with another double clear at Novice level. This lifted us to 4th place and I am now left ponding where and what to do next! I have a horse that is feeling great and confident with us both comfortable at this level . I think it might be another go at 1 star very soon!
Coming up is Pony Club Area 6 Show jumping this weekend which our branch the Barlow are running this year. Lady is then at Breckenborough doing the BE100. The week after its Pony Club Area Eventing with Candy which I am really looking forward to.
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