Tweseldown BE90 22-05-11

Alarm went off at 5am finally this morning - I dont think I slept at all last night. I pretty much saw every half hour in on the clock. No idea why - wasn't esp nervous, more excited I think. I was quite glad when the alarm finally went off! Not so glad when I looked out the window and it was absolutely chucking it down - thank god for the sand at T/down meaning it wouldn't get slippery! Got to T/down at 7am, toddled off to walk SJ course which looked fine and then set about warming up a rather lively orange thing. Left 45mins for warmup which is normally enough for him but he was rather pingy today - perhaps the early start or maybe the rather high winds! Prob not helped by the loose horse galloping past either! We got sent off to the further away arena (not good for mr.nappy) and he was not listening to me at all - thought about one nap but managed to stop him. Test was BE92 which I cant say I like much. I thought he went worse than last time we did it at T/down last month and we got 39 then so wasn't expecting anything good! The only bit he did nicely was his right canter transition which he's been telling me for the last 9mths he cant possibly do nicely. Shame he forgot how to do a left canter one as well! FWLR was more like gaze into space and our final halt was decidedly squiffy!

Anyway, onto the fun stuff. Over to the SJ warmup and they were letting people in when you were ready so went in 15mins early. Forgot how to ride in a nice rhythm, got a terrible shot to the first fence and somehow he took the long one I gave him and cleared it, wiggled round the line to 2, 3 and 4 went ok, double at 5 no probs, 6 fine, 7 big triple bar but no probs there then I put him on another god awful stride to 8, he didn't fancy the long one I asked for, tucked in another and took out the front rail, luckily managed to hold onto him to clear 9. Totally my fault - very annoying 4 faults - didn't feel anywhere near as smooth as our round at Mattingley. They were announcing most people's dressage scores as they went in to jump but not mine and not enough time to go and look so went off to XC assuming it was over 40 and with 4 faults as well decided not to go breakneck across country.

Got him into the warmup and he turned into the devil possessed. Bouncing around like a tigger on speed. Wouldn't stand to talk to the steward, kept half rearing and buggering off. Warmed up rubbish - kept getting in deep to the fences and not jumping forward at all. Gave up in the end and they were wanting people to start early so off we went.

Didn't buy the pro pics as I'm too broke, there is a vid of me somewhere but not on my phone so picless report I'm afraid.
Despite our inability to get the stride right SJ or in the warmup he flew the XC no probs. Was totally out of control between the flower bed at 1 and the pheasant feeder at 2 - we came flying down the hill flat out - fortunately he jumps well from a gallop! Same to the hay feeder at 3. Regained some control before the narrow box brush at 4 (good pro pic over this one) and then tried to pick the shortest line round the corner to the palisade which then dropped away downhill and somehow wiggled my way around onto a half decent line for the double of log piles which are very square and solid and wide for my liking! Curved 3 strides to the 2nd part which is on an angle inviting a run out to the left (his fave way to go!) but he held the line well, then shot off over to the hay barn at 7 completely out of control again. Steadied a bit up the hill to the corner which he flew no probs then downhill to the next fence and you had to come down out of a narrow path and then somehow turn 45degrees to the right to jump a narrow hanging log - I erred on the side of caution and brought him right back to a trot as I envisaged us flying straight past it if I kept going the speed he wanted! Managed the 90degree turn to the 2nd hanging log no probs then, sped through the sunken road and then over to the water. He was looking at everything else around but got his attention back to jump the narrow box brush and then brought him back to trot as the water a bit fiddly - in and out then back in then turn 90degrees right then back into canter and out over the tube. Legged it up into the woods, steadied up for the hanging log to the step down - it does look a long way down from up on top! Landed and put foot to the floor over the chair and the final house. How on earth I ended up with 7.2 time pens I have no idea - I know I lost a little time trotting at the hanging logs and the water but 18seconds??? The rest of the time he was flying and given my attempts at slowing him down were completely ineffective I cant see we lost any time anywhere else. I might not have set out to go roaring round but he had different ideas. Honestly dont think I could have made the time without riding dangerously fast. It felt far too out of control as it was. He was 8secs inside the time at Mattingley 2wks ago so it's not like we cant make the time. Oh well, will see what next week holds!

Dressage mark wasn't as bad as I thought - 35.5 Plenty of 7's, no 5's.  There were plenty of faults going up in the SJ esp time faults and also plenty of XC time faults so at least I wasn't alone! So, 17th out of 33 starters. Would have been 5th if we'd finished on dressage score.  Not too bad for 1st affiliated. Now, a bit more rain would be nice as we have Borde Hill then BCA then Rackham coming up and I want to prove we can go fast enough XC!

Was back at the yard by 11.15am and am now about to go back to bed for an afternoon snooze - this eventing lark is exhausting but much much fun