Set off in mild sleety rain which rapidly turned to rather wet snow the further south we went and then it even started settling on the fields. Mild panic we'd get there and find it cancelled but fortunately not!
So, first test was BE92. Have ridden this one rather a lot recently. He felt a bit backwards in the test - could have had a bit more sparkle and jogged in his final medium walk which was frustrating but overall it felt like a soft, compliant test. I'm awful at guessing what the judges will think of him though so put that bit behind me as needed to get changed quick for jumping.
Ran back down to the arena and watched a couple jump - straightforward figure of 8 course but with 10 jumps in a 20x60m arena it was pretty tight on space with some handbrake turns needed - my steering is not great at the best of times so could prove interesting! It also looked quite up to height - good job no time to walk course and actually get close to jumps! Quick warmup - razzed him up a bit and he was flying so in we went. Tried really hard to see forwards strides and not resort to strangling him on the approach in my attempts to see strides. It was a bit messy round some of the corners but clear round - yay!
Quick change back into dressage gear and got a more forwards warmup this time. Then had to go into a different arena which he's not been in before for BE106. Walked in and immediately his eyes came out on stalks because some guy was walking up the road that runs next to the arena with 2 dogs - except he wasn't really walking, just standing with his back to us with 2 dogs mooching in the hedge. We had 180degree spin then stand there and gawp. Finally got him moving forwards and he did this amazing massively elevated passage type trot with ears up my nose down the long side. Wrestled him into submission into a shoulder-in down next long side but then got another 180degree spin, stand and gawp at the judges end of the arena because stupid man still standing in same place. Not creating good first impression here. Wrestled back into some kind of submission - arms killing already - not good start! Down the centre line - head gradually creeping up but managed to keep him straight. Rest of test followed with me struggling to convey the appearance of graceful elegance whilst conducting a wrestling match with an orange giraffe. The catering van was banging around on one side of the arena, the mooching dogs mooched up the other side of the thin hedge that Monty could quite clearly see through and see movement but not quite what it was and then they reappeared again towards the end. Giraffe finally bubbled over in the walk to trot transition and did walk to canter bounce on the spot then trot followed by cantering over each centre line in the trot serpentine but got it back together for final centre line. Just about made it into halt when large tractor decided to drive down the road next to arena so the halt was rather brief! Probably the worst test I've ever done on the orange beastie. Sabotaged by dog walker - grrrr. Surprisingly it doesn't look that bad on the video - managed to hide the inner wrestling match quite well!
Anyway, onto the jumping. Nerves coming out a bit in the warmup and held onto him into a big parallel resulting in awkward jump - got my arse kicked by loyal friend/groom for the day and went into the arena determined not to hang onto his front end. Saw some interesting longish strides but he responded and went on them, got some much better corners and he flew - another clear round - yay!!!
Then Alexis appeared with a red rossie for our first test. Turns out we were 1st in a big class of 18 so well chuffed with that. We got 28.5 (71.5%) which is huuuuge for us! All 7's except 8's for entry and final centre line and his canter left to trot transition and a 6 for the slight jog in the walk. Also got an 8 for my riding and she said it was such a pleasure to judge - well done! On Cloud 9! Put Monty away and then went back to check on results for 2nd class. Somehow we still managed to come =3rd out of 11 on 33.5 (66.5%). We got a 4 for our disasterous final serpentine but I think she missed the walk to canter trot transition as got 7 for that. Got plenty of 7's with just a few 6's for some of the canter work and his free walk as not surprisingly he didn't really come through from behind - too busy gawping at hedge! Equal first was on 70% so we weren't that far behind given how awful it felt. He has come on so much in the last year - intriguing given he spent 6months of it out of work!
lovely boy with his red rossie:
piccie from the 100 SJ:
BE92 results:
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