at home before setting off
Tuesday 6th May saw us finally heading off to Badminton after 3years of attempting to qualify and a long 7months since the Regionals doing as much preparation as I possibly could to make sure we had the best chance possible of doing well whilst keeping Monty happy and sound and well. I started training with Chris Burton in January and he totally turned around our SJ and really helped Monty's flatwork too. We had weekly lessons in April and were jumping courses of 1m10-1m15 in lessons and making it feel easy. SJ has always been my nemesis but finally I felt confident!
It didn't seem real that we were actually finally heading off to Badminton. Easy couple of hours and we were there and parked up just a few horseboxes along from Alexis and had a bit of a joint squeal about finally being at Badders after such an epic journey. No time to relax though - we settled Monty into his stable and he seemed pretty chilled:
So then made the trek over to the XC to go on an organised course walk with Tiny Clapham. My first proper look at the course and my initial thoughts were "wow!" It seemed tougher in real life than it had appeared from the photos. There were lots of skinnies and lines we'd have to keep to. Headed back over to the lorries and had a quick break, organised the horsebox and then headed back over and went on a second course walk, this time with Nick Gauntlett who was brilliant at spending loads of time with us discussing lines and I really tried to take everything he said on board. He made a point of telling us we'd have to get back into a proper coffin canter for fence 8 and that they wouldn't see the ditch until the last minute so we'd have to ride it but once over the first part we should be ok to just pop over the ditch and out.
Got back over to the lorries and had a schooling session on Monty in the dressage warmup field.
He worked brilliantly so put him to bed happy
Then rode back to the course on our bikes to walk a few of the lines I was worried about in more detail. I thought the step down to the skinny at 5 was challenge no.1 as Monts not always great at turning right so I planned to angle the step down to make the turn easier. I wasn't overly concerned about the coffin - he has never been bothered about open ditches, jumped a half coffin at Hambleden easily a few weeks ago and has schooled through various full coffins in the past. The fence I was most worried about was 11/12ab which was a log followed by a steep hill down on a right curve to a skinny brush and another right curve to a super skinny shaped brush which was very similar to what Monty ran out at XC schooling back in March - I walked my line lots! The rest of the course didn't worry me too much - I could have done with getting in the water and walking the line out better but I knew what I needed to do in theory. Back to camp, time for dinner and bed and try to get some sleep!
Sleep failed miserably - it hammered it down all night which was soooo loud on the roof of the luton and I kept thinking we'd wake up to find they'd abandoned and we'd all have to go home. Finally the morning came, no signs of abandonment so cracked on with plaiting up and choosing some studs which always causes me great dilemmas. The lovely FMBS people came over with their rug to put on Monty while I studded up and then it was time to get on. He warmed up beautifully, cantered round the arena confidentally and did a smashing test, just marred by falling back to trot slightly early in the second canter but I hid it as best as possible and picked up canter for another stride and from the sheets the judge at E didn't even see it so bit of a save and probably just cost us the one mark from the C judge.
Monty's never had such a big support team!:
Monty safely back in his stable and time to go and check scores and walk the SJ course. Really happy to see a score of 27.8. We were lying 13th out of 92 after dressage which I was quite happy with. Still miles behind the leader who was on 18.3 but very much in contention with many of the others. Walked the SJ course and was very happy with plenty of straight line related distances and nothing that should challenge him. It looked tiny compared to what we've been jumping. Watched a few jump and noted that jump 2 was headed directly towards a flapping tent in the warmup and causing a few refusals so made a mental note to ride that properly as Monty's views on tents are unprintable!
Parents had come up to watch so sat down for a picnic and picked at a few bits of food before rapidly wishing I hadn't bothered - bleugh! 4hrs zoomed by and it was time to get on.
pep talk from Dad
I love this photo - Monts and my grandad
By this time the wind had really got up and they had people hanging onto the metal archway into the arena and the tent in the warmup was banging and crashing and trying to take off. Monty went wild - he hates still tents, let along flapping, banging ones. He also hates wind and I would normally dread even trying to school him in high winds as he's so jumpy. He was leaping around all over the place and it was not a civilised warmup!
giving it some air!
he really didn't like that tent!
Chris had said he would come and help us out but sadly the riders briefing ran late and then he had a Team Australia course walk which obviously rather took priority. Clearly though he has taught us well enough to manage without him as despite having to be led into the arena at the gallop Monty jumped a cracking clear round, meeting every fence spot on and making it feel about 2ft tall. What a buzz!
Back over to the lorry for a change of tack and a run through of the course in my head, remembering all my lines. We headed over to the XC warmup with a planned 15mins until our time to find they were running 30mins late. In hindsight at this point I should have taken him back to the lorry but it's a ten minute walk over there and so I opted for just walking round the warmup which seemed like a good plan and he seemed settled enough until I picked him up to canter him and he went totally nuts. The wind was blowing a gale by this point and we'd been waiting way longer than half hour due to further holds on course which I was oblivious to as had no watch but we were probably in there a good hour. Monty hates XC warmups at the best of times and I normally try and minimise the time spent in them. When I tried to jump him he was running blind into the fences, ignoring me and running in deep then skewing over them - it wasn't pretty. In between he was leaping, plunging, rearing, spinning, fly bucking, the lot. It was Monty to the extreme.
Finally we got into that start box and he was actually remarkable controlled in there considering and finally we got that count down and off we went. He jumped one and two well but was spooking at the metal fencing lined up by the track on the way to the brush at so got in a bit deep and pinged the full height. He ran on down the hill and came back ok for 4 but then went to charge off and I had to shout at him to get him back for the step down to brush but he did it nicely. He was gawping at the people watching so got a dodgy shot to the wall at 6, then galloped on and spooked at the bridge before climbing up the hill to pop over the table at 7 then woah, out to the string on the left, sit him back, turn right, straight up and a nice positive stride to the rail into the coffin. He dropped his head to take off and clearly clocked the ditch and ducked left sending me flying with no warning at all. Slightly dazed I got to my feet and they asked if I wanted to continue. Retiring at this point was not in my head so on I got, waited for the following rider to go through and then came back round for another try. Got another nice forward stride, employed my best growl and he stopped again. Really not like him but was not giving up! One more try, sat back, kicked for my life, shouted "GO!" and he went. He left a leg and tipped me forwards on landing but proved his lack of ditchiness as despite me not helping much he launched over the ditch. At this point we were way over to the right but I pulled my left rein and kicked like mad to get out over the third part. Huge cheer from the crowd and a big pat for Monty. Totally out of character for him to throw in the towel like that. He has an immaculate competitive XC record and our only blips have been running past skinnies when I haven't got the line right and have fiddled instead of riding forward. It came from nowhere and the whole situation clearly worried him for him to react like that as he is normally the most genuine horse and has put up with some shocking riding from me in the past and jumped when I haven't helped him. This time I thought I'd set up perfectly so the stop was totally unexpected. In hindsight watching the video I should have sat further back and really ridden more positively but I don't normally need to attack fences like that so I don't think I'd have changed anything if I'd had to do it again although I'll certainly be riding the next one a lot more positively.
Anyway, we had to put that behind us and crack on. The next fence was a hanging rail with a drop behind it and I felt him hesitate and look for the ditch but with none in sight he popped over. Onto the brush under the trees which he backed off - he really was finding the course a lot more spooky than he normally would. Then it was my nemesis combination and he only went and made it feel like childs play. Popped the log, perfect curved line to the skinny brushes and we were away up the long hill where Badminton House first comes into view and you realise you really are galloping round Badminton.
Monty ate up the large brush oxer and then popped through the silver birch rails on the angled line I'd planned before galloping on over the 2nd brush oxer and then getting again my planned angled line into the garden over the house and then lovely stride on the right curve to the jump out. Over to the string and got my line to the water. Rode forwards as they can't see the water till the last minute but he never hesitated and in fact was too bold in, floundered out into the deep water and I lost all connection. I tried to get my line for the skinny out but it required an accurate turn and I made a hash of it and he took advantage and ran past it to the left - always his weakness to run out that way and I didn't help him. Came round and got a better line and he jumped it fine. Got a lovely stride to the wishing well in front of the house and the chair and then came to the corners knowing one more run out and we'd be walking home so opted to take the long route. Over the trakehner and the final book and we were home safely. It was a huge relief to cross that finish line!!
definitely monsters in that ditch
coming out of the coffin
silver birch rails
there's that iconic shot I came for!
weeeee!
one from home!
finish in sight
the alternative at the corners fence 20
I can't hide how disappointed I am that our Badminton dream didn't go to plan. I thought I was sat on a XC machine but the circumstances on the day altered that and I didn't adapt my riding well enough to get him to cope with it. I've only been riding XC since 2011 and I think my inexperience showed. It was certainly a massive learning curve and I have taken a huge amount away from it. My XC riding is now top of my list of things to work on. I think I've been lucky and he's been genuine with me in the past but with the huge distractions of Badminton he needed me to help him out more and I didn't and I'm kicking myself for it. I worked so hard to get there and thought I'd done all I could to get us a good result but sadly it wasn't to be. I felt like I'd let all my supporters down and a bit of a failure to be honest.
Fortunately after some positive talking from my amazing friends and a chance to digest the fact we'd completed Badminton which was more than a third of the class did and with a bit of help from some alcohol I have rationalised it a bit more and realise it was a big achievement to get to Badminton at all, especially with my limited experience of XC riding and it was a true Championship course which produced true Champions. We didn't deserve to be one this year but it's made me all the more determined to go away and become a better rider. I'm not one to give up and I will keep on trying to be the best rider I possibly can be. I have an absolutely awesome horse who got shell shocked and showed up his insecurities but he is still the best best horse I could ever have wished for and I still worship the ground he walks on. And not forgetting he produced an awesome dressage test and a superbly confident SJ round which is one hell of an achievement in itself. When I got 42 at our first Regionals in 2011 I never thought I'd see us scoring 27.8 at Badminton! And when I first started jumping him it was all I could do to stay on let alone jump clear. We have come a long way and I just hope I can keep him sound and happy to continue on my steep steep learning curve that eventing has put me on. I have always loved a challenge and this sport just keeps on giving me that.
our completion rossies
Onwards and upwards and we will be back! We already have 3 Regional Finals for this year and I am now planning to get him out to the bigger International events to expose him to more atmosphere and people and bigger courses. I toyed with going back to 90 to qualify again but he is doing so well at 100 I am just going to crack on with them and enjoy it! What will be will be. As Chris said to me after Wednesday "with eventing, there's always another day!"
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