I just found my aims for 2014:
And now we look forwards to 2014 - our aims are:
- number one would be to have a year without injury
- I would be over the moon to get a double clear at Badminton and to come in the top ten would be absolutely amazing - he is capable but we will need some luck on our sides
- To come top ten in any of our Regionals classes/Petplan Finals would also be a super achievement
- Moving on from there I would like to get 3 double clears at BE100 and get to the Blenheim Challenge and also qualify for a BE100 Regional Finals and dare I say it, qualify for Badders 2015!
- We are also working hard on the dressage and I'd like to do the Area Festivals at Elem and get top 10.
- Would also like to do a Medium Freestyle and get over 60% in a straight Medium test. I've never done an affiliated Medium so that would be a great achievement, especially with my little giraffe.
So, a little look back at the year.
January and February were focused on training. Started our steep jump learning curve with Chris Burton, continued flatwork lessons with Sara Jane Lanning, survived competing at Novice JAS and had an amazing time at the BD Winter Regionals, winning the Prelim - beyond our wildest dreams and also landed us a sponsorship deal with the fabulous West Kent Saddles who have been super supportive this year.
March brought our first event - first BE100 since end of 2011 and 3rd place at Munstead with a confident 27, 4 faults and storming XC round.
April saw us come 9th at Portman BE100 round our trickiest XC to date and then grab our first BE100 win at no less an event than Hambleden International with a dressage of 21.5 and a lovely double clear. April also saw the Area Festival Finals and the Prelim Winter Championships where he pulled out all the stops to do 3 of his best ever tests in one day in a big atmosphere - huge ask of him and couldn't have been more pleased with him.
Have to say we headed to Badminton in May on a high. Our preparation has gone to the letter and he felt amazing. They say pride comes before a fall and eventing is certainly a good leveller. He did a fantastic dressage for 27.8, a superb clear SJ round to leave us lying in 5th place going into XC. I knew it would be a challenge but I honestly thought we were both up for it. Sadly hanging around in the collecting ring for an hour in gale force winds really didn't do us any favours at all. He wasn't focused on the job and when it came to the horrid coffin, he went to take off, clocked the very large deep ditch at the bottom of the slope and said no thanks sending me into orbit. It was such a shock - he does have a run out in him (and does like to choose important moments to bring it out) but it's not normally so last minute and he's certainly never deposited me on the floor with it! I got back on, tried again, stopped again and seriously thought we were going home but thankfully 3rd time lucky and we got through it and carried on. We had another run out coming out of the water which was my fault as lacking focus by this point and I just nursed him home after that. Spent the week tending to my wounded pride and a sore leg and debating my future in eventing. Sadly May was a bad month and I made the mistake of entering a very tough BE100 at Farley after a few weeks break. He hated the ground, got to the water at the end, right next to the XC collecting ring and chucked me on the floor again - twice!! Definitely ready to give up at this point.
June didn't get much better initially. I managed to fall off in the SJ warmup at Stratford Hills giving myself a coccyx injury that would bug me for the rest of the year. I didn't go XC partly due to being hurt and partly as had decided water jump was too much despite dropping back to BE90. Fortunately a XC lesson with Chris sorted us out and he had us flying again. I went to Rackham BE90 feeling sick to the bottom of my stomach, did a lovely dressage for 22.5, clung on nervously round the SJ for a clear and then wobbled round the first half of the XC before finally finding some bravery and kicking on to finish bang on the optimum time XC and win. Quickly headed to Eridge BE90 the following week and nabbed a 3rd place there too. Confidence on the up!
July was a quiet month as ground too hard for eventing. Did an Elem at Patchetts and got 72.58%! Did a XC clinic at Coombelands with Chris and Monts was flying all the Novice fences no hesitations. Did Novice BD Summer Regionals and finished just outside top ten.
August saw us start with the BE90 Regionals at Chilham. Sadly a tiny blip in the dressage saw us lose a mark to just miss out on qualifying for Badmnton. We were 6th on a score of 30 with a double clear and top 5 went through. So annoyed to have lost it in the dressage! Quickly followed that with moving back up BE100 at Aston le Walls. Ok dressage, one down SJ, nice confident clear XC despite me wobbling about the water jump still. 11th place. We did the Area Festivals at Pachesham at Elementary and came 10th so got our mounted prize giving and a chance to jump the hedge!
September was a busy month. Most importantly the BE100 Regionals at Goring saw us coming 5th with a fab double clear, a seriously confident XC round despite it being the biggest/most technical we've done and a qualification for Badders 2015!!! Second BE90 Regionals at Moreton Morrell and he knocked down the smallest SJ to drop us from 2nd to 7th and out of the qualifications so looks like it's BE100 for Badders 2015 - eeeeeeeeek! We also did Area Festivals at Wellington and got a 70% in the Freestyle but just missed out on top 10 in the Elementary. We did the Blenheim Eventers Challenge which has been on my to do list for years and he was cracking, flying the tricky XC section and just rubbing one SJ. 100 odd entries and only 17 clears or something like that so pleased for a first attempt. We also squeezed in a camp at Nick Gauntlett's yard the week before Goring which was very useful.
October I had intended to run him in the BE100 Plus at Pulborough but the weather was against us and I know he hates mud so don't run him in those conditions now as he just loses confidence. Instead we went XC schooling at Lyneham Heath which is an amazing venue and we jumped him over every ditch and coffin and corner and drop fence without any hesitations. Will definitely head back there before next season. We did our first 1.05m BSJA class so up to 1m15 in the second phase and he was absolutely flying - what a great feeling. He had his usual one rail down but felt so confident. We also went on a pre-season hunt meet and he reminded me what an outstanding hunter he is by flying over open ditches and huge hedges without a hesitation.
November he mostly spent on holiday. We did a quick XC clinic with Chris at LMEQ just building on his confidence and he was loving it and very much on form. We did our first BD Mediums at Crofton and despite it blowing a gale and it not being the best work he can do he managed 65% in M61 and won the Restricted section followed by a respectable 62.5% in M75.
December he came back from holiday feeling awesome, won our first jumping class - a 1m Eventers Challenge, did another 1.05m class at Parwood and just flew round (needless to say via a pole or two on the floor - argh!). We also won the Restricted Elem Freestyle at Merrist Wood on over 71% then won the Medium Restricted Freestyle on our first attempt on plus 65% so qualified for Regionals! He has finally got the hang of flying changes and we're most definitely aiming towards Advanced Medium next year which is just beyond exciting! He feels top dollar and I say roll on 2015 (even if I am quite frankly terrified about Badminton - I didn't get round the 90 very successfully, what on earth am I doing going back at 100?!!!!!)
Aims for 2015:
- Priority number one - another injury free year please.
- Dare I say it - let's just go for completing Badminton BE100 - a clear XC would be amazing but I will go for a completion as a realistic aim.
- Top ten Elementary Restricted/Freestyle Winter Regionals and Elem Summer Regionals
- Top ten Medium Restricted Area Festivals
- over 60% in an Advanced Medium - both straight and Freestyle
- Newcomers BSJA
- unaffiliated Novice one day event - thinking Aston le Walls pre-Badders or Mattingley post-Badders
- qualify for Badminton BE100 2016 unless he does amazingly in which case I might just retire him from qualification chasing and just enjoy a chosen few events!
- that lot should keep us busy!
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