Rackham BE100 Plus 18-06-16

Finally we made it to our first BE100 Plus!  We have entered three I think in total before this and all have been cancelled or I have withdrawn due to bad weather.  BE100 Plus consists of Novice dressage, halfway between 100 and Novice SJ with 100 XC.

It was nice to do a dressage test with a bit more in than your normal BE100 test.  N111 is quite a step up from those with counter canter, rein back and medium trot.  He did a very obedient, steady test and I just about persuaded him that half pass and flying changes were not required!  Pleased to see we led after the dressage on a score of 29.8.  Plenty of 7.5's and 8's, just let down by 6's for his not very existant medium trot.

Got a chance to walk the SJ which is a novelty at BE but was very welcome given the step up in height.  Then I got to watch the first few in the section go as we were near the end - saw someone eliminated for 3 stops on the slightly tacky ground so made sure in my mind that I was going to really ride forwards and not let him get all sticky on me.  There were two 1 stride doubles which are my nemesis so was going to have to make sure to get those right!  Warm-up was getting rather chewed up so we did the minimal - made sure he was taking me forwards and didn't do anything too big.  Was very pleased with how he jumped in the arena.  He didn't really need to have either of the poles (first fence and part a of the double at 9) but just got a little close and didn't quite get his knees up in time.  However, we had no misses and we made the related distances exactly as I walked them and survived both the doubles!  Still have to remember that just under 6yrs ago I bought this horse to give me some confidence SJ as I was too nervous to jump more than 2ft6!

last fence

first part of double at 6 - not seeing a backwards one here!

fence 5

fence 3 - 6 stride related distance after the planks

fence 8

fence 10:

fence 2

fence 7 - 5 strides after 1 stride double

Straight on to XC as we were right at the end of the day.  Quick warmup and off we went.  Bit deep in the two lots of woods so kept it steady in there but managed to stay spot on my minute markers by making up time on the grassy bits.  No need to worry about the coffin - he doesn't seem to mind them at all as long as they're on flat ground and flew through there.  Also not bothered about the log on top of the mound or the water.  Luckily steps down was then a left turn to a right corner - probably wouldn't have gone so well the other way round!  Up the final hill and was still bang on the time I knew I needed to be at the 2nd last fence so kicked on for the finish.  Little spook at the final fence which was full of vegetables and had to push for the line to finish bang on the optimum time!  Having a watch is just so useful!  Meant I could really ease off on the deeper ground in the woods knowing I would be able to judge catching up time on the better ground.

The water at 12 and 13.

fence 15 and 16

Look at his happy little face!

Ended up finishing in 5th place out of 19 which I'm pretty happy with for first one at this level.  We would have won without the poles down SJ which would have been a fab result given he won the BE90 there in 2014 and the BE100 in 2015 but I'm not disappointed.  He felt great which is the main thing.

Could have done without the lorry breaking down on the way home as it was a late one anyway!  Thankfully we weren't too far from home so a lovely friend came and rescued Monty so he could go home to bed after his exertions while I stayed with the lorry and dealt with recovery finally getting home at midnight!  Zzzzzzz.  Now just need to try and get it sorted so we can crack on to Farley Hall this Sunday.  I haven't been there since getting Eliminated at the water two years ago but am reassured to hear they have totally redesigned it so fingers crossed we get there and make it round in one piece this time!

Thanks to ongoing support from Calm Leisure for my super comfy underwear that I just wouldn't be without these days and West Kent Saddles for my perfectly fitted saddles to keep Monty performing at his best!

SJL lesson Parwood 08-06-16

So, mission now is to crack on with the PSG movements, all the while still attempting to improve his basic work.

Today we learnt not to ask for too much sideways in the HP (trot and canter) and make it too difficult for him to maintain his balance.  Point his head where we are going and only ask for that degree of sideways.  This comes from working too much in the small school I have at home so forget what normal distances are.  Need to work on not so much sideways and more jump plus keep the roundness.  Also need to work on being able to take my leg away slightly as at the moment outside leg is clamped on his side all the way.  He should carry on going sideways without that.  Remembering weight down the inside leg helped too.

We did our first canter zig-zags.  Remember to straighten and ask for new positioning before asking for the first flying change.  Most difficult bit was balancing him quick enough after the 2nd half pass for the flying change back towards his more difficult way.  There is only one zig-zag in PSG and it goes left then right.

Then worked on the canter piris.  First working on a large walk piri really getting the front end stepping around and the back leg stepping under not out.  Then into the canter piri and for the first time he actually managed the entire half piri to the right without falling into walk.  (he finds left easier but must make sure quarters don't lead as it's impossible if they go first)  If he does fall into walk most important thing is to try and pick up canter again without coming out of the piri so he learns not to stress but just to carry on in case he does it in test situation.

Love the way we now just casually do single changes across the diagonal to change the rein without even thinking about it.  They took so long to crack but they're fab now!

Finished with some trot work and he felt brilliant - really uphill for him, powerful, settled in the contact and just making SI/HP feel soooooo easy!

It was soooo hot today so pleased that he worked so well as we were both melting!  He's earned himself a week off now for being such a good boy then it's onwards to our first 100+ at Rackham followed by the 100 at Farley before returning to dressage to do another Advanced 102 at the unaffiliated Pachesham dressage champs.

Borde Hill BE100 29-05-16

Hot hot hot sums up today!

Dressage went fairly well.  He just anticipated the walk to trot transition as in same place as the walk to canter in the Advanced we've been doing so it wasn't clear but a nice solid 28.

SJ he was fab!  I messed up one distance but he saved me and we got an elusive clear with a lovely rhythmical round, one of those where all the fences come up on nice distances and no dodgy, awkward jumps.

XC walked tough!  Borde Hill is always tough but it walked super tough!  Fence 4 came up all of a sudden round a tree and was a big table brush affair - kick on!  Then 5 was a flower bed to seriously meaty wide left corner on 2 strides.  Thank god for a well placed large xmas tree to keep us on line!.  Fence 8 was a humongous picnic table then there was another whopping brush spread thing at 10 before a naughty bright duck tucked into the hedge on the right and followed by a green, slimy swamp.  Few let up fences then fence 15 was a nasty half coffin with chunky skinny log on a downwards slop with the ditch 3 strides later - same number fence as the coffin at Badminton and really not very nice for a horse who doesn't like coffins on slopes!  Get through that and the next fence was one of those horrid airy thin hanging logs on another downwards slope under the trees followed by another big of green, slimy swamp! Get through all this and I reckoned we were ok!  5mins36secs and lots of hills plus the heat - it was gonna be a challenge.

So, off we went.  He was flying.  Made nothing of fences 1 to 10.  Then I just didn't quite regain any kind of control before the duck, didn't have him between hand and leg and a good stride away he made the decision to nip out to the left - never in danger of falling off as he decided so early he wasn't doing it but very naughty of him.  Jumped it fine 2nd time.  Next challenge was the coffin - bit sticky but somehow we got over the log.  He's not worried about the ditches when he gets to them so not sure why he has such an issue with part a.  Round to the final challenge - he felt sticky 2 strides out so I sat up and for the first time in a competition actually took hand off reins and gave him a smack on the bum.  Think it was very good I did as he basically climbed over the first element, tipping me forwards, thought about going left but I sat up just in time to save myself from a slimy dip and kicked on.  As predicted he made the rest of the course feel easy and finished 2secs inside the optimum time despite the stop and me not pushing him afterwards.

Massive table at 8:

First 3 fences:

Very frustrating as would have been 4th without the stop XC.  Naughty orange monster!

Tweseldown BE100 22-05-16

Back down to dressage basics today with BE106 - Monts said ha ha you've only got a snaffle today and I don't really want to listen to you so not our best! Scored 29.5.  Doesn't sound too bad but leader on 19 so way way ahead!

He doesn't look like and Advanced dressage horse in these pics!

On to the SJ - the bit I always work up to be the worst in my head!  He warmed up nicely though.  Just before I went in watched someone stack it after trying to fit 2 strides in the one stride double.  Determined not to do this I rode at it like a mad thing which kind of worked as we got through on 1 stride but he got a bit forwards and although we got over the next, despite a good stride to the following one he decided to boot it out in front.  Grrrr!  The inevitable 4 faults.  Still, we survived which is always an achievement.

argh - bosh!

No time to stop - onwards to XC.  It walked far too easy apart from at fence 5 to 6 you jumped an oxer in the hedgeline and turned right to a left handed corner.  I knew this was going to be an issue and deliberated circling between the 2 fences to get straight for the corner as we could make up the time but decided as not in a competitive position in our section might as well go straight.  The inevitable happened and he just ran past the corner.  Jumped it fine 2nd time and cruised home 10secs over the time making the rest feel ridiculously easy.  Such a naughty little sod - he's more than capable but if he can see that left route out he'll happily take it.  Fortunately we weren't gonna get placed anyway so nothing lost and I actually still had a fun day as on such a high from our dressage the day before that absolutely nothing could get me down!

Pachesham BD 21-05-16 - first Advanced!!!

A very exciting day!  I think I have dreamed of riding in a tailcoat for most of my life, but definitely since I got the dressage bug with my first horse 15yrs ago.  I'm not sure I ever thought it would actually happen and most certainly I didn't buy Monty with the intention of it being with him.  He was meant to replace my old hunter and teach me to show jump more than 2ft3.  His conformation doesn't lend itself to dressage with his low set on neck and downhill appearance and I really struggled to get him into any sort of acceptable outline or to even go in a straight line.  I had no more than Novice in our sights at first.  However, what he is blessed with is the most trainable brain.  He doesn't give up when it gets tough, he just asks what's next.  However, he is very sensitive and he likes consistency.  Very few others have ridden him as he gets confused and upset easily and then he likes to stand on his back legs so it works best if it's just me and him.  Having ridden no higher than Elementary in the past it is the blind leading the blind but we are getting there slowly thanks to huge amounts of encouragement from super trainer Sara-Jane Lanning.  Each time we start at a new level I think we've reached our limits but he just keeps on mastering new stuff and we just keep on going!  We'll never be world beaters but we're having so much fun!

Cannot describe what it felt like to actually put the tailcoat on.  You couldn't have wiped the grin off my face if you'd tried.  We kind of lost our tempi changes in the warmup which was a bit concerning and I didn't honestly think we'd pull them off in the test as they're so easy to mess up but at the end of the day they were only 2 marks in total so not a disaster.

So, we went in and we did it.  Almost everything happened where it should have done.  The 4 time changes were a bit wild and a bit wonky as I was so determined they would happen I overdid the aids a bit.  The 3 times were a bit stuffy as I over collected, again determined to get them but they both happened and all changes clean!!!  I then overdid the extended canter which was great as it got a 7 but I didn't quite regain collected in time for the final change so it was 2 strides late behind but out of all the changes to only miss one in our first go is fab!  He even got a 7 for his 3 time changes and for a few other things too!  Plus a 7.5 for his entry - 7.5 at Advanced!!!  7's for his paces and my riding - again, a 7 at Advanced for my riding - I honestly think I could happily retire now!  He finished on 63.97% which I nearly fell over at.  That qualifies us to ride at PSG now - how utterly ridiculous is that?!!!  My little Monts and me are gonna do Prix St George - my life will be complete!

I love this horse sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!