We arrived on Monday lunchtime to torrential rain - please no repeat of last year's weather! The forecast was due to clear up thankfully but it wasn't a great start! Was soaked just queueing up to get my stable number. Got a place in the indoor barn thankfully. Half the stables this year were outdoors with the whole sides open but we were tucked up indoors. Got Monty settled quickly and ran over to the course walk with Yogi. Thank god for recent running training as it's quite a long way to run! Just made it in time. As usual Yogi was very helpful although I found myself making my own decisions a lot more this year and predicting a lot of the things he was saying which at least shows I've learnt something!
After that was finished I had a little ride on Monts and did some flatwork with him, making sure to ride him round near the flappy flags and as close to the dressage arenas as possible. He was good. He relaxed nicely and did some good work. Tucked him up for the night and settled ourselves in for the week.
Tuesday morning up early for a 9.42am dressage. He was a bit worrying in his stable. Hadn't really eaten anything from the night before and only a couple of poos. He was quiet and not really interested in breakfast (not unusual for him not to eat when away though.) He also kept placing his front feet forwards slightly which was something I hadn't seen him do ever before. Decided to see how he went once I got on. He warmed up beautifully - really soft and round, Perhaps a little quiet for him in this atmosphere though. Really grateful to our regular trainer Sara-Jane Lanning for coming along to help us warmup and take some lovely photos. In the test he was a bit tense and not as forwards as he could be, he cantered in one of the trot circles and then put in a big buck in the 2nd trot-canter transition which is very unlike him - not sure I've ever had him do more than kick one leg out at the whip. I found myself looking at the floor for one heartstopping moment - elimination in the dressage wasn't part of my plan! Luckily got it back together quickly and finished the test. Not surprisingly a not great score of 34.9. He really doesn't do well with the stress of staying away and a Championship atmosphere. I had him on Protexin from a few days before we went to try and counteract any problems but this year was probably the worst he's been. Guess he knew where he was. Nothing to do other than keep a close eye on him. He was still keen to eat grass which was something.
Next step was another course walk. This time just with my long standing eventing companion who knows us best. Wanted someone to talk through the options with. Quick stop for some lunch then back off for another course walk with Lucy Thompson. Lucy was very kind to offer a coursewalk - we used to have lessons a few years ago before I found Chris who is much more local but went for another very useful one in January so was pleased to have the chance to do the course walk. It really just served to finalise in my mind what routes I was taking and that the decisions I'd made were not stupid ones. I knew what lines to take to what fences to suit him. I decided to go direct at the water but the long way at both of the left corners and on both of them the ground ran away to the left which would be far too inviting for him. Decided to go direct at the scary angled brush which was sort of reminiscent of the Vicarage Vee in set up, just without the ditch. They had made it more attractive with some strategic trees so thought we would go for it. Used my CourseWalk app to work out my minute markers. Lucy then also walked the SJ with us. Lots of related distances which suits us well. Height looked a lot less scary than last year. Ground was perfect and with us being 8th to go should stay that way. The sun had come out and the ground dried very quickly with the decent wind that blows across that field.
Back for another little ride on Monts. He had eaten a bit but not loads. He worked nicely though - we did a little flatwork and a short hack around the field with a friend. Let him have some more grass and he seemed quite relaxed then back to bed. No weird stretching and seemed ok in himself. Early night for me - spent hours visualising the SJ and XC course and how I would ride every fence and how good it would feel!
Up bright and early Wed morning. The sun was shining, I'd actually slept well and felt up for the challenge. SJ was at 8.44am. Went to find Monts to stud him up. Wouldn't touch any food at all (same as last year but still worrying as not exactly going to be good for energy levels for all that was to come). He was also doing the foot placing thing again. I did think about whether I should withdraw him but felt I was looking for excuses not to do it so convinced myself to get on and see how he warmed up. Well he warmed up brilliantly. No naughty napping, full of energy, going on lovely forward strides. Regular jump trainer Chris Burton turned up for the last bit of the warmup and whacked the oxers up for us then a big vertical to finish. Went in and he was really forwards but not running away. Had walked the turn from 2 to 3 on 9 strides but should have known he wouldn't go that wide and would cut the corner on the right rein so should have ridden for 8. We got in rather deep and he did very well to clear it. Forwards 6 strides to the next then round to an oxer, 4 strides to a 1 stride double oxer to vertical which he did nicely. Got myself together, reconnected him and set him up for the next line - vertical, 5 strides to oxer, 8 strides round left bend to 1 stride double which all went nicely. Then saw a flyer to a big oxer off left turn and he drifted massively right over it which affected our line round the right turn to the last fence which walked on 7. Again with a right turn I should have aimed for 6 and when we drifted right I should have sat up and done something about it but I let him drift round the corner, tried to hold for 6 and ended up far too close so just had the last down. Bit annoyed with myself but very pleased with how he jumped.
Walking over to the SJ looking very relaxed:
Before the round started:
Fence 2
Fence 3
Fence 4
Fence 5
Fence 6b
Fence 7
Fence 8
Fence 9a
Fence 9b
Fence 10
He seemed fine in himself so we got ready for XC and went over to the warmup. Few fences straight and then on the angle and he felt good. Into the start and we were off. Fumbled with the watch which meant I didn't focus on the first fence very well and we scrambled over. Got my act together for fence 2 which was massive! Saw a great stride and he flew it.
Whopping great fence!
Next was 2 skinny uprights on a left curved 5 strides. Lots to look at here, got the turn, kept him straight and we made it nicely in 6 strides. Crossed the road and checked my watch as that should have been first minute marker - watch hadn't started! Argh. Started it then hoping I was a bit up on the time so wouldn't matter too much. Kicked on to the cross fence in front of the house then the Lake - up the rise, growled and lots of leg and he flew over the hanging rail no probs, got my right turn just about, he hesitated about what he was aimed at, got him locked onto the boat and saw a bit of a forwards stride so kicked and he responded. We flew out and whooped with excitement. What a great feeling!
On to the garden complex - wishing well on the way in, little wiggle round a gate and then an upright on the way out - he was flying! Over the big table then lined up on the angle for the big brush oxer - he drifted slightly right and found ourselves flying over the biggest part of it! Then quickly sit up and turn left to the right shoulder brush before sitting up, making sure not to turn too early and aim at the left shoulder brush. Phew we were over and clear - my most worried about fence after falling over at something very similar on Friday.
On to the beam and then run downhill and back up to the brush under the trees before onto the hanging log complex. Long route at the nasty big open corner and onwards to the coffin. Was still up on the clock, got my canter back, made sure not to turn too early. Got the turn, straightened up, kicked and growled and he just slammed the anchors on and shot out left at the last minute. Cue me flying off the side, bang goes the air jacket and I find myself sat on the floor at the coffin for the 2nd time in 3yrs. They asked if I wanted to carry on and I thought about but decided that a 2nd refusal and fall was probably pretty likely on past performance so elected to walk home.
Really disappointing as made it all the way to fence 15 of 21 and really wanted another completion. We weren't gonna come anywhere after the mediocre dressage and pole down SJ but it was all about the XC and he was absolutely class up until that point. Keep re-running it in my head and wondering if I didn't ride it as strong as last year thanks to knowing I'd already been through it once and thinking he'd be ok but I think I had the right canter and I did ride it strongly. Probably didn't help that I never got to go to Attington on Friday as planned thanks to bad ground so didn't get to practice coffins with hanging logs on slopes and he is the sort of horse that needs to be reminded of that kind of thing as he is inherantly ditchy with big open ditches. Boomerang just didn't have anything to test him on that. They did have the best skinny shaped brushes though so who knows - without that we might have had a problem at them instead. Also, can't have helped that he clearly wasn't feeling very happy in the stables and was suffering from the stress of it all. He didn't feel tired but maybe he was starting to feel it a bit at just gone 4 minutes of galloping and just thought he'd had enough. Who knows. Probably a combinaton of all these things and the fact that he isn't the most naturally brave XC horse. Sad end to our Badminton story and very grateful to all those that helped us get there and supported us there. We won't be going back as I think he's made it quite clear what he thinks of that coffin and it's an absolute feature fence so won't be going anywhere but three years in a row is a lot more than most would achieve and could never have dreamed of it 5yrs ago when we wobbled round my first 80cm!
Wednesday night he ate all his dinner and his hay and was a much happier pony again which was a big relief so we stayed for the whole week and he was much more his normal self, eating better, no stretching and we enjoyed some lovely hacking with new friends. Find it amazing how they can pick up on the atmosphere and pressure of competing and know when it's all over. He clearly doesn't deal well with it so we won't be putting him through that again. Grateful for ongoing sponsorship from West Kent Saddles making sure Monty's saddles are in top condition and fit him perfectly. Also Calm Leisure for providing us with the most comfy underwear and base layers.
Onwards now to our Advanced dressage debut!
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