Started last night with a great evening round Helen's house which involved drinking nearly a bottle of wine (just finishing it now!) and staying up till 1am but it was a good plan as it meant I only spent another hour fretting about the double of hedges that we've already jumped fine and then finally got to sleep at 2am (would have no doubt been awake all night without the wine!)
Had a lovely lay-in (7.45am is a lie-in where eventing is concerned!) then leisurely toddled off to Borde Hill - got there about 10.30, eyed up the SJing course, no slot for walking it so watched a couple of others, decided better off not walking distances anyway as it makes me fiddle - just kick on!
Had decided not to walk the XC as same course as May so reviewed the piccies on my phone, thought through the route and went off to the dressage warmup.
No napping today which was a pleasant surprise - bit of gobbyness about being asked to work properly and then got himself all tense about nothing 5mins before due in and just managed to settle him down before we got called up. Our arena was on the side of a mountain (I'm not kidding!). Poor horse was having to do canter transitions up a 10% gradient and then we got told off for them being hollow - poor thing is only at Prelim/Novice level - he struggles with uphill canter transitions on the flat, let alone picking his forehand off the floor up a steep hill! I was really pleased with the test. Was aiming for a sub 30 (have been close this season but not managed yet) but I thought more likely would be low 30's. I didn't find out till we completed but we got 32 - few 6's for hollow uphill transitions but otherwise all 7's, straight 7's for collectives and an 8 for final halt so pleased with that.
So, brisk walk back to the trailer, quick change and we made it to the SJ warmup with one before us to go (dr was at 12.06 and SJ 12.38 and dr is 10min walk from the box park and then getting to the SJ was a nightmare, queueing to get into the horse walk then following some really slow people down it!) Good thing horse was plenty warm enough as it was roasting so we just popped all the warmup fences once except the spread we did twice and then went in. He jumped a lovely clear, just touching the last as I saw a ridiculously long one and just kicked like mad as it was a big oxer uphill so no good holding on to him. So pleased as SJ is my nemesis and I tend to hold and fiddle for strides but today really thought about rhythm and just riding forwards.
Sorry about the lack of zooming in - forgot to explain that to Helen:
http://youtu.be/IIr_2dGUxb0
Onto the fun bit
Was trialling a new bit today - 2 ring snaffle with french link mouthpiece (normally just use french link snaffle but been carted last few outings so needed a bit more!)Zoomed off over fence 1 although stuck in a short one:
http://youtu.be/T3nZCYDiHJs
Stuck in another short one at 2 launching me into the trees, pulled bits of leaf from my mouth and continued to a nice log at 3 followed by a double of roll tops at 4 and 5 where he felt like he was napping towards the dressage warmup on the right but gave him a slap down the shoulder and off we went. Down the steep hill spooking at everything then back up to the log which he popped nicely. Got a crap turn to the beer barrels and he stuck in a short one and clouted them on the way up but landed fine. Looking at the vid I think he got a bit disunited round the corner.
http://youtu.be/n-SypN2FKp0
Onto the rolltop at 8 then the ditch that isn't really a ditch which he really looked at but leg on and away towards the double of brushes. Just getting focused, looking for my line and then fence judge comes running at me with a red flag! Could not believe it - could there be a worse place to be held??? We were held for about 5mins and all I could think about was the bloody hedges! It did give me a chance to get my breath back though as it was roasting hot by this point. Not a good horse to hold either as he really doesn't do aimless walking around or standing still and is extremely prone to napping!
Fortunately horsey was feeling pro today, didn't nap at all, calmly wandered around and then picked up where we left off, popped the first hedge, didn't think much of me holding him for 2 strides in the new bit and threw head in air which was a bit offputting coming into the 2nd hedge but jumped it well. Then on over a big oxer which we got in a bit close to but then got a fab shot at the big brush oxer and a lovely turn to the 2 logs on a right angle. New bit then allowed me to regain control over the hedgehog and make a nice turn to the log before the water (in May we had to come back to trot for these 2 as was totally out of control!), trotted through the water then flew the last 2 fences and kicked on for the finish as I'm rubbish at judging time!
http://youtu.be/bBDNGsV2R30
Sorted horsey out, lots of ice packs on legs and cold water on him but he recovered very quickly (fittening work for the RC champs paying off!). The ground really wasn't that bad - I didn't walk the course but he ran over it really well and he is one to tell me if he doesn't like the ground.
Went over to the scoreboard and found our 32 dressage and most scores were up and we were in the lead but all depended on if we got time faults or not! Hung around for what seemed like ages and then they put up my time and we obviously flew round as were 23secs inside the time (which bodes well for our move up to BE100 soon) which meant we won!!! So, we got a lovely cheque for £70 (I like this unaffiliated series!) and a voucher for a free pic from the pro photographer - the lovely Spidge photography.
The roll top at 4:
Next up is the final one in the unaff series for us - Tweseldown in 2wks time. Before that we have a jump clinic with Richard Waygood which will be good and after that we have the Prelim Area Festivals before our first BE100 at Munstead and then the BE90 Regionals at BCA. Just need to keep improving our dressage, keep doing what we did today jumping wise and it's all good!
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