Started with the dressage. I like dressage, we can do dressage, no reason to be nervous for dressage. Warmed up ok, not as nice as he is on a surface, he just doesn't approve of working on grass but he seemed on side. The test went nicely enough - it was what I would call a clear round - safe, transitions all where they were meant to be but he needed more impulsion, especially in the trot work.
Went off to walk the XC course and it was a bit of a step up from Aston! Not dissimilar to Hambleden. Less twisty but more hilly. Few questions I thought needed careful riding aside from the fact the first 3 fences were flipping huge!
Fence 5 was a bench to a corner - I walked it on 5 strides although I saw some do it on 4. Mostly I saw people mess it up! We watched several through it and most of them had at least one refusal at the corner! I saw one of the pros do it brilliantly aiming for the apex of the bench and 5 nice strides to the corner so decided I would try and copy him!
Then it was onto the trakehner before a pheasant feeder to brush on a curving 5 strides or you could angle it on 4.
Then a double of tyres on one stride.
Then a long gallop downhill before a step up to brush. Again, watched a lot of people go through here using various routes until I watched Chris Burton go through choosing exactly the route I was thinking of and that confirmed in my mind I would take the left hand step and then have a wider turn to the skinny brush.
This is Chris doing it:
Up another hill to a chair and then an arrowhead
Then downhill to the water which I thought was a big question for him - full up rolltop, into the water then hang sharp left up a step and 2 bold strides to a wave.
Up a steep hill then last 2 fences straightforward.
Got back just in time to get a SJ course walk - this makes me very happy - I like to know my distances and walking the course really helps me remember the course as well! So, then it was time to tack up. Had managed to persuade Chris Burton to come and give me a hand as he was there with a couple of his and happened to have a gap at the right time! Just his presence seems to make me ride better. I don't think he really said an awful lot other than mostly getting me to come at the fences off the right rein because then I could concentrate on getting his shoulders round and having him straight then open my left rein over the fence so he landed straight. He also made me jump a maximum height big wide square oxer right before we went in which made the fences in the ring look tiny! They were calling me over as he made me jump the last fence so given Monty can be a nappy sod and quite often needs to canter into the ring I just kept cantering on in. I got summoned to the judge's box afterwards and got a telling off from the SJ judge as stewards had complained about how I went in - oops. Wasn't intending to do anything I shouldn't - realise now I should have told them I needed to canter him in. Chris came with me to see them - felt like a naughty schoolgirl! Meekly apologised and promised not to do it again.
Anyway, back to the important stuff - we jumped a clear round - woohoo! Made sure when I walked the course to think about regrouping points, so after each couple of fences I got him back underneath me and set off afresh and it worked! He did rub a couple but they stayed up so stayed on my dressage score of 30.5. Wasn't sure where this left me in terms of the rest of the section but given the technicality of the XC and our problems this year I just wanted to go clear.
Ran through the XC in my head, sure of my decisions about the more tricky fences, positive riding planned. Got it sorted in the warmup - a good gallop, a good forwards shot at the warmup fence, a smack on the bum on the way over one of them - we mean business! XC starters were great and totally distracted me until they basically said Go! so Monts stood quiet as a lamb while we all chatted and then I just shoved him into the box and off we went! Epic hatcam fail though as totally didn't realise we were about to start.
Got a great shot to the first few big ones which gave me confidence. Onto the tricky fence 5 - lots of people watching which freaked me out a bit but got my canter, got my line, got in a little close to first part but just sat quietly and waited for my 5 strides which worked perfectly and he flew the corner. Fabby over the trakehner, then next angled question, the double of tyres, flew down the hill. I was conscious to keep him moving as time can be difficult to get there and he isn't the fastest especially when I need to set him up for more complex stuff. Got him back after the gallop to tackle the step which he was really bold up so was glad I'd given myself more room to then make the tight turn to the brush - leg on and he flew. Up the hill to the chair and arrowhead nice and positive then onto the water:
Really pleased with him through here - I know I could be softer with my hands but it is difficult when you have doubts in your mind as to whether they will jump. He was really bold though - he very rarely canters through water but he was off and I had to think quick to turn for the step up and wave. Kicked on up the hill and onto the final two jumps. Home and clear - awesome! What a buzz.
Went over to check scores and we were 7th after dressage and 20secs under the optimum time (he is faster than I think when I ride positively!) Thankfully two of those above us had SJ faults so we ended up in 5th place. Top 6 qualified for Badminton so amazingly we have done it - after an uppy down kind of year I am so pleased with him. I rode him positively and he really responded and made it feel easy peasy!
Dressage sheet confirmed what I thought - 8 for entry, mostly 7's other than 6 for going quarters in in medium walk and a dodgy final halt. 7's for collectives and comment of "Consistent test. More impulsion for the higher marks" Sally Price. Need to work out a way of getting him to give me more expression on grass - he just doesn't love it.
So next stop for us is Blenheim Eventers Challenge next Sunday. Then I need to decide what to do. He is entered in the 90 Regionals at Moreton Morrell and I have another 90 Regional as well but having qualified at 100 I don't know if there is much point going. It's an entry fee to lose but would save the diesel. If I qualify for 90 and 100 which would I do? Not sure really. We didn't get round the 90 this year but then I'm convinced I ride more positively at 100. He is more than capable of jumping the 1m10 show jumping at the finals and I think another winter of honing our skinnies/angles/corners etc and we should be able to give the 100 a good bash. I think I'd rather the next challenge of the 100 than go again at 90 but I will think about it a bit longer! We have done 10 events now this season and I would really like to give him a break. He has been constantly out and about all year and I'm starting to get a bit weary of it so I'm sure he is too. Hmmm, decisions!
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