A full run of the photos and a request from me!

Hello again, after a series of requests I have uploaded the full selection of my unintended dismount as Calmsden! Once again, all copyright to the photographer but here goes...

I would like to highlight my flexibility in this one!

Very sadly when I fell off they had to cut me out of my XC colours: 

BUT! I entered a sponsorship competition from Super Cross Country and have got down to the final 10! So now I just need to get as many votes as possible and then I am one step closer to hopefully getting a new matching set! 

Voting is here:  http://poll.fm/f/48jc6

and I would be really grateful if you could spare a minute.  You need to click yes to the first option of allowing it to access your friends list, but then click skip on the second one! Many thanks! 

Long Overdue update from me...

SO what with exams, assessed essay deadlines, falling off etc etc I am going to give you a few choice updates from me.

Lets start with Team Chasing at Kingsclere. At the last minute I managed to find a team with the Bookham Riding Club girls to do the novice. With our lengthy preperations (comprising of meeting each other in the lorry park) we were off and Iska and I had the most fun we'd had in years. Flew round the course to find out we had WON!  Even better I got to meet my hero Claire Balding...

After the cancellation of Gatcombe, we re-routed to a pony club Open (BE Novice) at Calmsden. Jasper does a dressage test in need of improvement but jumps round for an educational day.

Isky on the other hand, managed to get me to end up in the joys of Swindon hospital. For general amusement I have included the photo below. Spot the error...

Splat and Bang were words which come to mind...

 

 

Very sadly they cut me out of my XC colours and the lovely lady who made them isn't able to make me a new set. So am sadly having to ruin the red and white check set with a white rugby shirt. But never mind!

Next outing was to Hambleden - Isky did the BE100 and went clear XC.
Jasper did the Novice and we sadly had to retire at the water as he was much greener then he was meant to have been! He did however, have a whale of a time up to that point and no confidence really shaken.

Now for the final installment! We entered Aston Le Walls novice on both of them and trundled off there last Friday. Jasper was on first, he did a very nice dressage test for 33.5, then had four faults in the SJ. Had a bit of a negative start across country. I don't think I had taken it into account that we were starting in the lorry park and would need a LOT more leg to get him thinking forward. Jumped the first four beautifully, through the water and on to the gun carriage and shotgun as 5 A and B. VERY annoyingly he had a very silly spook at the gun carriage and stopped. Reminded him of his job and he flew round the rest of the course! Jumped the two bounce steps up, downhill to the corner BRILLIANTLY and galloped round over the brush, sunken road brush combination, through the owlhole, jumped INTO the water (hooray!) and flew home. Huge pats for pony and lots of carrots! 

Took Isky to the Novice as well as we didn't want to go on two seperate days. She did an average test for 38.5, just had four faults in the SJ (hooray!) and we entered the XC feeling a bit nervous. Anyhow, needn't have worried, she flew round the entire course! Finished with just a couple of time faults. Really really pleased with how well she jumped, bring on the next outing.

All photos posted with permission from the photographer! Copywright still remains with them!

 

Sadly no more competition updates for a while, but I have been having some fantastic lessons with Douglas Hibbert for polishing up the dressage- report will be written on the next one!

All systems go for Gatcombe - until rain stops play!

So it was all systems go for Gatcombe - lorry was packed, dressage test learnt, boot polished - all until Mum came up and told me it was cancelled.

So we are re-routing to Sapey Novice for a run (hopefully as on waitlist atm)  and on Sunday we are heading off to Addington to do the 1m10 amateur qualifier. May be an interesting one as Addington always seems to build big to me but there we go.  Fingers crossed it runs - weather forecast is not particularly positive!

Jump Practice at Attington...

Today we went for a lesson with Austin O'Connor - Jasper and I had a complete misunderstanding recently where he downed tools and decided that since I had no idea what I was talking about, it was safest to avoid all problems by just not jumping. Serves me right for trying to reinvent the wheel!

Lesson was 8:30am which meant the happy leaving hour from the house at 7:15am. Mum didn't seem over the moon and neither did Jasper tbh. Was a bit worried Jasper had taken a real bash confidence wise but luckily he appeared to have completely forgotten the incident and jumped really positively. Austin put a lot of focus on keeping the canter forward and confident and this translated into a very confident round with Jasper getting me out of trouble whenever required with no worries.  Lots of stress of corners being an opportunity to 'breathe' and not to panic about getting to the next fence. 

So it's off to Gatcombe (fingers crossed) for Jasper and I. We are super duper excited and the whole family is coming. Stabling the night before so new things everywhere - luckily we're stabling with the previous owners of Shipton Moyne who sound very welcoming and very forgiving to my novice blunders! Whilst all systems are preparing to go - the weather atm doesn't look particularly positive. My fingers are crossed for an early call to save us the drive up and the stabling fee but it'll be an outing whatever we choose.

Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted!

Claire Balding eat your heart out...

More of an unusual update from yesterday which heralded the day when Warwick University takes on Coventry university in our annual University 'Varsity' in riding. It was a major point of pride for both teams and as a result the university radio station ventured outing of their warm studios and travelled to South Leicestershire to broadcast from the outdoors.  Whilst I haven't been doing university teams this year I was aiming to go along and support our riding team and was asked to commentate for Warwick University radio! So if you're bored, tune in to:

http://audioboo.fm/boos/1251092-varsity-2013-equestrian-radio-commentary

And listen out to yours truly giving analysis on each round! 

PS: If you're interested; Warwick university won decisively. Result!

First outing of the year and a little announcement...

Aston Le Walls Report - Season finally underway!

So finally got underway today at Aston Le Walls, feels like an eternity and somehow like yesterday for last year's season.   Jasper was entered for the BE100 and I was really hoping for a confident double clear - boy did he deliver!

Starting with the dressage, Jasper thought that warming up next to the XC was madly exciting so it wasn't the most relaxed test we have done. (At one point we sailed down the canter warmup chasing the horse going cross country!)  Came out and guessed 34 o was disappointed with 37 as we have been doing our homework over the winter but hey ho.

SJ was very straightforward but still really struggle to get the proper SJ canter in a warm up where you can't really circle or deviate hugely from a straight line but will practice working on this at home so next time there will be much less stress. Any advice gratefully appreciated! Went in and he popped round beautifully for a clear so maybe I worry too much!

 Onto the XC where he FLEW round brilliantly. There was a quite tricky left hand turn to a full size corner but he stayed straight as a die and popped it - he's become much stronger over the winter so I find it a lot easier to stop him falling on his shoulder on turns.  Pleasantly towed me round the course and came in well inside the time.

Next outing is.... GATCOMBE! Deliriously exciting, he jumped so nicely today my fingers are crossed for a good run.    Homework we have booked in is two more sets of cross country schooling and as much flatwork and jumping help I can muster before then.  Exciting times ahead!

Jumping an acorn and moving like Valegro

Lots to update on from this weekend. On Friday we set off to Boomerang XC,  home to the most brilliant  eclectic set of XC jump.  Jasper started off by tracing his family tree back about 18 generations to a horse which was once entered in a race and proceeded to act like he was lining up for the grand national. After he cantered sideways over the trot poles for the third time I took him for a spin round the field to get his jitters out and then luckily he returned to normal.

Boomerang is brilliant as it has a big outdoor school with a few XC jumps in it to get your teeth into before you head out onto the main field. It really allows you to focus on what you want to achieve before you start heading towards your first jump in a rather aimless matter.    Once we headed out onto the main field, he was fantastic and after our traditional 'these steps are going to kill me' episode we were off. I have linked a video in below so feel free to have a look. Particular highlights was jumping our first jump in the water, (crocodile complete with dismembered human limbs), the acorn from Ice Age which was big and bright and skinny and a rather brightly coloured piece of birthday cake.

Things I learnt which I believe may help others:
a) When going XC, 'Tuck your tail feather' in. (To me this is base of spine.) Not only does this keep your shoulders back but it also causes you to unblock through your knees and keep your weight going through into your heel which creates a more effective lower leg.
b) Don't be afraid to show your horse the more unusual fences XC before you jump them. This gives them confidence which in turn results in a better day! When doing this make sure you approach it straight and allow them to walk up to it and put their nose on it. Super important you stay straight going up to it! I did this with Jasper and he was the straightest he has been, this may be a combination of him getting stronger and more experienced but I suspect it may be a combination of the two.
c) Life does continue even if you forget to put studs in. Remember your horse does have a sense of balance and can cope without studs if you forget!

Moving on I had a dressage lesson today in full eventing weather (aka torrential rain and small gale). Recently we've been working in particular on getting Jasper more 'up and together' working through a variety of exercises. The ones which are really helping us move forward is sending the trot on and back which helps his hind leg come further underneath him and 10 metre circles which helps me concentrate on getting the correct amount of flexion whilst still keeping control of his quarters.

                Highlight was achieving what felt like Valegro's medium trot across the diagonal at the end and starting to get a feel for a simple change. 

Bring on this season! (without the snow please).

An introduction and an aim

So here we have the aim of it: a CIC or even CCI* for my 2013 event season. Being able to say I had ridden at a national (or fingers crossed international) event would undoubtedly make me the happiest person alive, not quite on the level of winning an Olympic gold but definitely an Olympic bronze.   Being extra bold I have pencilled in Gatcombe CIC in September, or, if by exceedingly good preparation and a following wind, Hartpury CCI* in August.  This blog will let me keep everyone who chooses to be interested updated on my progress (or perhaps lack of) towards this goal. No doubt it will be a story of highs and lows with probably a few comical extras added in (I have a strong sense of humour developed from unplanned detours from previous goals).

A Bit About Me

I'm a 20 year old history student at Warwick university (a convenient one hour and 14 minutes from my yard) who juggles eventing with academic dedication (albeit in perhaps slightly uneven time management). I am the proud owner of the fantastic 'Jasper Too' who I have owned since he was a wayward 5 year old and at our first event together I was ecstatic with our result despite the fact that we jumped out of the dressage arena and were eliminated XC. Last year we had some lovely results with a few blips (ranging from my regularly departure from concentration to just lack of communication from me to him implying that I did want him to jump THAT jump etc etc). We did however come 2nd at Ascott Under Wychwood BE100 and 3rd at Calmsden BE100 as well as jumping clear round Aston Le Walls Novice so not all bad.

From this blog I look forward to keeping you updated from our first events (Aston BE100 incidentally) and throughout the season. I look forward to updating you to our trail of glory round our win at Hartpury CCI* but in all honesty I'd be thrilled to even enter. Hope you enjoy reading!