Fun in the sun at Mattingley 05/27/2009
 Mattingley has to be one of my favourite events, and it seems we never fail to have a lovely day there whatever the result. I had late times with a big gap between dressage and SJ in which to walk the XC so at midday we set off from home. Soap warmed up really nicely for the dressage, the last 7 weeks works on his canter is definitly filtering through to all paces as he felt much more balanced and straight. Walking around the edge of the arena before the bell I asked him into trot and he squeaked and grunted! I think he is getting the idea about this eventing lark! so I concentrated on keeping his mind on the job. He did a lovely test, nice and straight but could have been more forward still. We got 38.5 which I thought was a little high but seeing the section results the judge was quite strict, and infact that score placed us 15th/45 after dressage, so I was pleased.  Over the corner after our hold on course Our SJ faults dropped us from 15th to 21st, with just the XC to go. I couldn't wait to get out on the XC and neither could Soap he had been gazing over from the car park to the XC all day, and every time a whistle went off his ears pricked up. We shot out the start box, and I could hear the XC commentator mention my sponsors Equine Premium and my blog so we went smiling into the first fence :) Over the brush, house, roll top, and log and up the hill to a double which 2 of my chums were jump judging (I decided against waving as I went by, I was busy struggling to see as a fly had lodged in my left eye, so they probubly thought I was winking!) onto the trakhena, then a sharp right to a grass topped box and sharp left to another one. We then had to jump up onto a bank 3 strides and off again then 3 short strides and over a log, onto an angled double of tyres, over a lovely big brush (see 1st pic) down hill to an open ditch, through the woods to water, trotted in and cantered out over another nice big brush, up onto a bank over some tyres then RED FLAG!! I got pulled up! I instantly started racking my brain to try and think if I had gone wrong but there had been a fall and the horse was loose so they had stopped the course. We waited for about 2mins, and then set off again. Soap just picked up where we left off, over a house, then a fab line to the corner, and onto the 'lovers seat' I thought we might have lost a bit of time with the hold so put my leg on towards home and he seemed to go into rocket mode! Over an open ditch to a house, then to a pig! and the last, home safe and clear. We finished on 5.22 and the OT was 5.31 so another clear round, chuffed. After washing off and cleaning up we went to see the scores and photos, and catch up with my jump judging pals. Our clear XC had taken us to 15th! I was over the moon, Soap had equalled his best score this year. If we had finished on our dressage we would have come 7th, and with 1 down we would have placed 10th, so once we start going clear SJ we will really be in contention :) Soap is having a mini holiday now before BCA Intro as it was such a hot day and the ground was quite hard, I on the other hand have to get ready for Race for Life this Sunday!!!! Anyone want to take my place?.... A fantastic and local new sponsor for GHE! 05/20/2009
Well this week just gets better and better!  'where champions choose to train, and now me too!' This is going to be such a fab opportunity for us because costs start to get ridiculous when you have to pay to hire a venue, pay an instructor, and fill up with diesel to tow somewhere, so it will do my bank balance the world of good! Most importantly for us it will give us the chance to practise our SJing at a competition standard venue but minus the distractions of an actual competition. We have Mattingley BE90 this Sunday and once Soap is recovered from that I plan to take him to Hoplands for some SJ practise over their 'Jump for Joy' fences, so watch this space for lots of pics!!!  As well as the outdoor SJ arena and jumps they also hire out their - . XC training paddock with 60+ fences from tiny to Intermediate. . 70x25 indoor school with jumps. . 1 mile gallop track with warm up loop So if you are planning to go schooling at Hoplands I might see you there! 'Extreme dressage' and jumping from walk 05/19/2009
Despite the crazy winds and horizontal rain on Sunday I took Soap to some local dressage at Larkhill. Most of our warm up was done with both of us overbent trying to shelter from the weather! Soap did a very sweet test, and I noticed a huge improvement in the rhythm and balance of his canter as a result of all the SJ training we have been doing. His halt and centre lines weren't straight as he just wanted to swing his quarters into the wind and his free rein walk was pretty nonexistent as he just tucked his head in and tried to hide between his front legs from the rain! Who knew dressage was an extreme sport?! He got a very respectable 64% with lots of 7's and a couple of 5's for weather induced wonkiness! Tips from the top - Robert Stevens SJ lesson 05/13/2009
Word of my blog has been spreading, and it seems even a few top eventers have read the odd GHE post! Completely out of the blue Joanna from Robert Stevens Eventing got in touch to offer me a free SJ lesson with Robert himself! After reading a few of my event reports they thought that a lesson with Robert would be really beneficial to our SJ training.   To start the lesson Robert wanted to see Soap move and agreed with Rosie Moss that his canter is too laid back, and not active enough. We worked on leg yielding, and shoulder in on a circle to engage his hind quarters to produce a true pace. Then we moved onto pushing forward and bringing back the canter and the affectiveness of my lower leg. After the grid we moved onto an upright and an oxer jumped on a figure of 8, making sure we jumped the fences on an angle, turned as soon as possible after each fence, and let the fences come to us. This was tricky at first because I was still making Soap jump the oxer on a long stride but after a few attempts we managed a slower tighter turn and deeper spot to both fences. The lesson really put us through our paces, and gave us loads to work on in the next few weeks...  Things we need to work on are... . Sit as if sitting on pins nearer the front of the saddle . Turn out toes for a more affective lower leg . Ride with shorter reins and a longer arm . Squeeze on the last stride . Ride the HORSE not the FENCE . Wait for the fence to come to us . Only work Soap in walk and canter when jumping no more trot . Raised canter poles to produce a bouncey uphill canter . Shoulder in on a circle to gain control of each 1/4 of the horse . Bend his neck when slowing up to maintain softness After the lesson Joanna gave me a guided tour of Robert's new yard, and it is lovely! Huge arena, indoor stables, with room to store the lorry in! I was pleased to hear that all their horses from 4* to 4yr olds are turned out as much as possible, and they all looked relaxed and happy for it. There was a walker, washdown area, tack store, treadmill, and resident waggy lab! click images to enlarge   Robert teaches individuals and clinics, and currently has spaces available at Field Farm Stud for competition liveries. I am going to spend a few months working on what we need to improve, then will be back for another lesson! Badminton 2009 - there in spirit 05/08/2009
  Unfortunately I can't make it to Badminton this year but thanks to their wonderful website I can listen to Badminton FM and currently am tuned into the dressage commentry coverage. The repartee between Carl Hester, and Pammy Hutton is hillarious, they are not at all competitive! Look what the Postman delivered! 05/06/2009
 I'm one of those people who always say 'Oh I never win anything' so this year I decided to do something about it. I figure that you can't win if you don't enter so I made it my 2009 new years resolution to enter more prize winning competitions, online, by post, and on the back of cereal packets! Out and about promoting Equine Premium 05/06/2009
If there is a tack shop pin board within a 30 mile radius of me then it has to have an Equine Premium flyer on it! To help my sponsors I am distributing their flyers and leaflets at all the horsey places I visit. I usually end up buying something if I step foot inside a tack shop so people seem more than happy for me to pin up a flyer, it's when I then proceed to take photos of it that I get the odd funny look!  Jack's dressage debut 05/03/2009
Yesterday was Jack's first dressage competition, a walk and trot test and Prelim 1 at a local low key venue. He took some persuading to get up from the field as he was sunbathing, but we plaited up, loaded up, and set off. For Jack's first few outings the empahsis will be on good behaviour rather than results, so that we build a good foundation for the future. He came out the box sweaty, and quivering like a leaf so I walked and grazed him in hand for 25mins till he settled.   The 2nd test included canter circles, warming up Jack seemed to think that canter and buck circles were more fun! He was getting wound up by the extra horses now in the warm up area, and the clanging of poles from the near by SJing. Went into the 2nd test, and he started napping, nothing naughty he doesn't know his role yet, after all he has never been asked to do dressage before. For the past 12 years he has been taught that his role is to gallop and jump! I kept him in walk and trot and by the 4th movement he was listening and calmer. Despite being above the bit, not doing any canter and generally looking a bit ropey he managed to get 46%!!! I was really pleased with him, he listened and chilled out when I reassured him, which is the promising start to a trusting partnership. Photograph courtesy of www.mudsports.co.uk  Scores went up for the 1st test and Jack got *59.1% and 4th place so I was over the moon. This Thursday evening I am taking him to a flatwork clinic for more 'out and about' training. He will be an event horse in no time! Photos above of our final halt with me saluting and Jack joining in! and his rosette proudly displayed on the kitchen pin board, and my H&H voucher from Tesco, I think they must be spying on me! *FOOTNOTE* |
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