Lots has happened since my last blog, good and bad! At the end of March we headed to my first event of the season; Lincoln. It was a real novelty to be starting in March as last year my first event was July! I had Shannah in the ON and Duncan in the novice. Duncan performed a slightly disappointing dressage test, to score a 38. However he was quite flat and I think the long journey and the fact he had a hard day before in an attempt to try to reduce his bucking spell tired him out. However, he was still much more rideable than last season and as a first event I wasn’t too disappointed. I seem to get very nervous in BE dressage (more on this later!)
In the showjumping again he was flat in the ring, to gain a bit of a cricket score of 20 jumping and 1 time faults. I think it was perhaps a combination of horse and rider error but he was very lazy-and as Tuffy said when she saw him he will get bored of Novice soon! We decided to just take him slowly XC as there was obviously no chance of a placing. We did two long routes and came back with 29 time-which actually looking back was not too bad within the section. He felt spot on and is so classy and keen XC, even at the water he is starting to trust me more and apart from a sticky moment at fence 18 I was very impressed with how he has matured.
Shannah only had 10 minuets to warm-up for the dressage, as I was delayed with Duncan due to XC fence repairs. He scored 46.5 for his test in the ON, which I felt was slightly harshly marked as apart from a squeal and buck in the second canter transition he had no major errors. He then show jumped well, with just the first fence down but as this was his first round over the coloured poles since Weston I wasn't too disappointed. Again, he put in a good XC round to come home with 11.2 time penalties. We were the last to go of the day and the ground was quite deep so I was impressed with how well he coped.
With Witton cancelled due to the weather we had a few weeks at home to practice, practice, practice before Weston Park. At Weston the weather was glorious; quite a contrast to Lincoln where I had gone XC with Shannah in the pouring rain! Again, I was hampered by slightly disappointing dressage marks; Duncan scored 40 and Shannah 41. However, both tests were better then Lincoln and it's coming more together all of the time. After a disappointing showjumping round at Lincoln with Duncan I was keen to resurrect any errors which we had. He jumped a much better round, and was unlucky to have one pole down on a track which caused plenty of trouble. Shannah again jumped nicely, however we had a few minor disagreements so had two poles; I need to try working more on an even stride.
The XC again produced two pleasing rounds. With Duncan I tried to push him on more, and he started well but lost energy towards the end. However, I was very happy with him and bar the waters where he was slightly sticky he showed real confidence. He is starting to open up more now and soon should be easily making the time; he has a lovely big stride starting to develop. Shannah was a total star. I made the decision to run him in just a snaffle; to get more flow and prevent over-checking. It paid off! He showed total confidence and gave me the best round I’ve ever had, coming back with 2 time penalties which was one of the quickest of the day!
Last weekend I was at Central Scotland. Sadly, Shannah was to be left at home as he has had a couple of small nose-bleeds recently so we are getting him scoped this week, hopefully it will be nothing major! We had horrific times which meant leaving home at 3am- a feat I never want to repeat! Duncan had had a lot of attitude all week, but after going nicely the day before I was confident of a nice test. However, the rider’s total pilot error prevented that! We have been working on rhythm and slowing things down; which was evident in the test. Sadly Duncan did a massive spook down the centre line which didn’t give us the most perfect start! I then went wrong half way through, and forgot the two medium canters to his mark of 46 could have easily been reduced if I had learnt my test-my excuse is that I was too busy getting my oh so important A-level RAVEision in! The weather then took a turn for a worse and after my high hopes of a sunny season after Weston I was disappointed! We didn’t have the best warm-up but he jumped better in the ring, and just got a bit tight into the two fences we had down. He warmed up like a dream XC and started really strongly, giving me a much more galloping rhythm. However, he then for no reason started to nap and spin at a simple coffin fence, after two stops he got over and again continued to please me with his maturity and confidence-only to have another stop at the water. So all in all not an entirely successful weekend however, as mentioned I was very pleased with his way of galloping and jumping on the XC, and think it was attitude more than anything else that prevented a clear. Once we got him home and trotted him up he appeared to not be 100% so he has the physio this week, although is looking sound now. Hopefully after his pelvis is sorted be will be back on form!
I have really enjoyed using Forest Farmacy products recently; including Emergency Herbal Cream, Horse Power and Perfect Performance Shampoo. I have started to realise that I sometimes feel ‘BE pressure’ generally in the first two phases at events. This nervousness means that I never seem to get the results in the competition that I get at home, where I am always much more relaxed. It has been suggested that I take to serious alcoholism before the dressage to try to get me ‘tipsy’ and hopefully calmer, and although generally the idea may appeal to me I’m sure BE rules state something against it! I have found Perfect Performance drops very helpful though, although I maybe need a larger dosage than is suggested! In all seriousness though I am looking at getting a few Sports Psychologist sessions to really ‘get into my mind’.
Looking forward my next event is Auchinleck, where all being well I will have Duncan in the Novice and Shannah in the Intermediate, followed by Floors Castle. The main aim in May is for Shannah to go to Houghton CCI*, and Duncan may join him to experience just how fun 3-day parties can be, and do some of the unaffiliated classes. Until then goodbye.
