Gladstone Sports Day

Yesterday was the Gladstone sports day. This is the BEST local sports meeting. The weather and the ground are always excellent and the atmosphere is awesome too. They moved it forward from February to December this year and I liked it but it meant that entries were down. I was absolutely sick with nerves that whole morning even though I knew it was only a small local show, but sometimes the local ones are the worst because everyone knows you. That and the last time I competed Kate I fell off and while I was trying not to dwell on it, it was definitely on my mind.


Me and G tearing up the practise rounds

Anyway, we arrived about 11.30 and I rode my friends very cute but very green five year old in the practise rounds because he needs some ring time. He was very cute but having been a stallion earlier in life he was quite good at setting hi neck against you so the steering was a little vague. I managed to approach some fences mostly sideways. He jumped everything though, was just a little sticky in the double, and I was very impressed with the fact he had flying changes already.



Kim and Rascal in the 90cm- Showing off her picture perfect position over fences- curse her!

Kimmy rode a beautiful 80cm round on Rascal, possible the best 80cm round I saw anyone ride that day bar doing two strides in the one stride double. She started well in the 90cm but made the fatal mistake off jumping ahead of the horse and Rascal stopped and Kimmy cleared the fence alone after spending a long time hanging around Rascals neck. I'd love a photo of tat. However, she seems to be taking it well and she has the next show to sort it out.


Connie in the 1m class

I rode Connie first in the 1m class so that she could have a breather between that and the 1.10m because unlike Kate she can't just keep going. After yesterdays performance at the arena with the arab impression I decided I would jump her in the pelham, but with two reins instead of a converter so I could keep the curb rein loose and she also has a rubber curb guard on the chain to make the aciton less sharp. She was awesome in it, I hardly had to use my reins at all, she didn't brace and when I did ask her to collect she just did rather than ignoring me. She jumped really really well and was clean in the first round, I jumped her off a little against the clocks but being first clear round I didn't get the sharpest lines on her.


Connie in the 1m


Kate coming home in the 1m Jump-off

So I got on Kate and she was the last horse in this class. She warmed up well and once we started warming up over the practice fence she got her happy face on so she was pleased to be there. I have found when I'm cantering into the first fence if I give her a very light half halt a few strides out from the first fence she locks onto the first fence better, like I'm saying hey here we go now. She also jumped awesome, though a little over exuberant in this class, she did want to zoom zoom. I had a really good day in terms of my eye, I could see my spots off of my corners wich always makes me feel more confident. So Kate was clear in the first round, and then jumped-off really well. She came second in the class and Connie was fourth. FWIW the rider that won went like a bat out of hell.


Kate over the last in the 1.10m class

I stayed on Kate and after jumping one big oxer in the warm-up went straight back into the ring to jump the bigger class. I rode first in this class knowing it would be a bit of a rush to get Connie warmed up as the class was quite small. Kate started off a little hot because she had just come off the jump off but about halfway round she was like oh this are bigger and settled down a lot more. Man she was giving the jumps some air. See how much she is clearing the fence by in the picture above. I'm really struggling to stay with her she is putting so much power to the ground. I'm going to get some boot tack which is like a resin that is tacky and helps keep your leg against the saddle. Anyway, she jumped our first clear round at this height and was going awesome in the jump-off until ITook an angle too sharp and missed my spot and she stopped because I sort of gave up. Silly goose. Still she jumped awesome and she finished the course really nicely so I can't complain.


Connie in the 1.10m class

By the time I got to Connie I was pretty tired. It was quite hot and I was batlting a bit. Anyway she warmed up awesome and jumped awesome. I was second to last to ride in this class so i knew there had only been one double clear. Anyway, Connie jumped really well and was clear in the first round which I was rapt about. If she had two rails but tried hard i would have been over the moon so to jump clear was really cool. The pelham certainly helped because it helped me keep her together more. So to the jump-off and I put down a really good round with tight but not ridiculous lines. She saved my butt in the double when I jumped in too quiet and had to ride hard to make the distance to the second fence and I went " go pony, go pony" and I'm still getting a lot of shit about that. Apparently she jumped that second fence humoungous. Such a good pony though to help me out like that. We came down to the last and I chased her a bit when I didn't need to and she hit the jump hard and I landed waiting to hear the rail fall- a little disappointed after she had done so well. but it didn't fall! And she won the class.

Little Connie won her first ever 1.10m class. Last time she was at this show which was 21 months ago, it was her second ever show and I mostly trotted her around the 80cm class. The second and third riders weren't that keen to victory lap but there was no way I was missing my chance at letting Connie have her victory gallop. Freaking awesome. Kate ended up fourth in that class as well so both my horses placed in both their classes. It was a very very good day. The best day I have had in a really long time. It's funny how once I had jumped 1.10m on Kate it was so much easier to move Connie up. Onward and upward I guess. Shit I'm lucky with my girls.