Rascal is definitely just getting hissed at. Token feed for you pig horse. I just don't make any progress with her. Last attempt tomorrow or I'm just going to sack her and then hunt her come winter time. Kate was clear in the 1.10m class and doing a super jump-off until I didn't commit enough to the tight angles line over the oxer. whoops! We had a stop but finished well. such a good round though if I hadn't duffed it I might have won a rug. Connie had a rail at the same fence in the jump-off. They jumped super and got fed. Kate was in the 1.20m and it was a small one but still I was packing myself. And then the two riders before me both feel off. I didn't ride my best and she felt a bit flat but I was still pretty happy with my 3 rails and a circle. (I circled off of a bad spot but as I'd had a rail it didn't matter). First time in like 7 years that I jumped a 1.20m so thats pretty freaking cool. Love it.
Rascal 90cms tomorrow and I'll give her So Kalm paste and see if the problem is an anxiety one. And Connie and Kate both do the amateur. It will be Connies biggest track ever so fingers crossed.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wairarapa A&P Show- Day 1
Ahh a good day. Have I ever said how much I don't like the local shows?? So much petty political bollocks. Mostly I miss it because I'm a nobody but as I improve I'm sure that will change. Already I learn a lot about myself from the gossip mill. Apparently I only do the occasional show and don't really follow the circuit. Say what? I've been everywhere and the season has only been going 8 weeks.
Anyway Rascal was bucking in the warm-up and spooking and by the time I got her working ok her class had closed. Boo! But really a little glad. Should have had her in the earlier smaller class anyway and would have had more time. But with milking I try to do the later classes so I actually get to them. I was rushed getting to Kate and arrived at the ring in a bit of a tizz. Had I mentioned that she has been sound? no abscess, a puncture wound that is healing really quickly. I over rode the first fence and had a rail, mostly because she was so spooky at he practice fence. Then had a really nice canter down to fence 2 and popped over and breathed this huge sigh of relief and though " It's Kate, no panic" And then she jumped super. Bless.
Connie came out slightly mad and the ground is hard s she may not do the whole show because of them all she feels the ground. Jumped super though. Gave her a much better ride than Kate and had a really lovely smooth clear round. Totally vindicated myself about how if you focus on the canter and doing the job, the smoothness just happens on it's own. 2 rails in the jump-off. Everytime I try turn her tight I lose the canter and get a poppy jump so really need to work on that. She was super down the double though and felt really good. so Kate and Connie can be fed tonight and Rascal I will just hiss at. I kid! I kid! Poor old Rascal she will be better tomorrow.
Anyway Rascal was bucking in the warm-up and spooking and by the time I got her working ok her class had closed. Boo! But really a little glad. Should have had her in the earlier smaller class anyway and would have had more time. But with milking I try to do the later classes so I actually get to them. I was rushed getting to Kate and arrived at the ring in a bit of a tizz. Had I mentioned that she has been sound? no abscess, a puncture wound that is healing really quickly. I over rode the first fence and had a rail, mostly because she was so spooky at he practice fence. Then had a really nice canter down to fence 2 and popped over and breathed this huge sigh of relief and though " It's Kate, no panic" And then she jumped super. Bless.
Connie came out slightly mad and the ground is hard s she may not do the whole show because of them all she feels the ground. Jumped super though. Gave her a much better ride than Kate and had a really lovely smooth clear round. Totally vindicated myself about how if you focus on the canter and doing the job, the smoothness just happens on it's own. 2 rails in the jump-off. Everytime I try turn her tight I lose the canter and get a poppy jump so really need to work on that. She was super down the double though and felt really good. so Kate and Connie can be fed tonight and Rascal I will just hiss at. I kid! I kid! Poor old Rascal she will be better tomorrow.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Wairarapa SJ and SH Championships.
Ah well I can't complain. C horse jumped really well. It's just a few little issues related to me getting the right canter. The first day we had a really nice round with the silly mistake in the video when I rode up too much. Today in the 1.10m I had a really nice round where she jumped super nicely but took the rail into the first double. Possibly because I over rode it a bit but she could have cleared it. i think I need to be putting on a little more leg on the base as well.
The it was the 1.15m speed. she was sticky to start off with- wanted to spook at one and then I lost too much forward on the first corner and popped 2. Had the rail at 3 when I didn't quite have the line right but finished really strongly so that's all good. Kate so ignores what I do mostly while Connie is so sensitive to me not having my body tall enough and the like. It's funny to that with all the big tracks I have been riding Kate in I'm a little less confident on Connie, they are so different to ride. Still can't complain at all really, the weather was fabulous which never happens at this show. Must rain next weekend at the Wairarapa A+P then!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
1.10m class from today
Yes I know the rail is my fault, what a good miss and why? because I went spot hunting. The extra stride in the double was my fault too because I let the canter get too quiet and fussy. Still rapt with how she jumped.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Jumping at Gisborne, disapoointment and a show season that keeps on trucking
Ok so the second day at Gisborne and Kate did the 1.15m and the Amateur class which was run over the exact same track. It was my first 1.15m in years so I duffed it a bit to be honest. I needed to let her flow more and create more canter to make up for the sticky trappiness of the ground to help her get over the fences so I had three rails. Dumb dumb dumb. These are basic mistakes but with the increase in height I can't get away with them anymore.
I was first into the amateur because I was a late entry. Started well didn't get the canter going after fence one, came round the crner didn't see my spot tried to make one by collecting more on my already small canter and basically pulled her up. I was gutted. Kate really needs me to make the decision and get her there and be totally committed. It's all a learning curve I guess. Left all of the rails up too and with only five in the jump-off
I would have gotten some amateur series points. I have gotten so ribbon hungry I need to go back to focusing on jumping nice clears lol!
Rascal did the saddle hunters the same day and it was a disaster. The groom found she had untied her self and left her untied so she rolled and she was so clean and plaited. Then when she got over there she was so happy to be out of her yard and itchy from her coat that just decided to shift she spent all of the canter just bounding around and after one class I gave up and went and had a drink.
The disappointment? Kate is lame on her other fore hoof. Not the one she had the abscess in but the other one. I think it might be a penetrating injury this time, but haven't had a chance to have a good dig at it. I followed the track up and couldn't find any pus but it would be my luck to have another abscess just as I am looking at doing my first 1.20m next next weekend. And she is my best most competitive horse (sorry Connie)
Still Wairarapa Showjumping and Showhunter champs this weekend. Rascal is Showhuntering and doing a 90cm on Monday while Connie will probably just do the 1.10m. If she does the first one super I will be really tempted to do the amateur on her but I really don't think she is quite there yet. She hasn't had a consistent run of classes yet what with injury etc. I would be so rapt if Kate was sound for the weekend after that which is the Wairarapa A+P which has a ring 2 1.20m and I know they build nicely there. Boo hiss. Still I guess there is always the next show. Which I haven't entered yet to be honest.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Gisborne= FUBAR
Map of our trip so it makes more sense to people
Blue dot- Woodhill, Green dot- Te Teko (stayed 5 mins from green dot most of the time, Red dot -Gisborne
We knew leaving to Gisborne that the forecast was for high winds and heavy rain overnight but it was only an hour into the trip that we hit the rain. That and the flooded paddocks were something of a clue that it had been wet lately. On stopping in at a service station I found at that it had been raining for 3 days but not as much as that. Once we arrived we were told that it was set to improve but the torrential downpour just continued. We shored up the yards with woodchips but by the next morning they were nearly underwater and turning into a bog. Thankfully at the end of the first day I pinched some drier yards and the ponies were much happier.
The puddle at the bottom of the ramp
So arriving at midday on Wednesday we set up and then hid from the rain mostly. We didn't do our showhunter practice rounds but I never intended to ran Rascal anyway as the show hunter was set a little beyond what she is up to at the moment. The next morning when we woke to more rain we waited with bated breath for the announcement and at 7.30 it came that all horse events were canceled bar the showhunter which was in the indoor.
Connies lake
It was a miserable miserable day- long wet and endless. Being 5 kms out of town there was no chance of going in for entertainment really in that weather. I for one at this point was all for leaving. The road South to Napier however was blocked by slips and the road back the way we came was down to one lane. In fact two trucks did go back that day and got turned back by flooding before a slip came down trapping them. The horses spent the night in a farmers cattleyards and the riders spent the night helping the farmer pull sheep out of the floodwater. So really there was no hope of us going anywhere, we were effectively trapped. In Gisborne. In a slightly leaky horse truck in some of the worst weather I have experienced.
Oh lucky Kate! Favouritism much??
Kate got my solo indoor yard as she is jumping the biggest. So she wasn't so unhappy but the water caused small cuts on Connies legs to get infected and she blew up in her left fore effectively ending her show. Such that it was anyway! Thursday the roads remained closed and we sat and waited for time to pass basically. We borrowed a car and I brought an armload of magazines.
The ring 2 lake
I wish I could explain just how much it sucked. We would have left if we hadn't been so stuck. The rain was torrential. The Friday was sunny with only showers coming over in the evening but the ground was sodden. A reduced class list ran and Kate got out of her box for a couple of classes. I'll talk about that later. I was keen to ride Friday and my friend was keen to leave but again we were still stuck so we made the best of it.
The water jump/ lake
The Saturday was grand prix day and only my friends grand prix horse ran. I was seriously tempted by the 1.15m for Kate but the ground had started to dry a bit so not only was it wet and slippery but also sucky and very deep and hard work for the horses. There is heaps of jumping to come this season so I won't really worry about it too much. Thankfully the roads were open and we could make the 8 hour trip home. There was significant slip damage on the trip. So glad to be home. So glad.
Blue dot- Woodhill, Green dot- Te Teko (stayed 5 mins from green dot most of the time, Red dot -Gisborne
We knew leaving to Gisborne that the forecast was for high winds and heavy rain overnight but it was only an hour into the trip that we hit the rain. That and the flooded paddocks were something of a clue that it had been wet lately. On stopping in at a service station I found at that it had been raining for 3 days but not as much as that. Once we arrived we were told that it was set to improve but the torrential downpour just continued. We shored up the yards with woodchips but by the next morning they were nearly underwater and turning into a bog. Thankfully at the end of the first day I pinched some drier yards and the ponies were much happier.
The puddle at the bottom of the ramp
So arriving at midday on Wednesday we set up and then hid from the rain mostly. We didn't do our showhunter practice rounds but I never intended to ran Rascal anyway as the show hunter was set a little beyond what she is up to at the moment. The next morning when we woke to more rain we waited with bated breath for the announcement and at 7.30 it came that all horse events were canceled bar the showhunter which was in the indoor.
Connies lake
It was a miserable miserable day- long wet and endless. Being 5 kms out of town there was no chance of going in for entertainment really in that weather. I for one at this point was all for leaving. The road South to Napier however was blocked by slips and the road back the way we came was down to one lane. In fact two trucks did go back that day and got turned back by flooding before a slip came down trapping them. The horses spent the night in a farmers cattleyards and the riders spent the night helping the farmer pull sheep out of the floodwater. So really there was no hope of us going anywhere, we were effectively trapped. In Gisborne. In a slightly leaky horse truck in some of the worst weather I have experienced.
Oh lucky Kate! Favouritism much??
Kate got my solo indoor yard as she is jumping the biggest. So she wasn't so unhappy but the water caused small cuts on Connies legs to get infected and she blew up in her left fore effectively ending her show. Such that it was anyway! Thursday the roads remained closed and we sat and waited for time to pass basically. We borrowed a car and I brought an armload of magazines.
The ring 2 lake
I wish I could explain just how much it sucked. We would have left if we hadn't been so stuck. The rain was torrential. The Friday was sunny with only showers coming over in the evening but the ground was sodden. A reduced class list ran and Kate got out of her box for a couple of classes. I'll talk about that later. I was keen to ride Friday and my friend was keen to leave but again we were still stuck so we made the best of it.
The water jump/ lake
The Saturday was grand prix day and only my friends grand prix horse ran. I was seriously tempted by the 1.15m for Kate but the ground had started to dry a bit so not only was it wet and slippery but also sucky and very deep and hard work for the horses. There is heaps of jumping to come this season so I won't really worry about it too much. Thankfully the roads were open and we could make the 8 hour trip home. There was significant slip damage on the trip. So glad to be home. So glad.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Te Teko Show
Te Teko went really well. Connie and Kate were both in the 1.10m-1.15m welcome stakes. They both jumped really well, Kate was fourth and Connie was seventh so that was really good. The next day was the table C 1.10m class which was just a speed round. I went for it a bit with Kate but got too backwards and didn't ride forwards enough to do any good and had two rails. On Connie I took it slower and jumped a clear round but it was pretty ugly. She was really behind the leg and trying to duck out of the fences. The next day I found some soreness in the foot she had had the abscess in so she didn't run at all on Sunday. Kate jumped the amateur which was a decent sized track with plenty of full sized 1.20m fences in it. It was also very spooky with two walls, lots of fill and two combinations.
My friend had course walked with me and developed a strategy with the lines which was good. Most of them I really had to ride down to get there. So it was good to be the opposite of the day before when I had gotten too backwards. She had a moment when she hesitated going into the first combination. I'm not even really sure why it was scary but lots of horses spooked or had trouble in there. She jumped out so big I was jumped out of the saddle a bit but managed to get organised. Just duffed the last related line a bit because I should have moved up sooner so then I could have waited for the last two strides to give her a better chance of jumping into the final double, so had a rail at the oxer that was the first fence of the double.
Rascal did two 70cm practice rounds on the Friday and had one stop at the double I think, but on Saturday did a clear 80cm round and on the Sunday jumped a clear 90cm round so she is starting to feel a lot more confident and happy with her jumping. So mostly a very good show. I'm rapt Connie placed and jumped a double clear the first day.
My friend had course walked with me and developed a strategy with the lines which was good. Most of them I really had to ride down to get there. So it was good to be the opposite of the day before when I had gotten too backwards. She had a moment when she hesitated going into the first combination. I'm not even really sure why it was scary but lots of horses spooked or had trouble in there. She jumped out so big I was jumped out of the saddle a bit but managed to get organised. Just duffed the last related line a bit because I should have moved up sooner so then I could have waited for the last two strides to give her a better chance of jumping into the final double, so had a rail at the oxer that was the first fence of the double.
Rascal did two 70cm practice rounds on the Friday and had one stop at the double I think, but on Saturday did a clear 80cm round and on the Sunday jumped a clear 90cm round so she is starting to feel a lot more confident and happy with her jumping. So mostly a very good show. I'm rapt Connie placed and jumped a double clear the first day.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
New Personal Best
I cleared my highest fence ever yesterday while slightly inebriated on the C horse. I'm on holiday so it's ok to be drinking. 142cm. It was only the second part of a double and the back rail of an ascending oxer but still it was scary watching it grow as I cantered in haha. Who knew my fat little andalusian could ever jump that high. Not me!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Woodhill Sands
I have no pictures!! Ahhh! 10 and a half hours in the truck of travelling meant the horses got off the truck a little poked. And what awaited us? The outdoor yards where mud pits. Poor ponies. We sawdusted the worst ones that night and did the rest in the morning but for 20 bucks you expect a little more. The surface though was beautiful. It looks like they just scraped the top surface off and got this amazing sand base the lucky beggars.
The other bad point as it really didn't seem as friendly as the more local shows. The warm ups were horrendous fighting through everyone who thinks they are somebody and wont give way. Still I nearly ran someone down when I was late for a class so who am I to talk. Still the weather was fabulous and I'm a wee red lobster which is more than I can say about home because as we left home it looked all flooded again.
Anyway, Rascal was a pig the first day. Warmed up really well got into the ring jumped around until three and then at 4 wasn't having a bar of it and got eliminated. Grrr. It's not even like I didn't give her every chance. Anyway, Kate came out for her 1.05m and she was awesomwe! But I turned the wrong way for my finish flags and boom 4 faults. Walk your courses people. Rookie rookie mistake. Still it felt awesome. I'm riding like the rider I used to be. I'm nervous but contained. I'm confident and able to sort my mistakes and my eye is back so hurraH. It's been years since I rode like I did this weekend. Kate was double clear in the 1.10 and it was a big spooky track. I think finally Kate and I are developing a relationship. She never used to want me to pat her but now we have cuddles and stuff. Still I'm cantering down to fences and I have to tell myself to trust her but we have come a long way.
The next day Rascal came out for showhunters dressed up in all the right gear and you should have seen the looks on peoples faces. Canter canter-stop- whack whack- awkward jump. I horrified the poor showhunters, but after the practice round she started to feel confident again. She jumped three showhunter rounds and she only felt looky in one of them so thats awesome. \the judge must of liked her because she was third and fourth in the first two classes, despite missing a lead but I guess she didn't see?
Then I had to literally blast down to the truck, rip her gear off, drag Kate up saddle her up and canter back to the ring, over one practice fence and rode last in the 1.05m class. She was good though and came through for me despite that and we jumped a good round to finish third. The 1.10m I was fifth to ride so basically went straight back in. \she saved me at the third because I was a mile off of it and though she hesitated she took the big leap. I need to let her travel a bit more down her related lines. Still she jumped off well and was fifth in that class out of 70! Man she was just unreal. She is such a good good horse. I just want to bundle her up and hug her haha! She would hate that though. I was done by lunchtime. Then after the GP back on the truck and we landed at my Aunties place which is down the road from Te Teko show about 10pm. \the horses are currently sunbathing in the sun. I rode Connie earlier and it was a bit Mr Toads wild ride but she is overfed and underworked. 1.15ms nest weekend guys. |Can we do it?? I'm not actually that sure, but if the first class goes well I'm stepping Kate up to the amateurs
The other bad point as it really didn't seem as friendly as the more local shows. The warm ups were horrendous fighting through everyone who thinks they are somebody and wont give way. Still I nearly ran someone down when I was late for a class so who am I to talk. Still the weather was fabulous and I'm a wee red lobster which is more than I can say about home because as we left home it looked all flooded again.
Anyway, Rascal was a pig the first day. Warmed up really well got into the ring jumped around until three and then at 4 wasn't having a bar of it and got eliminated. Grrr. It's not even like I didn't give her every chance. Anyway, Kate came out for her 1.05m and she was awesomwe! But I turned the wrong way for my finish flags and boom 4 faults. Walk your courses people. Rookie rookie mistake. Still it felt awesome. I'm riding like the rider I used to be. I'm nervous but contained. I'm confident and able to sort my mistakes and my eye is back so hurraH. It's been years since I rode like I did this weekend. Kate was double clear in the 1.10 and it was a big spooky track. I think finally Kate and I are developing a relationship. She never used to want me to pat her but now we have cuddles and stuff. Still I'm cantering down to fences and I have to tell myself to trust her but we have come a long way.
The next day Rascal came out for showhunters dressed up in all the right gear and you should have seen the looks on peoples faces. Canter canter-stop- whack whack- awkward jump. I horrified the poor showhunters, but after the practice round she started to feel confident again. She jumped three showhunter rounds and she only felt looky in one of them so thats awesome. \the judge must of liked her because she was third and fourth in the first two classes, despite missing a lead but I guess she didn't see?
Then I had to literally blast down to the truck, rip her gear off, drag Kate up saddle her up and canter back to the ring, over one practice fence and rode last in the 1.05m class. She was good though and came through for me despite that and we jumped a good round to finish third. The 1.10m I was fifth to ride so basically went straight back in. \she saved me at the third because I was a mile off of it and though she hesitated she took the big leap. I need to let her travel a bit more down her related lines. Still she jumped off well and was fifth in that class out of 70! Man she was just unreal. She is such a good good horse. I just want to bundle her up and hug her haha! She would hate that though. I was done by lunchtime. Then after the GP back on the truck and we landed at my Aunties place which is down the road from Te Teko show about 10pm. \the horses are currently sunbathing in the sun. I rode Connie earlier and it was a bit Mr Toads wild ride but she is overfed and underworked. 1.15ms nest weekend guys. |Can we do it?? I'm not actually that sure, but if the first class goes well I'm stepping Kate up to the amateurs
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