Chris Chugg Clinic

There is always a little bit of anxiety when you clinic with someone new. You never know quite what they are going to be like. Thats why I always put Connie up for new clinicians because our partnership runs pretty deep and she is a lovely pony. This time it was Chris Chugg a top Australian Showjumper. Yea we are going international! I did investigate on the internet to find out what the general consensus was about him and i found he was tough but fair and made people cry. Awesome. That's good considered after three years I have only just come off my anti-depressant drugs. Here comes the weepy train! For added excitement I was in a group with 2 grand prix riders and a 1.30m rider. Add to that the fact the weather was so awful but only mostly when my group was riding :/.

Of course I give neither myself or my horse enough credit. Connie was a super star and jumped everything in front of her. The main things I need to focus on are keeping my hands together and my reins organized and short (Guess who got a knot in her reins! On both days) Chris was very very good. He missed nothing and so you had to be so tidy.As long as you listened and did as you told he was very very nice. He said I had a nice feel (Yesss!) that Connie had a good rhythm and canter. Because Chris had turned out to be so good I rode Butch the second day in the same group. Butch can be a bit of a delicate flower and throw his toys when expected to do the same exercise to many times off of the left rein so I'm careful about whom I train him with.

Anyway it was much the same. I find it a bit harder on Butch to find my distances because he is more adjustable and i just don't know him like I know Connie, but that will come. Certainly since riding full time I'm a quieter, more effective and accurate rider. Apparently, Chris said I was an ok rider. Swoon! It was awesome just to hold my own in the company I was in. I had a few errors. With Butch I can't turn him up to a fence like I can with Connie because his brain is slower so on my roll backs I have to give him more room to sight up the fence. And I just have to trust my eye more and keep the faith and keep counting my strides. Like Chris said with our group we could all ride it was just putting the finesse on. It was all basic stuff but the more I learn the more I learn it's all about the basics. Go straight to the fence, land straight, keep your hands together maintain a good canter and LOOK where you are going.

First show tomorrow with Connie and Butch so lets hope the clinic has helped! I think I will leave the knot in my reins lol. The knot made a huge difference in helping keep the horses straight through the turns and just in keeping me organised. I'm not as bad on Connie but with Butch who is quicker and more extravagant I have a lot of trouble keeping him organised.
Anyway, snippets of Butch