Silver Hills ODE October 2017 - Show Jumping and final thoughts

There was a nice big 3 hour gap between cross country and showjumping, thankfully, so Allie and I got to have a nice long rest.

They were running 45 minutes late with the course walk, and so after I walked it we scooted back to the float to tack up and get ready.

I shouldn't have bothered rushing because the warm up was a shambles. Nearly 70 riders all wanting to get their showjumping done so they could pack up and go home, the gate steward was the same as last year, the guy who didn't get my number down three times and made me wait long time. Surprise, same thing happened this year! I was number 57. He told me to go after 45, and I kept my eye on her. She went in, and he told 67 to go in after her even though I had been waiting so long! I literally sat on Allie in the heat for over an hour. It was bullshit.

Anyway, finally I just pushed in and was polite but firm stating I had to go pick up my 2 year old and could I please go in, as I had been waiting for so long (the issues with riding a boring bay horse, I suppose, is that no one remembers you). So finally, in I went. Linda warmed me up again, basically just getting me to ride the shoulders, keep sitting tall, get the canter right and just let the jump come to us.

We had one rail down which was my fault as I didn't get my line right and we jumped it on an angle. But other than that, I was happy with the ride. We did it well within time (she's getting much faster!) but were controlled 99% of the time, she jumped confidently, and y ankles managed to do their job for that minute and a half so we were good.

Overall, we finished 19th out of 32, on a score of 78. I felt really positive about the dressage, awful about my riding in the cross country but proud of my mare for looking after me, and felt happy with the showjumping both her and my riding, considering how bloody tired we both were.

Take aways for next time? Wrap my ankles, be fitter and stronger. Weigh less (I really am a bit too heavy for her), and just be there for her 100% - leg on, leg on, leg on (and SIT UP)!

I'm really looking forward to competing next year, if we can make it work. She really is a pleasure to take showing, easy to float, chills out tied up, eats, drinks (a little bit once she's super thirsty), is calm and not very spooky at all. I have an amazing group of friends and supporters who came to help and watch and coach, who I could not ave done this without. I have no idea how people go eventing alone.

Anyway, that's it! Our one and only comp of the year, done and dusted.

Fin

Twilight Jump Club

The local 2000 olympic equestrian venue, Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC) is an amazing venue, as you would expect. I've ridden there quite a few times now, but I've never ridden in the indoor - until quite recently.

Sydney Eventing has resurrected Twilight Jump Club on the second Tuesday of every month and I managed to get Allie there in October.

We did two rounds, and she did fantastic.

Next up - Did we get to Silver Hills ODE?

Silver Hills eva80 - Show jumping

On Sunday, I had an 8.15am showjump draw and a 10.41am cross country. Plenty of time between, and we would be done by 11am. We were sitting in 12th after dressage, out of about 32. We left at 6am again for a 7am arrival. This time I had Natalie with me.

The showjumping warm up and arena was slippery. Like, really slippery, so much so that two horses fell straight over (one in the warm up, one in the ring). Of course, this made me want a calm, quiet, safe round. I think Allie was a little worried about the footing too. She was nice and balanced though, so I was confident we could get around safe.

I walked the course and it all seemed pretty straight forward except the line from fence 4 to fence 5, which was a tight corner in a slippery patch. I made a mental note to take that corner slow and wide. The rest seemed ok.

I was early to the warm up, the second one in, and the steward said I would go in after the first horse. Great! I did a careful warm up, had a couple of great jumps over the warm up oxer and then decided to wait at the gate.

It was a bit of a shambles to be honest. They decided last minute to put a few of the fences down, and they let about 4 riders walk the course late, which pushed the start time by 15 minutes. Then the bloody steward (who was a bit frazzled) forgot that I was second and then told me that I didn't present to him when I came in. I told him that I was the second rider in after that horse over there, but he still put my number last after about 5 other riders. Argh!!!

Just after this a horse and rider slipped and fell in the warm up. They were ok and ended up competing anyway, but that held us up more. THEN a pushy mother pushed in front of me to get her daughter to go do her showjumping so that she could go and get ready for her own cross country. The steward wasn't really allowing it but she just sent her daughter into the ring to the judges anyway! Unbelievable.

I had to go do a couple more warm up jumps and for some reason right before I went in the ring I tweaked my back. I've been needing to go see my body lady for ages and of course right then was when my back decided it couldn't cope anymore. Fantastic.

I did a few stretches in the saddle to help but I was still not great to jump. I just kinda crossed my fingers and hoped I would be ok.

Finally, FINALLY it was our turn to go. Here's the video:

So a few moments showing our inexperience (especially having to circle to get the line from 4-5 without falling over) and we had one rail down and a few time faults. You can also tell I didn't want to fall over from cornering too fast so that's what all the trotting was about. But she jumped much more confidently. Some showjumping lessons and some jump club days are needed of course but she was very level headed the whole time.

Photos? Of course!!

Still with the chicken arms! But...

A much nicer release a moment later! Yay me.

Also that bonnet is a bit big, but it's all matchy matchy with the saddle cloth.

She's very comfortable at this height and so am I to be honest. It's challenging enough that it shows our weaknesses but we aren't overfaced at all. I think that day was a good place to build from.

So we had an hour or so to rest before cross country. Allie was a little tired but I knew she would wake up a bit for cross country. She got a pick of green grass while we ate breakfast.

Next up, cross country! Did we go well? Did the ski jump and the giant trakhener scare the pants off us? Stay tuned to find out!

Showjumping at SIEC

So, after dressage and the schooling session we had, we had about 40 minutes to chill out before having to get ready for showjumping. While the girls gave Allie a green pick I went and walked the course. We were jumping out of sand, which Allie hasn't done before except for a few little cross rails at the indoor. The sand was absolute slop and quite deep, so I thought she wouldn't enjoy jumping out of it.

The warm up was the same, but it wasn't too busy as they only allowed about 4 horses in at once. I had a bit of a trot and canter around then jumped he warm up cross rail, vertical then a giant oxer someone had put p a few holes. She jumped the oxer really well so I just left her after that to walk around on the buckle until we were called to go down to the course.

I got there and only stood around for 30 seconds before it was my turn. The gate stewards were on point that day!

Anyway, here's my round!

I checked her a little strong before 2 so she ended up trotting into it, three we took a long spot, 6a she jumped a bit close to the base and then we had one rail down at number 7 (the red, white and blue one with sails for wings). She knocked it with her back right foot, jumping close again. Other than that (haha), she jumped quite well! Was nice and calm and on the job, did a lovely flying change after 8. I kept jumping ahead a couple of times but to be honest I hadn't jumped for two weeks which is a bit naughty of me, so I was a little rusty. The jumps at this height are so ridiculously small for her, she barely even tries. She did NOT like the footing so I had to use a bit more leg than usual and clicked quite a bit. She looked a bit fancy with her plaits still in :P

So I was quite pleased with her after the SJ. She got another green pick, had a drink and some hay cubes while we all ate the sandwich platter I made, drank wine, and ate cheese and crackers. My main goal for the day was to have FUN, and during the showjumping I started to achieve that goal.

I took off to walk the cross country course after some food. It was quite wet and sloppy in parts, but altogether was rideable. I was still ridiculously nervous and trying to ignore it.

I'll do a run down of cross country next!