Well, had a very busy weekend. With Hambleden yesterday, and Stockland Lovell today! It was my first event with both Ross (Cloons Master Plan) and Rosie (Irish Rose). And what a good day! Very busy, but good! Started at 3pm with the first horse, and finished by 6pm with the second horse! haha!

Irish Rose: Intro/Pre Novice

Dressage: Well, incredibly pleased with her. We have been working on her Dressage so much, and it has paid off. She got 28 (72%) so clearly very pleased. She was very sweet, her free walk wasn't very good, and her halt I held for one moment too long, so she threw her head about, but the rest was fantastic! Also, the test was a PN test!

Showjumping: Again, she was lovely, popped around very sweetly for a fantastic clear (intro height). Unfortunately, clearly the time was very tight and we got 2 time pens. I was very annoyed with this, as I felt that it would affect my end result greatly!
However, very pleased with her.               

Cross Country: I was slightly worried by a few things on the course for Rosie because it was mainly PN, so many jumps like the corner, trakhener, and a very wide (depth) skinny, to a big box, were definitely over Intro height and quite substantial. However, she popped around the course. Although the first water was slightly interesting, as it was a wall, turn right to a roll top into the water, then a roll top out. She backed off the wall, then jumped massive into the water, and took a stride out of the water. So it was very much sit tight despite. But I was very pleased with her, she took it all in her stride and finished inside the time. I was very happy to discover that we came 2nd!! (Out of 30) Also the two time pens didn't make any difference to the placings! What a good girl for her first ODE since last summer!

Cloons Master Plan: Pre Novice/Novice

Dressage (novice test): It was a bit of a rush after Rosie’s prize giving, but it turned out I needn’t have rushed, because they were running late, so it meant I had to end up warming him up for an incredibly long time. However, even though ross was the only one left in the dressage warm up he did a fab test. I was amazed because I have ridden him about three times in the last two months, and all he has been doing is hunting and team chasing. We got 30.5 which turned out to be the best dressage! Out of a section of 40, I was thrilled!

Show jumping: Well, I was slightly worried because at ODE’s he can be very unpredictable and nap and refuse to do anything. However, he was brilliant. Lovely round, I just made the mistake of asking him for a long stride, so we had a silly stop, so unfortunate 4 faults. But it could have gone a lot worse, so happy enough! He also didn’t hang or fix his neck in the round. So very pleased.

Cross Country: Again, like with Rosie, this was a mixture of Pre-Novice and Novice, with some jumps/combinations clearly being the novice BE track. I was also worried about him napping here, and before I went in the start box he started rearing and napping. However, he never thought about it on the XC, and flew around. Gave me fantastic round, didn’t hang, nap or pull much. It was 500mpm and he wastes time in the air and approaching jumps, so just got the 3.2 time pens. But very very pleased. Turns out I also came 2nd with him. Couldn’t believe it! I also won a pair of snazzy white woof wear tendon boots.

So it makes up slightly for my bad day at Hambleden, but it is typical, the bad days on record, the good days not! Haha! I hope to do some more eventing with these guys this season, and hopefully some BE.

Well, certainly not such a good day as last week, unfortunately. I had a long time between my Dressage and Show jumping, so when I arrived I went a got my number and watched the SJ, then got straight on with my Dressage.

Well, he was very tense to begin with in the Dressage warm up, and as I consequence I began to get very tense and defensive in my riding and locking my arms. Making it all much worse. So I decided to do sitting trot as it meant that I didn't have the same leverage in my arms, and I was much softer. This worked very well, and he was going very nicely, and the sitting trot was lovely. So in I went, I was in the far dressage arena, by a hedge. I was just coming round to go down the center line when a group of walkers appeared wearing bright clothes, massive rucksacks and talking very very loudly. They then remained there behind a hedge/watching for the whole of my test. Obviously Belv was very interested by them and so was a bit tense. The judge then slated him for this, and we got a very disappointing 44. After my 33 last week this was a big let down. Even with his tension and few mistakes in rein back and counter canter, I felt he deserved at the worst 38-40. 

Onto the Show Jumping, it was in a main arena surrounded by trade stands, with a fence (not rope) enclosing it, so it was a very imposing course. Although not big, it had its questions, and the triple was just as we hate it (spread in, then two uprights!) We went in, jumped the first 6 very nicely and incredibly cleanly. Came around to the planks, and I didn’t get him deep enough, and went for a longer flatter stride, so down they came. Popped through the triple very cleanly again, and round to the last, a 1m15 upright that a lot were having down, and I did the same thing again, and had it down. Very disappointed, was craving another clear, or even just the 4 faults would have sufficed.

Right, the Cross Country, well I wasn't worried so much about the course, but more interested, because it had an awful lot of steps in it. Right at the beginning there was a step onto a bank and off, then there were three very step bounce steps downhill, then two bounce steps up to a skinny, then later on another two (again very steep) bounce steps up. I wasn't sure how many steps Belv had come across, so decided just to attack it and sit tight. Flew beautifully over the first few and the first bank, then turned away from the trade stands towards a log then walk into the first water, I was turning towards the log (about 4/5 strides from it) and he went sideways and span around and started to jump about, I then made him turn around and jump the log from a walk. I have no idea what happened, maybe he was napping slightly, but he has never napped before. I also had no idea whether it would be classed as a refusal or not. He then flew round the rest of the course. The three bounce steps down were very very steep, and he popped them slowly and cautiously so I just sat back saying sit up sit up sit up, as it felt very steep! He was brilliant at the 2nd water which was a rather large drop in, out over skinny, then over a big box with shot gun cartridges in front of it. However, because of his silliness, we got 9.2 time penalties.

All in all, a very disappointing day, especially in comparison to Kelsall. We ended up a rubbish 24th. Without the time pens that we would normally not have got we would have been a very respectable 16th, and had we had a reasonable judge and one down SJ, or the same dressage but clear SJ (very achievable if I hadn’t been a mupet) we would of been 4th. Ah the "If only's" of eventing! 

Well, what a good day!!!! Finally I have had a good day BE!

Well, it was quite a long journey, 2h 45mins. We got there, met up with my friend who was also doing the JRN and set off to walk the XC and watch some SJ rounds. I was rather worried when I watched the SJ as the course, once again seemed designed to catch Belv out, with an ascending spread, for strides to an upright at 1m15 and a double of uprights for the last spread. The XCC was very nicely presented and was a nice course. It was a decent height and reasonably technical. However, it was very short and incredibly twisty with no room to gallop. There were lots of combinations which came up thick and fast. I knew it would not suit belv, and that the time would be hard to achieve!

Anyway, onto the Dressage. Belvedere warmed up very sweetly, although the warm up was next to the XC he was very calm and working quite well. However, some one collided with me (neither persons fault, just on of those things) and her horse turned its bum to me, and kicked out very hard and caught me full on the foot. Luckily my stirrup took most of the blow and Belvedere was unharmed. However, I was not amused that she then blamed me for her horse kicking me! Urgh! Anyway, onto the actual test, wow, Belvedere's best ever test with me I think! He was fab, both his counter canters were super, one of his medium trots were excellent, and he was much better coming back to medium walk, and then trot after the free walk. he didn't canter. However, his rein back was not good; he did one nice step, and then refused to do anymore! It turns out I got 33! By far my best score BE with him. Very happy! It wasn't a kind judge either, just average, there were plenty of scores in the 40's and 50's. I got 7 & 8 for counter canters. 8 for medium and a 2 for rein back!!!!

Here is the dressage sheet and video!

Onto the Show Jumping, they were running late when I arrived, so I sat and watched for a while. This did not help my nerves because there were a lot of show jumping penalties. Looking at the results there were a lot of 16's, 12's, 8's and 4's and only a few clears! Also, belvedere is now traumatized because he was kicked at in the dressage, and then someone charged into him in the show jumping. For the rest of the day when he passed other horses he tensed up, shot sideways and forwards because he was scared they would attack him. I hope he forgets about it soon. Anyway, he did an absolutely FANTASTIC round! Foot perfect, for a well deserved clear! Must have been the best round BE we have ever done. Was thrilled with him, couldn't believe it!

I was then very nervous for the Cross Country because I did not want another Gatcombe to happen! So I set off very nervous, and blimey, disaster nearly struck at fence three. It was a simple step up to a reasonable size fence, that was slightly narrow. We had a misunderstanding as to where to take off for the step and he fell up the step. He was on his face, and fair enough, he tried to evade the jump. However I was not going to let that happen, so I pulled him round, and made him jump it from a halt. And bless him, he is so honest that he did, he literally climbed over it. Cue lots of pats and "good boy's". He then flew round the rest of the course, but I went steady into the combinations to ensure I didn’t make any silly mistakes, so we got 3.6 time penalties. But considering the course, and our woopsy at fence 3 that was perfectly acceptable and I was ecstatic! DOUBLE CLEAR!!

So I finished on 36.6, Belvedere's best finishing score at BE (including with Jon!!) It turns out I came 4th! Absolutely thrilled! Also, I got two rosettes, a cap, a head collar, 64 pounds and 3 points for Belvedere!! My first points BE, so happy! I LOVE my horse. And now we can see that he can do it! The winner (who's horse has gone 3*) was on 31, so had the rein back been good and I had gone slightly quicker XC I could have easily won! How exciting!

My sponsors In The Field Countrywear and Maxavita have kindly organised some PR for me on their websites. As you know (or may not know) i am also part of an Event Team with my friend Jonathan. (KJ Eventing). Maxavita has kindly agreed to sponsor not just me, but KJ Eventing as a whole!

Click on the images to view them bigger.

Well, the other day a friend came round for a few days to ride my horses etc! And we were jumping Belvedere in the field, and he put up quite a big upright, at least 1m20, probably more like 1m25-1m30, which Belvedere popped very sweetly. Next Jonny put up a spread, which was very big. However I did not realise just how big it was untill i was cantering towards it!! Belvedere, being so scopey, just popped it very easily. However, we measured it and it was 1m50!!! (Well 1m48 to be precise!) Crickey!

Anyway, here are some photos!

Belvedere 1m20-1m30 Upright

Belvedere 1m50 Spread

I then did some jumping on Rosie (Irish Rose) and she was lovelly! She is so easy to ride bless her!! The spread at the end was quite big for her, shes only 15 3hh and rides like a pony and is not very scopey. She also has had some confidence issues, so very pleased with how she is going at the moment!

How exciting! My Gatcombe Novice photos arrived in the post yesterday! I love photos and these are some crackers! Many Thanks to photographer Stephan Sparks!

The first brush photo is lovelly of Belvedere, i look a bit "eeeek" because i thought we were putting in another stride! I think Belv looks so cute on the drop hedge photo as he looks like an ungainly baby saying "mummy this is boring, it's too easy!" Bless him!

The house is a lovelly photo! Shame it was a rather small fence! The SJ over the tripple bar isnt great, because we chiped in a little stride, hense his ears back, and my lower leg in a rather rubbish position! The SJ ones over the blue spread are quite nice, it was the middle part of the tripple (in the background of the tripple bar you can see it, it looks so much smaller when belv jumps it!) HAHA!

ENJOY! (click to make the pictures bigger!)

Well, second event of the season on Saturday. It was rather mixed, once again! At the moment it appears to be impossible to get all three phases right on one day!!! For a start we had to take the trailer as the lorry was in repair as its brakes had a little to be desired! So not a good omen!

The Dressage was an incredibly long walk from the lorry park, 10-15 mins on a horse, walking THROUGH the xc course. That was not a good start for Belvedere; he was jogging sideways by the time we reached the dressage. However, I was quite pleased with the test, I thought his second leg yielding was very good, and his canter down the center line, trot at X, halt at G, was perfect. Turns out we got 36, so very pleased with that! When I got my dressage sheet back, I saw that the middle section of the test we got all 7's, which is excellent!

Onto the show jumping, this had much to be desired today. We got a clear at Gatcombe last weekend, but rubbish Dressage and XC, and this week, good dressage, but show jumping was rubbish. I sat and watched for a while and saw loads and loads of problems, it appeared to be a course designed to catch Belvedere out. Twice there were oxers to an upright, the triple was a spread in, then one strides to both uprights. It was also uphill and I saw lots of horses struggle to make the distance. So I was very nervous before I went in, and consequently forgot to tell Belvedere we had started. So we had a stop at the first fence!!! Popped it very nicely the second time around, and proceeded to do a nice round, but had three down. So got a cricket score in the show jumping. 12 for the poles, 4 for the stop, and 3 time= 19!! However, two people in my section did get 24 for poles down, so I was not the worst by a long way!

The Cross Country, this was back to its normal fantastic self! The first question was at number 4, a line of three barrels on a turn, getting progressively narrower, it was just after a hill, so I was worried about getting Belvedere back to me, however he was fantastic. We flew around the rest of the course, and came home 7 seconds inside the optimum time!! So very happy after the cross country.

All in all, it was a disappointing day in terms of results; we came 22nd, which obviously is not good. It is also doubly depressing, because the first two events this season, have been my worst ever BE placings!! I thought I was meant to get better as I get used to Belvedere!! Got dressage and xc right today, but show jumping right last week! You never know, maybe next week we will get all three phases right. However, I did have a good time, and enjoyed myself.

Unfortunately, Belvedere appears to have hit himself cross country, and had a swollen off fore the next day. He is slightly lame on it as well, so we have done a lot of cold hosing and polticing/bandaging, and we hope he will be okay in a day or two.

Well, today I took Belvedere to Aston Le Walls to do some Intermediate XC schooling with tuition from Ann Taylor. Unfortunately Belvedere wasn't in the mood, and was backing off fences and messing about and being rather silly. So we didn't do anything really over novice as it would have been irresponsible. It would appear that he is not very keen on xc schooling, as he's been like this whenever we have taken him (two or three times). He seems to prefer the atmosphere and excitement of a competition when his blood is up!
So although we didn't achieve any Intermediate practise, and it was a long way to go for him to not be in the mood, I learnt a lot from Ann. Ann, who is American, was talking to me about how the English have this pre-occupation with looking very neat and tidy. For example, we are always taught at pony club to have our toes facing forwards and not sticking out, and she pointed out, that if your feet are facing straight forwards you cannot use your lower leg effectively, and you cannot get your calf onto the horses side. When we fixed this, it helped greatly with keeping him moving forwards and in front of the leg.
Ann also helped me with the position of my hands on his neck. She made me shorten my reins and have my hands much further forwards up his neck. This meant that while I was galloping, or when I was approaching a fence, I could very very easily make him sit up back on his haunches and make him gallop uphill. It made him lift his head, instead of lowering it and leaning on me. Once again, this was very easy to do (even if I had to think about it) and it worked a treat! He was much lighter and more uphill.
Finally what I found very useful was because when Belvedere gets upset about something and scared, he stops in his tracks and spins around. (For example, with his fear of running water). What I used to do, was have a very strong contact with his mouth, however Ann was telling me how he uses that against me. He uses that contact to spin himself around/rear/leap about. So what she said, was to lock my lower legs on like a vice (using them properly as stated above^^) and to have a very light contact with his mouth. And also to open my reins out either side of his neck. This meant that whatever his head was doing, his neck was also doing, and that I had lots of control, but a very light contact with his mouth, so he couldn't take advantage of me! I basically had control of him at my fingertips, and my legs drove him into the fence/running water, and didn't allow him to evade me/take advantage and spin around. It worked a treat!

No photos or videos unfortunately, and a disappointing day, in that we didn't achieve what we set out to achieve, however I learnt a lot of very useful information/techniques, and it is always useful to have tuition when it's going badly. If it's all going well then tuition isn't really necessary! We finished on a good note though, doing turns to skinny's and a double of corners on a turn. (2 strides between the corners)

Just one photo of him in the lorry on the way home!!!