Well last week I had my first Team Training session. It was an on foot session where we discussed the Event at Weston Park and certain topics. E.g:

• What to wear
• Studs
• FEI Rules
• Flu Jabs
• Fitness
• Trot Ups
• etc

It was a very interesting and very useful session but did leave me feeling terrified about the CCIJ* haha!

Today was the final training session, it was a ridden session where we practised our:

• Dressage Test
• Show jumping
• Trot Up

The Dressage was interesting. Belvedere started warming up fairly well, then I stopped to take my jumper off and it went downhill a bit, but was okay. I went outside to ride through the test and he lost it. Got so tense and horrible, it was a truly shocking test and I was very upset. But Richard and Sylvia were very nice about it and gave me advice and a new bit for the 2nd ride through.
In the 2nd ride through Richard talked us through it, he gave advice etc throughout the test which was useful and helpful. This test was a lot better but still had a lot of very bad transitions and some dodgy moments!

We then moved onto the Trot Up where we practised trot up etiquette (e.g. saying Good Morning to the ground jury) and trotted up our horses. I now need to practise this with Belvedere using a schooling whip so he marches on more.

Finally it was the Jumping. This was very fun because Richard is so funny and he likes to take the mick out of us! He made us all ride with our hands upside down. Instead of the reins entering between our 3rd and little finger and exiting by out thumb, the reins entered under our thumb. This meant that we had to be soft with our hands and also made sure the pressure was equal on both reins. Belvedere was very good and Richard was very complimentary. Although Belv did have a random 'spazz attack' when I came round to the double. I am not sure why!! Other than that I was very pleased, we jumped a very short course at 1m15 with one parallel at 1m25!!!!