Pride before a fall

whar not to do before you go show jumping.

• Watch 1.30 SJ and happily sigh when you see how smal yornjumps are
• Go indoors for the first time in over a year and not think anything of it
•  Sir there for the ride and don't put your leg on

We got to fence 4 before Lexi rewarded my uselessness with an elimination.

Quickly swapped my discovery entry for a HC, went back in, put my leg on, jumped double clear with a fast jump off time.

Lesson learnt.

Or was it?

Next elementary BD outing.

• Dwell on how much easier the test are
• Ride like an idiot the week before
• Be casual about learning tests
• Think how useful the prize money would be and how I would spend it.

New venue. Dark indoors. Cue spooky horse. Lexi didn't particularly want to go anywhere near the judge's or spectators. And I went wrong. In both tests.

Second test was better. 64% and 66%. We weren't last anyway.

I will do better. My horse is as good as I ride her so time to pull it together!

Aston le Walls and season round up

I was determined to end on a good note. We've had mostly a rubbish season and I wanted to go out on a high.

The day dawned much nicer than the previous year's event which was torrential rain and the blowers on the lorry broke so we had to go home soaked with the windows open! Not pleasant.

Lexi started the day like a dragon as she usually does at Aston but settled and produced a nice test. I didn't really ride the first half - it seemed very simple after the previous week! Then pulled myself together. We produced a customary clear round SJ and went to get ready for cross country.

I had been a bit worried as we were eliminated at a fence going into the water at our last outing here so I was thrilled to see they offered an alternative. Usually I would push her to go direct but I wanted a nice outing to end the season so I decided to take it.

I mucked up my course mapping so I wasn't sure of my minute markers so I just decided to ride forwards and hope the alternative would take enough time to prevent us getting too fast penalties.

What can I say? She was awesome. Popped fence 1, fence 2 needed a smack on the bum as there was a herd of ducks on the other side of the jump! The next part of the course was going into the low sun and we could barely see but we were going then. The alternative went well although the sharp U bend to go into the water resulted into a loss of rhythm and we casually walked into the water. From then on we were flying. I had my old girl back. We even took a flier to the corner and she gave me that wonderful feeling of being on autopilot. We sailed round and finished on the optimum time, on our dressage score to win!!!


I've learnt a lot this season. I've learnt my horse is as good as I am. I've learnt we can do an excellent dressage test. I've learnt I'd rather drop down a level than screw up higher. We've scored over half our dressage tests sub 30 and clocked up 12 consequtive clears SJ.

We didn't make novice. We didn't even make be100. But that will come, we're back on track and we know each other a whole lot better now.

Elementary debute

I won't lie I was pooping buckets because our elementary debut. My aims were simple. Do not disgrace ourselves. Score over 55%.

I found the warm up difficult. I'm used to big fields not a 40 x 40 school with 8 other horses! And with it being elementary and medium tests, it was impossible to know if someone intended on suddenly going sideways or forwards, whether it was true canter or counter canter, or if they would suddenly do a direct transition from canter to walk.

I went in for my first test, 44, which was in their indoor. Lexi was quite spooky in the indoor so the test felt tense. The first walk to canter resulted in a bit of a kick as she wasn't expecting it at all! But she went. We completed the test and did everything where it was meant to, but I felt it was definitely a bit lacking.

We had a little wait for 59 which upon reading it, I felt was a horrifying test and I couldn't quite believe we were attempting it. It was a 60 x 20 arena and my first long test with her and second long test ever! I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was much more fluid and I positively beamed when we hit a super walk to canter transition bang on the marker. My left leg yield was rather L shaped through her shoulder but overall I was pleased - the best test we could of done.

I swear I almost fainted when I saw the scores. 69% in the first test which was 2nd in the bronze section and 3rd overall. I then looked at 59....we scored 67% under a different judge and only won it all overall!! I was overjoyed and gobsmacked. I couldn't believe it.

Lots of praise for the dressage pony!