Pet Plan and a break through?

Our next outing was the Petplan Area Festival. Never in my life did I think I would be competing in a dressage festival! But we qualified so I figured it would be rude not to!

The stress of my life situation had been getting to me and we didn't have a great session the day before. This coupled between not having ridden an elementary test for 4 months did make me rather nervous!

It was a warm day but I decided to press on with my warm up test as she needs the ring experience at this level - I stalked all the others and we have the grand total of 8 results at elementary, compared to everyone elses 40+!

She did a nice enough test in our warm up but the mediums were stuffy. I was pleased with 67% and third!

Our festival test was next to the flags and we had an almighty spook at them in the trot round. Thankfully I managed to get her attention back on myself and set off down the long centre line. She didn't quite open up enough in her first medium as had half an eye on the flags which flustered me so I went and did a circle in the wrong place. Standard!

However, the rest of the test was lovely. Her leg yields just happened, her second medium was better, her medium canters were good, I actually managed to collect her quickly again afterwards...I finished feeling very pleased. It was certainly her best test at this level and I was kicking myself for going wrong!

As it was, it was good enough for over 67% and we were in a qualifying position! It was a long, boring wait for the results, but we held on and stayed in 9th place despite some wonderful competitors. This earnt us a mounted prize giving and a ticket to the next round!

The following week we were back at Ascott under Wychwood. I had originally planned to do the 100 but decided to drop back to 90 as I had a couple of ideas up my sleeve for the xc and I wanted to feel confident myself.

Lexi did a lovely test to score 24.5 - 5 marks into the lead! 

I was very conscious of the hard ground in the show jumping so didn't warm up enough. I also had my head in the clouds and due to ground not riding very forwards. It wasn't the nicest of courses and after I yanked her into an oxer at fence 3 off a tight turn with no leg, Lexi had a cheeky run out and told me to actually ride!

So I did and she jumped the rest well, but 4 faults and 4 time was expensive.

Cross country....I had wondered whether I had simply been chasing her forward too much in previous outings and just letting the front end go completely. As a result, when she becomes spooky, I end up on her neck rather than sat behind and supporting. My aim was to go steady and really really hold her between my leg and hand.

Lexi set off okay and not particularly spooky. I really held her and she jumped well. This technique needs refining - I did get her in deep a few times so it wasn't as flowing as some previous rounds. However, when we came up to the water and she did a double take, I was able to sit behind her, leg on, held her in my hand and she jumped! Her confidence grew throughout the course and we finished clear within the time. 

The show jumping lost us the win and we came 6th but I couldn't be more pleased. Thats the first time in a long time where she's hesitated, backed off and then jumped. One swallow doesn't make a summer but maybe that's where i've been going wrong.

I pondered this as after her stops, I end up with her much more together between my hand and leg and after that she jumps really well.  So a new technique to play with! She's a funny mare, she's very sensitive and I just HAVE to get it right.

I'm now bowing out of eventing apart from my regionals until we've had some rain. Hopefully not a bad decision given we seem to be alternating events of stops and not stops!!! However, the ground is rock solid and her legs are important so I will save her for the big ones. 

Ups and downs

To continue;
Our next trip was Borde Hill. I love this venue. Squirrel gave me the ride of my life round a big meaty novice track here and gained his BE point so I have fond memories.

It was very hot and muggy but the course looked nice.
Lexi was super chilled in her warm up and did a beautiful test - bar the jockey trying to get too much walk which resulted in a jog! However she scored 29 and was up there with the leaders!

The show jumping was on its usual slope and causing its usual problems. After our recent stops, I rode like a demon and Lexi delivered and went clear!

This put us into the lead so I just needed a clear cross country...
It was a Lexicorn day and she sailed!  No hesitations at anything, she just gunned round and I managed to stay within the time by the skin of my teeth. It was a win for us!

Our next outing was Ascott Uunder Wychwood. Another baking hot day.

Not much to say about the dressage and SJ apart from that she was fantastic, scored 28 in the dressage and popped a lovely clear SJ without as much hard work from me.

I hadn't ironed my shirt so had to sweat it out in my jacket and I was really feeling this by the time I went cross country. I felt rubbish! I'm not sure whether Lexi picked up on that or whether she was seeing ghosts, but she set off from the start box spooking at every blade of grass, fence judge, leaf, everything. I managed to keep her going until the fence before the water where we ground to a halt. She jumped it second time and then completed feeling far better!

Following this, we went to Rackham. I felt the cross country was quite strong; few skinnies, fence from sun into woods, and an interesting combination which was a half coffin to a mound to a big skinny log!

Again she warmed up well for the dressage but I lost the connection a bit trotting endlessly round waiting to start. Halfway through our test, a couple of helpful people burst through the hedge next to my arena, resulting in a spectacular half pass. Not in a BE90 test Lexi! We finished with a 32 in a harsh section.

She was fantastic in the SJ, possibly more out of control than perfect but she was keen and felt fantastic. 

We were in a strong position but still needed to get through the cross country. I needn't worried - she was a superstar. No spooky demons, it was a point and kick kind of round and she really delivered. I love riding her through the trickier combos as she's so quick and clever about them. 

In the end we finished 4th so bagged a THIRD regional final!

Our next outing was Offchurch Bury. They had done a beautiful job on the hardening ground and watered it! It was fantastic.

Lexi warmed up well for her dressage but the judge wasn't keen and only scored her a 34.8 which left her in about 10th. I guess she can't be up there every time! She stormed another great clear show jumping.

Cross country started off tragic. She was seeing demons again and spooking and not moving off my leg. I managed to get her over the first fence fences although it felt awful and can't of looked pretty. Finally we ground to a halt infront of a shiny tube fence. Again, like Ascott, afterwards she was fantastic. This did set some cogs whirling in my brain - what changes that makes her so much more forward and confident? It can't be the kicking....

Long break

One day I will get my act together and blog consistently. In fairness; I've had a break up, been working 10 hour shifts and trying to get my life together. This season has also been quite up and down and frankly, its hard to write when things go wrong.

So I will catch up...Likely fairly slowly!

Our next outing was Cricklands. 3 days of show jumping, sun and booze. What's not to love?!

It wasn't our weekend. At first, I thought it was due to their new shiny terrifying show jumping. Unicorns....Zebras....Everything.

In the first warm up, Lexi had a stop at fence 2 and then again at fence 7. So that was that. She felt amazing going in so not sure what happened there!

The next morning was on grass. She jumped a fast, cracking clear and I took a bit risk on a turn but thought why not?! And she did it. And won!

Unfortunately; that afternoon we came to grief at the unicorn fence. I still felt it were the fillers at this stage as she had jumped so well in the grass ring that morning.

The next morning, however, when she stopped three times at the first fence (which she had already jumped), I realised there was something amiss and I took her home. She had physio and we found she was really sore through her back. Lesson learnt - treatment before a big show!


We went for some show jumping in between and had a silly stop at the first fence in both classes, but she jumped the rest easily, including a pretty meaty discovery!

Our next trip was back to Wales for Mount Ballon! I was very relieved to see normal show jumps rather than a zoo!

Lexi warmed up well for her dressage but unfortunately struggled a little with the slope in our arena which the judge took as tension and we scored 32.5 which was disappointing.

The show jumping went well but I relaxed a moment too late and we had a silly stop at the last which also cost us 8 time penalties.

I was a little concerned about the cross country; it was bright in places, had a very narrow unwinged fence at the bottom of a slope and another fairly large skinny on top of a big slope down but I felt it was a good course. Lexi set off well, why I thought she would spook at bright XC fences, I don't know! She was brilliant!  A bit wobbly down to the skinny but held her line to it and jumped it.

The water was murky, weedy and muddy and unfortunately she did stop, took a look and a step back then hesitantly went through. Then flew the rest of the course home.

It was a disappointing result and I was a little tearful on the way home - feeling I've truly ruined my cross country machine!

However my grin in the pictures tells a different story!