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!

Tweseldown again

Tweseldown dawned along with 'Storm Brian'.

I had been watching the forecast on tenterhooks all week, hoping it would improve. It did slightly so a brand newly clipped pony was duly washed and plaited.

Lexi warmed up tensely for the dressage and spooked like a five year old at the judge's car but oddly seemed to relax as we entered the arena. We did a nice test, my only complaints were a naff halt and a free walk without much stretch but I was pleased.

We were awarded with a 28.8 which turned out to be second in the section.

The showjumping was wet but didn't look too big following our bsja debut a few weeks ago. Someone returning from it commented she hadn't seen a clear and everyone was getting time faults. Lexi hasn't touched a pole since May so I felt if we were to break that streak today it could be forgiven. She warmed up well enough and didn't seem too bothered about the ground.

In the arena she set off well but became a little hesitant over 3, 4 and 5. Her confidence grew despite the ground and she jumped well to bag herself another clear!

I was nervous about the step back up to 90. Lots of airy fences, the fence before the water was bright, there was a tricky line with a fence on top of a mound followed by an angled double which had a decent fence coming out with the brush on top.

Lexi definitely knew what was coming and shot out the start box but had her usual bit of a look at the first couple of fences. We then got into more of a rhythm over a related distance of birch log oxers (very gappy!) and flew the log pile.

She had a good look at the fence before the water but duly jumped it, followed by a big leap into the water and jumped the house out out of trot. We then had a good gallop along the old racetrack popping a wagon in our stride.

Next was the mound combination - mindful we had a stop at something similar last time I kept my leg on. She looked then popped it. I aimed left at the first part of the combination. The distance felt long and I stupidly took a check only for her to run out at the second fence. Disappointed, the next attempt I rode for the three long strides and Lexi showed me why she ran out - apparently brush is not to be touched! So she went clean over the top which was around 1.10m. I have ordered a beautiful photo!

After that she really settled. We jumped a decent size house, flew the coffin and another table. Finally we faced our nemesis - the dragon. A little look, a bit of leg and a growl and we bounced over, finishing exactly on the optimum time even with the stop! Oops. 

The big catch up.

Calmsden horse trials was never going to be the best day. Overnight my beautiful, beloved dog took a turn for the worse and we made the decision to put her to sleep in the morning. She was the best dog. The floofer, the subwoofer. My best friend and constant companion for 10 years.

I'm just quickly going to skip through the next few reports because I'm getting behind and struggling to catch up.

We decided to go eventing after Tara being put down because I had late times and we felt better to stay busy than sit in an empty house but sadly a good day was not to be.

A 27 dressage and clear SJ left us in by the leaders but Lexi put her foot down xc and I retired at fence 4.

Aston was similar, a 30 dressage and clear SJ and then we were eliminated at fence 5, a log before the water.

We dropped down a level and went to Solihull be80. It wasn't a nice xc course involving an owlhole and a few other nasty fences - not the easy encourage the babies course I wanted! We scored a 24 dressage, clear SJ and to my surprise bombed round xc clear inside the time to win!

We followed this with a pairs xc which involved another owlhole, we had good fun and went clear to come second.

We then went to Ascott under Wychwood 80. We scored a 28 dressage, clear SJ and a clear (of a bit more hesitant as I had the handbrake on to prevent too fast time faults) and we had another win! 

The week following this we went to Munstead BE80. I didn't learn my test properly and received a deserved dressing down from the judge and a 32 dressage followed by a clear SJ and a bold clear xc which gave us 4th.

This ended my run of weekends off work so I registered BS and took Lexi for a show jump. We did the BN where we had a stop in the jump off as I got carried away and Lexi locked on to the wrong fence. We also did the discovery which was massive but she was fantastic. We had one stop early on where I took my leg off but she jumped the rest including the timed section which was hoooge.

Behind again! Tweseldown

I have a confession. 

I find it very hard to blog when things aren't goings right. But it means I lose valuable lessons. I now have a mammoth catch up session which I never find time for! So I will start little and often.

So we set off to Tweseldown 90 feeling a. It more hopeful.

Lexi was a dragon in the warm up but settled and did a beautiful test. I was very pleased, I felt it was one of the strongest we'd done. The judge did not agree at all and gave us a 37!

I dealt with this with a shrug as frankly I was confused - one of her nicest tests and one of the worst marks she'd ever received. It still left us in 10th but it felt frustrating. The test sheet did not match the test - I was even told off for doing my free walk where I did it despite that I did it how it was stated on the test sheet. My instructor told me if it had been BE I should send the test sheet and video in as a complaint because frankly the sheer and the video did not match.

So that left me appeased as at least the horse didna good job!

The SJ seemed enormous but Lexi stormed round clear which was very pleasing!

We set off xc well although I found reverting back to a snaffle for this phase made my brakes a little too good. A small check made her compress too much really.

We had a disappointing stop at a little log on a hill where I took my leg off and another at our hated dragon. Overall I felt fairly pleased as she did give me a better feeling.

A BCA disaster, and a nearly there Offchurch and Tweseldown

I havn't written for a while because truth be told I was fed up.

We went to BCA and Lexi did a good test for 30.3. However the showjumping phase was big and our nerves failed us. We went home on a big fat E.

Enough was enough. Back to basics. I dropped my offchurch bury entry down to 80cm because
I just wanted a nice day. I was getting sick of walking xc courses I didn't end up riding and sick of wondering if it was going to be a nice day whilst plaiting.

At a fair trek away I'd never been to Offchurch Bury but it was an easy drive and a beautiful venue. Lexi warmed up quite nicely for the dressage although she didn't feel entirely connected from the leg to hand. My downwards transitions were both rubbish but beyond that I felt it was a decent test.

I almost fainted when I saw my score.

A WHAT?! A 22.8?! Okay maybe an 80 but the judge clearly wasn't an let's encourage the lower levels with the score comparison.

No pressure then going SJ...

This was the first time competing and second time jumping in Lexi's new flower hackamore. Warming up, I wasn't convinced I had brakes but she was forward and she needs to learn to go more
Forward into a fence so for now it seems to be working.

She did a lovely, easy clear which was just the confidence boost I needed. Even if they were building tiny, she took me into everything which was just what we needed.

Then I had the debate. Do I try the hackamore xc? I havnt jumped her in s bit in ages albeit a Dr Cooks bitless not the flower hackamore. I wasn't sure I'd have brakes. But equally I would always wonder otherwise...and best to test it at 80 (even if for the one And only time at a BE event that I'll ever be in the lead by 4 points on a 22.8)

I decided to try. And I wish I hadn't. She set off spooky and I found it very very difficult to steer in the hackamore. Finally at fence 5 the inevitable happened. She spooked at people on the corner and I couldn't steer her properly and we had a stop.

Well that sucks.

She did settle after a few more fences and finished boldly, bang on the optimum time even with a stop (she's a bit too quick for grassroots 😳)

Almost but not quite. Our dressage still saw us to be 13th which shows how good her dressage was.

Tweseldown report will come!