After a hard-core flat lesson the week before, to make up for my lack of facilities, it was a relief to finally get in the warm up ring and do some training! The week before the event didn't fill me with confidence; Ceilidh was having to be ridden before school, in the cold, brisk wind - the two things she hates the most. After coming out of her stable, she was very excited to come out and let's just say I was left with a few bruises and strains. However, I finally managed to complete my first ride after school of the year, where she hardly spooked at all. I take all of this with a pinch of salt seeing is she is in a stable at this time of year (and she's 5, a thoroughbred, and a chestnut mare...).
So, with my reservations aside, I plaited up the night before and left her mane smelling of John Freida hairspray with the top half of her mane resembling golf balls (more mane taming needed I think!). Mum had to rush back in to work to get the test sheets because I didn't learn them (even if I did I didn't trust myself that I knew them)! Everything was going smoothly until I saw the weather forecast. Never one to tolerate British storms, I am convinced Ceilidh put her ears back when I showed her. You can tell it's a bad weather day when the background on the BBC weather app is all in all, black. Guess who's test was at 9:12 and 10:09...
So we braved the weather and loaded up and had a fairly uneventful time of it all. This is where the fun starts. Having warmed up inside on a clear, bright winter's day last time, this time, in the howling gales and pouring rain, the albeit beautiful but very exposed international arena was prepared for us to warm up in. The first five minutes of my warm up normally consists of some walk half transitions, but it consisted more of "WHOA, CEILIDH!" "CEILIDH DON'T SPOOK INTO THEM!" "CEILIDH, THAT'S A BELL. YOU DON'T NEED TO SPOOK AT THAT!" and so on. I quickly tired her out by putting her on a small circle, away from the others and trotting her, rather aimlessly until she listened. It worked beautifully until an innocent horse who my cheeky mare had decided was her arch nemesis, came through the circle. Cue head up and ears flat back.
We went into our first test with low hopes as she spooked at the horses in the field. However, the judge was very accommodating and clearly gave us the best chance of having a good experience, by asking us to trot through the puddle at the bottom of the school by her box. The bell sounded, Ceilidh didn't jump (thank goodness) and I went down the centre line. Before I tracked right, I was asked to stop. Whoops. Luckily, it was just kind advice; recommending that I started again by riding outside the school to do my centre line. It was quite hard to decipher what to do because the boards were right up against the fence HCM side, so you couldn't ride around the school. So, I started again, but this time my clever youngster decided to be a smarty pants. As I pushed her forwards down the centre line, she broke into canter!! Canter is not a requirement at intro!!
Luckily, the rest of the test was better, despite some sideways glances at the horse walker. I saluted, before rushing back to the horse box to get in the dry.
My second test followed the same routine, except this time she was much less tense in the warm up, except she was tiring. As I did my second centre line, she cantered again!!! Why can't I ride a centre line!! In my defence, a horse kicked a box in the lorry park...right?
The rest of the trot work in the test was much improved, but unfortunately the canter was a little rushed and flustered. I put it down to a lack of practice and facilities, as well as a few other green spooks due to the weather, but it did bring us down to a score of 60%. However, In the intro, we got a score of 66.3% and a 4th, with a BD qualifying ticket!
The rest of the trot work in the test was much improved, but unfortunately the canter was a little rushed and flustered. I put it down to a lack of practice and facilities, as well as a few other green spooks due to the weather, but it did bring us down to a score of 60%. However, In the intro, we got a score of 66.3% and a 4th, with a BD qualifying ticket!
All in all, I was very glad that Sparsholt let us warm up outside - i think we are now half way to relieving Ceilidh's spookiness in the British weather! Fortunately the event was run to time, so we got away by 11:30, following a nice bacon bap, of course. The stars of the day were really the volunteers who run the event, and my mum for staying out in the rain all day to make sure everything went smoothly! I'm very lucky to have a (mostly!) well behaved horse, and I'm very excited to improve on our dressage scores. Our next steps are some PC dressage (including Dengie Qualifiers!) and teaching her to jump! Will keep you all updated.
If you managed to read all of that, you deserve a prize. 👌
Ella
If you managed to read all of that, you deserve a prize. 👌
Ella