Lucyad
29th Jun 2008, 10:28 PM
Had a great day out at the weekend, cross country and SJ.
Before I went cross country, I am on record as saying I would love to win, but would be even more pleased to be too fast! (we are always too slow). So was delighted to get 5th on 12 seconds UNDER time! Assisted, of course, by my decision to leave the conventional course and go through some trees of approximately 13,2hh on my full up 16,3hh beastie!
On to SJ - watched the lovely Nookiebear ably ridden by Lizayr take 2nd in the 65cm - an absolutely lovely horse - just my type - then they ran a 75cm class which we did, but with loads of clear rounds bumped it up to 1m for the jump off. We got a nice clear, but so did about 15 others.....Very twisty jump off course, everyone tried to get good turns, so when I jumped, there were only slow clears - everyone who had tried to get inside the jumps had had refusals or run outs. We managed the turns, knocked one down, and got so flustered I ended up going the wrong way and circling.....still was fast enough to a. would have been second if I was clear, and b. fastest faulter, so 5th place. I would love to have known the time if we had actually stayed on course!
So delighted, as my horse is not the fastest at all - very laid back lazy boy! Placings dont matter so much as knowing he has it in him to beat the faster, smaller finer horses.
Here are some pics. They are terrible quality, I'm afraid, but OH was experimenting with taking quick ssuccession pics, which though not the best in terms of focus or resolution, are very useful for me to see - professional photographers in particular always focus on the most photogenic phase of the jump, when I think we look OK. However the pics taken show that I am absolutely TERRIBLE at dropping contact 1 stride out, and i basically maintain a jumping position throughout the full jump off. I know I do it - for some reason my default 'go faster' position is 'throw the reins at your horse and tuck up his neck, therefore making yourself more aerodynamic' (yes a whole lot of good on a clydesdale cross elephant that I look like a dwarf on!) I need some serious tips / shouting at / stick up my jumper attached to saddle/hat. Anyway, here are a few in all of their awful glory......
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280301.jpg
last jump in first round.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280366.jpg
The mad turn that would have won the class, had I a. cleared the bloody jump.....and b. hadnt got so flustered that I went the wrong way later....we had jumped the white and green in the background and turned inside the last part of a double (blue and green) to jump at an angle from 1 stride. No-one else who tried got over the jump. We got...er....through it.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280377.jpg
Look, no strings!!!!!
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280381.jpg
TURN!!!! (Into a double..)
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280406.jpg
..and finished....
Sorry, no cross country pics yet - OH took vids, and they are like 1 billion megabites (or whatever they are called these days...), and I am a little moving speck of about 2 pixels.....will post professional pics, all of which will be carefully timed to make us look fabulous, as soon as they are available.
Any criteque, even if just 'SIT UP YOU STUPID WOMAN!!!' gratefuly accepted, I do not take offence, and if enough people shout at me it might sink deep enough into my subconcious!
and now the best bit....(for those that know me)......guess who towed to the show??????
:D:D
Before I went cross country, I am on record as saying I would love to win, but would be even more pleased to be too fast! (we are always too slow). So was delighted to get 5th on 12 seconds UNDER time! Assisted, of course, by my decision to leave the conventional course and go through some trees of approximately 13,2hh on my full up 16,3hh beastie!
On to SJ - watched the lovely Nookiebear ably ridden by Lizayr take 2nd in the 65cm - an absolutely lovely horse - just my type - then they ran a 75cm class which we did, but with loads of clear rounds bumped it up to 1m for the jump off. We got a nice clear, but so did about 15 others.....Very twisty jump off course, everyone tried to get good turns, so when I jumped, there were only slow clears - everyone who had tried to get inside the jumps had had refusals or run outs. We managed the turns, knocked one down, and got so flustered I ended up going the wrong way and circling.....still was fast enough to a. would have been second if I was clear, and b. fastest faulter, so 5th place. I would love to have known the time if we had actually stayed on course!
So delighted, as my horse is not the fastest at all - very laid back lazy boy! Placings dont matter so much as knowing he has it in him to beat the faster, smaller finer horses.
Here are some pics. They are terrible quality, I'm afraid, but OH was experimenting with taking quick ssuccession pics, which though not the best in terms of focus or resolution, are very useful for me to see - professional photographers in particular always focus on the most photogenic phase of the jump, when I think we look OK. However the pics taken show that I am absolutely TERRIBLE at dropping contact 1 stride out, and i basically maintain a jumping position throughout the full jump off. I know I do it - for some reason my default 'go faster' position is 'throw the reins at your horse and tuck up his neck, therefore making yourself more aerodynamic' (yes a whole lot of good on a clydesdale cross elephant that I look like a dwarf on!) I need some serious tips / shouting at / stick up my jumper attached to saddle/hat. Anyway, here are a few in all of their awful glory......
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280301.jpg
last jump in first round.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280366.jpg
The mad turn that would have won the class, had I a. cleared the bloody jump.....and b. hadnt got so flustered that I went the wrong way later....we had jumped the white and green in the background and turned inside the last part of a double (blue and green) to jump at an angle from 1 stride. No-one else who tried got over the jump. We got...er....through it.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280377.jpg
Look, no strings!!!!!
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280381.jpg
TURN!!!! (Into a double..)
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/lucyad/P6280406.jpg
..and finished....
Sorry, no cross country pics yet - OH took vids, and they are like 1 billion megabites (or whatever they are called these days...), and I am a little moving speck of about 2 pixels.....will post professional pics, all of which will be carefully timed to make us look fabulous, as soon as they are available.
Any criteque, even if just 'SIT UP YOU STUPID WOMAN!!!' gratefuly accepted, I do not take offence, and if enough people shout at me it might sink deep enough into my subconcious!
and now the best bit....(for those that know me)......guess who towed to the show??????
:D:D