Flying High

 No rest for the wicked!! Isn't that what they say? Not that I reckon I'd get any sympathy, it's all self afflicted. But if you're going to set goals, you have to put the work in to get there. It doesn't just happen with a click of the fingers (although if you've money you can speed up the process 😉).

My current goal is to do the RDS amateur qualifier in Galway the May bank holiday. Now pre Seamus, it was a kind of a pie in the sky, sure we'll give it a lash maybe, job. But things don't work like that with him. I had briefly mentioned the amateurs and that is now what we're geared towards.

Initially when we started lessons, he had to completely change how I rode CC for jumping. He was too much in my hand which as Seamus says, is all for me. I need to get him more forward and let him attack the jumps. Now this makes complete sense, but it's hard as hell to change a habit. What's worse is half the time I don't even realise I'm doing it. As well as that I needed a bigger canter with him. If we were going to ever attempt bigger tracks he needed power under him to be able to get over them. So all in all it's been a work in progress, for the two of us.

If you're new to our journey, CC has had no experience of good riders jumping him. I bought him as an unbroken 4 year old. Bar 3 weeks of work with a professional and a few times I got my friend Matty to ride him for me, it's all been me. And I ain't no showjumper. So poor CC has had a tough learning time.

I had a lesson booked for Wednesday morning for myself & Amanda with Seamus. We'd decided we needed to start jumping 1.10, sounded grand when I was booking the lesson.

I left CC off till Tuesday night and brought him for a nice hack down the road. Beautiful sunset. We're working on relaxation at the moment so I'm trying to ride him with a long rein and use my body to speed him up/slow him down (rather than hands on the reins).


Wednesday morning we rocked up to Creagh Equestrian Centre for our lesson. There was a course up. I laughed to myself, god they look big, then got tacked up. For some reason my confidence was shady that morning. I really was not feeling it .
Seamus said if we're going for amateurs we have to up our game now so that we can work on it as time is running out. He put that course down, by a smidgeon. Gulp. Amanda went first. He warmed her up in the warm up, over mahoosive jumps and then she went in. Herself and Carter absolutely flew it. They actually look like a partnership you'd see on the telly at big shows.

Watching Amanda and Carter

Nervous as hell

Next up was ourselves. I was feeling very green, and by green I mean I may see my breakfast again. I had no reason to feel any way nervous, he hadn't given me any reason to lose confidence. But ya know, the psychology of it all you just never know when you won't be feeling it. I told Seamus I wasn't feeling it and he said to see how I was after the warm up. I was still iffy. He said well if it starts to go pear shaped he'll put them down.

Seamus promising me he wouldn't kill me!!

We warmed up in the warm up arena. Starting with a cross bar and working our way up. The warm up went well. I was so focused on doing things correctly I didn't really notice the heights. I was starting to feel better, but I was still nervous. We jumped so big in the warm up that the actual course didn't look so big, but still, I'm nervous.
Now, really, I have no reason to be nervous, except for my over thinking.......imagine a blonde over thinking!! CC has never done any dirty stops or thrown me and I've never fallen off showjumping with him, but psychology is a wonderfully complicated thing, isn't it?

Start easy, ' Ok, I can do this'

A little bigger, still grand.....

Flying high

I'm even getting into position!!

Those back legs!!

Seamus is by no means a small man,,,,,,

It's show time. I went in to the ring. I began to canter around for fence one and honestly thought I might just stop. But I didn't want to let him down and said I better at least try.  Not gonna lie, I didn't really *try* to jump no. 1, but CC did it regardless. No. 2 was a bit messy because, again, I didn't try properly. But again he jumped it.  That kicked my ass into gear.  Right, we are doing this. Better do it right so. And we kept going and flew them all. Flew over no. 7. All that was left was no. 8, the double. Truthfully, I thought about just finishing there and being happy, but I thought Seamus would kill me so I better keep going!! I did mess it up a bit, we got 2 strides in a 1 stride but he still cleared them!!

Said jump no. 2..........

What a face!!

When I actually rode properly

The last one before the double.......I could give up now.....

The Double

That feeling when you actually did it!!

Some tips to improve

The feeling coming out of that round of jumping was amazing. I was on cloud 9. CC was absolutely strutting around. It was nothing to him. He was just like, yeah whatevs, I love jumping. Now, it was not a perfect round, by any means, so naturally we didn't get away with just jumping that. Sure what would ya learn from that?! We chilled for a bit, while Amanda went for Round 2. Then it was our turn again. As before, we warmed up in the warm up over some mahoosive jumps. They were so big that the ones in the ring looked graaaaannnndddd. This time I had focus. Right, I need the big canter, I need to keep my leg on at the jump to support him, I need to not pull the reins, oh and breathe!!
The second round went way better, I was focused and we powered over the jumps. He literally sailed over some of them.

Focused and determined

He wasn't going to hit it

I think I actually stayed in the air, because I could not come down from Cloud 9!!!!!! Smiling from ear to ear. I may not have won the national lottery but I certainly won the horse lottery!!
WHAT. A. LEGEND.

Cloud 9 folks

The Lowdown

Evidence of how big it was

When you're happy and you know it........

#TheDude

PS..... the jumps weren't 1.10. They were 1 bloody 15!! Highest I have ever jumped with CC or ever in my life!! #SweetHolyJesus


All photographs by Paul Henson Photography, www.paulhensonphotography.com