Into action......

So after our fantastic lesson, we had to put what we learned into action and to back up what we've been practicing. The weather ended up being crap and a lot of competitions were cancelled that weekend.I had planned on going to Galway to get my last amateur class in. We ended up going to Creagh Equestrian Centre as the jumping was indoors. But the indoor meant a shorter track, with less time to think, the jumps just come at you really fast, which really didn't suit me yet. I needed the big arenas, with lots of time to get his good canter ( and to stop me messing with him before a jump). Indoor arenas had a psychological block for me.
I was tempted to leave the 1.10 and just do the 1m, but Amanda convinced me to give it a go.  A bit of peer pressure to give you the push you need is ok sometimes! Then Seamus turned up, so I could hardly back down now! He was there with some horses and helped us warm up. The 1m went ok, I was pretty lucky really. I didn't ride him forward enough and the jumps just came up so quickly that it really put me off and I couldn't think quick enough. When the jumps went up to 1.10 I didn't think I was nervous of it, but maybe I was. Again, I made mistakes. I didn't ride forward enough and choked him at times. What was annoying was that I made similar mistakes to the 1m but the jumps were too big, he couldn't do it with me choking him. GRrrrrrrrr back to old bloody habits.
I was a bit disappointed if I'm honest. After such a high with the lesson, it was a tough reality not to be able to put it into practice. It just gets really frustrating because it's 99% psychological, I need to get out of my own head. I need to think faster and to help him. We are both well able and capable of these heights, as we showed in the lesson. But when it comes to the pressure of the actual show and not mucking it up, I seem to muck it up.

All tucked up

What a beaut

I still needed one more amateur class to be eligible for the RDS qualifier ( or so I thought, I actually had enough because I'd done some classes last year).  So myself and Rusty headed off to Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre on the following Saturday. It was my first time there as it was closed for a few years and has only reopened recently. It has a big indoor with a small warm up indoor, perfect for crappy winter days. It also has a huge outdoor arena, although that wasn't being used yet. There was loads of parking and it was easily accessible for the people who can't reverse a box (we all know a few). A massive canteen area and loads of seating around the arena. As well as that, all the staff were really nice and helpful, which makes a big difference to your day especially if you are travelling alone. I ended up just doing the amateur class as I still had my ould psychological block about the indoor course.....I want a few more bigger tracks under my belt before I attempt it indoors. I'm still not ready for the speed at which the jumps come at you. We had to wait around a while as there were a good few ponies jumping. When our turn came around, I definitely knew the course! I really attacked the course. I was pee'd off with how I'd ridden the last Sunday, so I went for it. All I could hear was Seamus in my head 'leg, leg' leg' . Unfortunately  I was so focused on doing that, and CC was loving it, but he cut a corner which meant we had very little time before a jump and he knocked it.  But that line came up again later in the jumps and we got it. After we'd completed it the course designer Ossie asked me if I knew why we'd knocked that one and was ready to explain it to me. Then he got me to do some lines again and was really helpful. Delighted with our little outing to Glenamaddy and with how near it we are. Definitely putting it in the diary for again.

The indoor arena with lovely colourful jumps and good fillers

The next day we went back to Creagh Equestrian Centre. It was time to right the wrongs!! I entered the 1m and the 1.10. I went with attack mode again for the 1m and we flew it. I let him take me to the jumps and we went double clear! Whoop!! Unfortunately it was a bit of a wait till the 1.10 and I started to run out of steam. It was a pretty hot day and I didn't drink enough water 😖 even though I did drink some. We went clear in the first round of the 1.10, absolutely delighted!! We were unfortunate to have 1 down in the second. But how far we've come!! 1 down?! Sure that can be luck. Ecstatic with it all. The round video is here 1.10 Creagh Eq Centre

Looking ahead

Clear through the double

Yee haww

Eat my dust

Boing

If you remember a few posts ago, CC qualified for the Northern Ireland Working Hunter festival. This was a bucket list competition for me, as I'd never been to it but had heard about it. The only thing was, the closer it drew, the less interested in it I was. Uckkk, grooming and cleaning and plaiting.......I just want to ride! But alas, we did all the above. Cu Chulainn, Rusty and myself set off early that Sunday morning and got to Cavan Equestrian Centre in no time. I got there in time to see Michael Harty win his Connemara class. I had only entered the 1m class and the morning was starting with some other classes, so I wasn't too panicked. I went up to have a look to see what was on. It was the 90cm class, but apparently a load of people had not declared. The day before had been very wet and the class was on grass, bit of carnage I think and decision was made to move it to the sand.
Queue panic stations now. I walked the course quickly with Rusty and then headed down to plait CC. As well as finishing touches on the grooming. However, I need not have panicked.......we ended up waiting around for ages. I forgot it was showing, always with the waiting 😞To be fair to him, he was pretty chill, but waiting is not his strong point. We eventually got in, last in the class. Last but not least 😁 He warmed up really nicely. Didn't touch a pole. We were ready in no time. Nice and chlil. We flew around the first few, but then had a miscommunication at the double and kind of landed on it. I got left behind at the next jump, but he kept it up. I managed to get myself together for the next two. But then the one after that I remember my brain saying 'leg, leg' but my leg didn't respond. Lucky for me he is so honest and he loves jumping,  because he carried us over that next jump.  Although we didn't go clear, I was still happy and honestly, probably happy we didn't get through!! We just had that second part of the double down. So not too bad. I didn't ride very well, but I wrote it off. Tis only showing sure 😀😄Anyway, not going clear meant we'd get home earlier. I watched some of the 1.10 after and that was absolute carnage. I saw only one person go clear and she nearly fell off on her round. I was half tempted to enter it, as the jumps looked grand.
Our round at the NI Festival

Ain't he pretty?