2023: A Review
Hi There!
It’s been a while! How have you all been? I don’t know why I haven’t written in ages, I miss writing. I guess like everything, it’s time, motivation and energy? That’s what the pandemic and lockdowns taught us. We all had time on our hands but things didn’t always get done, because motivation and energy are just as important. But anyway, enough about that, back to horses!
(I wrote this BEFORE the Christmas break and still didn’t
manage to get it out!!)
January
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| Rainy sunshine |
Zero excitement really. The usual craic, mucking out, darkness, and trying to ride when I can. Brushing off the mud just where the tack hits and all of us generally looking haggard and weather beaten.
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| Hacking out |
February
Kicked off the month with a climb up Cuilcagh, Stairway to Heaven, to watch the sunrise with my friend Caroline. It was baltic, but dry and my god was it tough going for a novice like myself, but boy was it worth it. We promised to do more of this in 2023. Spoiler alert. We did not…..
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| Selfie at the top |
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| The last few steps |
Again, nothing exciting with the horses. Just riding as much
as I could in the mornings. I earmarked a dressage competition in March for
Fred, so we were working towards that.
March
Fred kicked off our competitive year with a return to
dressage. I had forgotten how tough dressage really is. I was nervous that I’d
forget my tests. I managed to remember them and we had a lovely spin around. He
and I were certainly not fit enough for proper dressage, but it was so nice to
get back to it.
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| Fred & I after dressage |
The following week, after a morning of dramatics myself and Cu Chulainn headed off to go jumping in Glenamaddy at the Winter Stars Tour. The morning dramatics were the boys escaping their field into the field behind which was mahoosive and had only one gate, which was at the other end. When I eventually caught them I had to bring them home via the road for 2km……..the joys.
Cu Chulainn made up for his morning behaviour by being an
absolute star bar in jumping. We just did the two smallest classes because we’d
only had our first jump since September the weekend before! He was double clear
and a little faster than I may have wanted in our second class! We also met for
the first time the lovely Aoileann who has been my SJ buddy all year!
I took the plunge and rejoined Showjumping Ireland (SJI).
This was going to be the year for our full return to showjumping. I went to
Glenamaddy again to one of their league shows before the end of the month. I
got up on him too early though and he got antsy and agitated so our rounds were
a little bit tense and out of whack. Got to close to the one on the 90cm round
and knocked it. Still a good start to our return.
April
Annoyingly there is nowhere near to me doing SJI currently, years ago there was a choice of where to go. I decided to head down to Duffy’s in Claregalway as they always have nice courses and are so nice down there. We did a few weeks of the league and my confidence grew.
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| The best view |
I went back to Seamus for lessons once I had a few weeks
under my belt of jumping. I didn’t want to go back too fresh. The lesson went
really well and I was feeling more confident. But then I went to the
competition and focused too much on being relaxed and ended up with no leg on
at all, which made Cu Chulainn a bit confused, do you want me to jump or not
like??
He gave himself a nice little cut just along the foot which took a while to heal, so that put us off games for a little while.
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| Fred looking well |
May
I finished out the league and got a little bit too excited in the final and taking turns and ended up testing the ground. Nothing like horses to bring you back to earth with a bang! We did come second though in the other class.
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| Second place selfie |
We popped in to Athenry ag show to do some in hand showing and then headed over to Duffy’s for the amateur class. He won in Athenry and got a nice frilly. We got a lovely clear in the first round and got through to the jump off. Unfortunately, I completely psyched myself out and it fell to pieces in the jump off. It was my first one in years, so I didn’t mind too much.
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| First place selfie |
June
I had a lesson in which I fell off THREE times. I didn’t
hurt myself, but I fell off so easily, like a beginner. I think I figured out
what it was afterwards. I had started doing a lot more gym classes – to get
fitter and stronger – but it ended up hampering me. All the squats and what not
that we were doing meant that my quads got bigger and my calves did not. I
couldn’t grip with my lower legs and my heels kept coming up, which meant I was
losing my stirrups or fighting to keep them. Heading towards a related distance
when you are fighting with your feet for your stirrups is not a great feeling
and didn’t give me the most confidence which filtered down to Cu Chulainn.
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| Practice, practice, practice |
Our first show of the month was Headford on grass. Although
I ride on grass all the time I think it was a bit much to jump on it without
the shoes. It was a bit slippy and I was probably overthinking it (shocker!)
which led to me getting tense and as a result him. We still came 3rd
in the amateur class which was great.
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| Yay rosette |
Next up was Duffy’s again. I had started using a whip with
Cu Chulainn since my last lesson and really it was unnecessary. He doesn’t need
it and I was using it as a crutch instead of using my legs. I had one down in
the 1m and then it was my first 1.10 and again, I psyched myself out and let it
all go a bit hairy.
Fred, although not competing is doing brilliantly and
feeling great. We tip along doing our lateral work to keep him in good shape
and feeling good.
June also brought two new kittens to the squad, Bert and Ernie, two brothers, black with slight differences and totally adorable.
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| Bert & Ernie |
July
Our next outing was Duffy’s again, but it was the National
Amateur competition. I completely redeemed myself and went double clear in both
classes and managed a 3rd in one of them! I didn’t go hell for
leather on my jump off, but tried to get as good turns as I could. I was on
cloud 9. He was such a star. When I get my sh*t together he can do it, it’s
just me that trips us up. But shur lookit, aren’t we all just trying out best?
We finished out July by heading up to Cavan. A place I
hadn’t been since a disastrous weekend at the amateurs in 2019. Disastrous
might be a tad dramatic. There were no falls or big issues, but it really
knocked my confidence for a while. So, on my new found run of confidence, I
decided to head up. Just for the one day because I wasn’t that interested in
the competitions on the Sunday and honestly, who can afford two days at a
competition now. I arrived just in time to see Aoileann do her round of the competition
I had entered. God I thought, she’s really flying it in her first round, maybe
she’s testing him out? Oh no Aisling, it’s just that you are a dope and
actually entered a one round speed class, thinking it was a welcome stakes.
Ooops. There’s was nothing for it but to go in and give it socks. He totally
flew it and took tighter turns then I had intended (who’s driving the bus
here??). We ended up in 4th! They only placed 1st to 3rd
unfortunately. We had a nice little break till our next class. So myself and
Rusty watched other jumpers with the girls until it was time to learn our
course. He jumped a class clear and we were into the jump off. I studied the
course and decided on my route for it but didn’t realise that they were
actually taking out jumps that I was going to go around, which messed with my
head (honestly, anything can set you off when you’re a nervous nelly) and put
me off a bit. I ended up cutting it too tight to a double and we had it down
but still managed a decent time to come 10th. A great turnaround
from our last performance in Cavan. Big smiles all the way home.
August
The August bank holiday brought a new horse to the team.
Annaghbeg Misneach, a yearling sport horse filly, finally arrived. The poor
thing only left her mother and herd for the first time when she came to me. She
travelled so well. The introductions were tricky. Cu Chulainn was fine, Fred
less so. As head of the herd it takes him a while to let in new horses and it
had been just the two of them for so long.
I just went for the one day to the Dublin Horse Show this
year, but it didn’t disappoint. Saw and did loads and met loads of people. That
Sunday then I brought the two boys to the Tullamore Show. They didn’t have online entries as normal so
everyone had to queue up in the morning. It was a mess and by the time I got
entered it was getting close to my first class. Fred was a delight in the
lightweight hunter, he just loves that kind of thing. Unfortunately the judges
didn’t think he was a lightweight. Cu Chulainn expressed to me how much he
hates showing and no he had not had a change of heart as he has matured. So,
yeah that didn’t go well. I was planning on doing the working hunter, but it
was going to be hours so I packed up and left. Write it off.
Myself and Fred headed off down south to go glamping with my
horsey ladies to the Munny Trail in Wicklow. I brought Fred because I knew he’d
love the getaway and you don’t have to jump, because he doesn’t jump anymore.
Also Cu Chulainn had done enough work over the summer and deserved the break. Fred
had an absolute ball and was such a good boy. He even gave a quick spin to
Tracey who is no longer riding. We were out for hours on the trails, up and
down big hills, all sorts of different terrain. It was great and we got good
weather!
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| The best boy |
Back to the jumping again. This time we returned to
Glenamaddy for an amateur class in their league and I entered the 1.10 too. But
then the classes were running very late and the more time I had to think the
more I thought 1.10 is a bit much after a month away from jumping, so I changed
it to the 1m. Thankfully I did as we had a little miscommunication which
resulted in a stop, at the very last fence… The amateur class went better and
we got through to the jump off. I got too close to a double again and then
didn’t support for another jump where he stopped. Pat on the back for him,
whack on the back for me.
Fast forward to Duffy’s the following week and I did the
same stupid mistake, and not just once! I fell off in the warm up AND the
competition. What a shmuck. I was really just not riding properly at all. I
gave myself a little kick up the arse and when I went back in I actually rode
him correctly. We’d a lovely double clear and although not fast we were in the
placings for a good while. I didn’t care once I was able to say I rode
properly.
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| The herd |
September
I had a lesson with Seamus working on jump offs, angles,
turns etc. It was a great lesson and Cu Chulainn was awesome. I qualified for
the Farmers Journal final in Mullingar but I wasn’t sure about going. When I
looked at classes there wasn’t a great selection for me and to be honest, it’s
one of those venues that I don’t particularly enjoy.
I decided not to go as I had the Munster indoor amateur show
and Cavan amateur show coming up and then we would finish off and he would have
a nice little holiday for himself. Well, he had other ideas. He went lame, not
very lame but enough for no jumping. His holidays came early and that was our
season over.
He’s back in work now, although I can’t really call it work
because it’s just whenever I have daylight and weather on my side that I can
ride. Fred is the same. They are furry and rugged and happy out, showing
Misneach the ropes.
I tried to do little bits with Misneach throughout
September. Getting her used to putting on the headcollar (yip, it was all new
to her). Walking her in hand by herself. Grooming her. Putting the rug on and off
her – when the dip in temperature came she started to shiver, which was
understandable considering she’d left a big herd and her mammy. So she got
herself her own little rug, which she took to so quickly. She didn’t spook. She
really has taken on everything very well, considering what an upheaval it has
been for her. Even getting hard feed was foreign to her, but it sure didn’t
take her long to cop on to it! She loves her grub!
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| Halter practice |
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| Baby's first rug |
All set for her first competition
October
To be honest from this point on we just tipped along at
home, nothing majorly exciting. That is except for the new arrival to the squad…….
Cuan (Irish for little hound) is a jack Russell terrier
cross and his granny is Rusty’s mother! The two boys are best buds and love
playing and adventuring together. Cuan also loves playing wrestling with the
cats, it’s debatable how much they love it though!!
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| Cu Chulainn landscape |
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| Where's dinner? |
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| Sunset |
December
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| Happy Christmas |
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