I got to ride Beanie for a bit on Friday which was awesome, it's feels so funny getting on a big 16.2 thoroughbred after riding 14.2/3 ponies on weekday mornings.. I felt so high up!
I got a day off Saturday, what a rare surprise! So I spent it easter egg hunting with Frankie baking and watching the racing!
Sunday we took a trip up to Hare Park, the home off Suffolk Polo Club, and took Frankie and Beanie for a ride with a friend of Francesca's. Well all did not go to plan during the handy pony course. Note to self, little Shetlands either step over things, or full on launch themselves into the air. Sadly for Frankie and I, Millie decided that a tractor tyre height was just a bit too big, jumped over it unexpectedly and Frankie bumped her face. Tears ensued. Bar a little bloody lip and some tears she was ok. So after a very lovely Easter Egg hunt, Nina and Frankie went off to play and Georgie and I went for a leisurely stroll. My usual trusty steed Blackbird had already been ridden, but with Jerry's go ahead I jumped on for a walk to show Georgie around.
What a lovely morning we had, but alas we had to be off to walk the cross country course for the following day, so whizzed the horses home put all of our equipment away and off we went to Ely Eventing Centre to walk the 95cm Open course.
There were lot's of challenging fences and questions early on in the course, which was actually pretty twisty turny, without many gallops in. We said it would separate the men from the boys. We had hopes as Beanie had won this class last year, so fingers were crossed.
Nice skinny to pop over
Nice big roll top!
Lovely big expanded water with nice big blue roll top out
We arrived with plenty of time to spare and B was a pleasure to groom and get ready. He was really chilled and seemed to be in a really good place in his head. He grazed and watched the horses warming up across the field
Well, it was not to be G's day. Beanie had a bad experience with a ditch early last year while training and sadly hasn't managed to shake it. Note to self, if a trainer says to take a ditch/rail combination from a stand still after your horse has refused, ignore them! B got stuck half way over and it freaked the poor lad out. It's weird though cause he skips over some ditches no problem, but seems to think there's a horse eating monster in others.
The ditch at fence 3 he jumped over easy peasy, then a slanted palisade then onto another ditch at fence 4 just ten feet or so away. But no - B was having none of it. So we're going to have to readdress this fear and overcome it.
The ground is also really good at Ely due to the peety soil so absolutely no complaints there. It's always really well organised, setting the horses off at a nice even pace, big collecting ring and nice relaxed atmosphere. If you haven't competed there before, i'd really recommend you do. Tina does a great job organising it.
Look up @twittaeventing or #twittereventing on Twitter and Facebook, they always have all the lowdown on up and coming events or @Lt_Downham_Int on twitter.
Despite that B flew round the rest of the course, including a rider frightener big ditch palisade and another ditch with no problems. Here is a video of my footage
Overall we had a lovely day, but at least it gives us something to work on and keep trying at. Hopefully this coming weekend at Horseheath will prove a more successful endeavour
Hopefully see some of you there!
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