Suffolk Show - A Dream Finally Comes True

Well what a lovely week I picked to have off work, it's been (mainly) nice weather, and i've spent it waking up late, riding horses and of course going to Suffolk Show on Thursday.

So where to start.. 4am on Thursday should do it. Mum and Georgie woke me up at 4am, while i'm sound asleep on the sofa bed at my parents house. I stayed over at theirs rather than driving blurry eyed from mine in Newmarket.

At that time in the morning it was unusually mild, so after putting on jeans and a sweater I made my way outside. Admittedly I was a little sluggish at getting up so Mum and Georgie already had B in with his breakfast and had started plaiting. With that I decided I'd take up the very important job of packing up the car! Important as if I forgot to pack anything, it would be on my head! And like a tetris master I packed that car with 2 saddles, 2 bridles, a girth, all of Georgie's show gear - jackets, shirts, jodhpurs, ties, Georgie's riding hat, my beagler and show ring grooms clothes, boots (that I expertly polished if I do say so myself) and the most important thing... food! 

Then I got to packing up the grooming kit with everything I could ever need. Especially my Smart Grooming products!

At around 5.45am after B had been plaited and polished we loaded him in the trailer and set off towards Ipswich to the Trinity Park showground.

It was a lovely morning, sun out but ever so slightly brisk when the sun hid behind the clouds.

We were parked out the way in a beautiful spot near some shady trees and parked just a row from Tim Stockdale and John Whitaker by the looks of their enormous lorries.  We made our way off to get Georgie's number and see what was going on. We'd never actually been to a show this big before and had always dreamed of winning at County level. We've done Great Gransden show in Cambridgeshire, and Wayland Show in Norfolk which are quite large, but compared to Suffolk County Show they're about 1/3 of the size. 

B was quite on his toes so we tacked him up and took him for a walk to take in the busy bustling surroundings and chill out.  After about 15 minutes of schooling with G, Beanie soon realised he needed to behave and calmed down. He got back to the box thinking he was done for the day! 

Mum, Georgie and I had time for a quick cup of tea and some food before it was all hands on deck.

We first studded B's back shoes as, although the ground wasn't too hard, there was a lot of slippery grass coverage so to make sure we had no slipping in the ring, it was the best thing to do.

A little bit of sprucing and his quarter marks done - which shone beautifully in the sun, Georgie got herself ready, I tacked up Beanie in his lovely showing saddle and double bridle and he was all set.

Ready to go I legged G up and off we went to find our ring and take it all in.

The walk was a little way but we got a good look at the Working Hunter ring where Georgie would be doing her ROR Challenge class later in the day and arrived at the warm up arena - It was packed with show horses and in the other half some of the best show jumpers in the UK by the height of the warm up fences. They were enormous!

With the show running like clockwork the stewards ushered everyone into the Trinity Ring (The second main ring) for the Retraining of Racehorses & Tattersalls Show Series class. There were approximately 15 horses in the class, and nearly all of them were very excited and on their toes.

Now, I know I am biased but to Beanie's credit he was a superstar in the ring. The vast majority of horses were jogging, mini rearing, going sideways or otherwise not doing what they were told to. There were also horses everywhere - overtaking, cutting people up or trying to get in front of the judge but to Georgie's credit she used her corners, didn't cut anyone up and just kept out the way on her own and it obviously paid off. One small hiccup of B lunging forward when asked to canter coincided with a chainsaw demonstration starting, but a split second after he was back cantering fluidly.

It came time for the judges to call people into the lineup. Georgie was pulled into 4th and I made my way into the ring to help.

I did a little faffing removing B's slobber, getting a bit of sweat off and lengthened stirrups ready for the ride judge.

We all stood patiently watching as the first 3 horses were ridden. Then came the moment of truth and the ride Judge got on. With our hearts in our mouth we watched..

I don't know who was more nervous Georgie or me as we stood internally wishing B to be a good lad we know he is and not let the atmosphere get too much, but to his credit he was a sweetheart. He did everything asked of him, transitioned smoothly and came back foot perfect. 

I then quickly stripped him of his saddle and he was presented to the conformation judge. He stood quietly and square, then Georgie walked him away a generous length to allow for a nice long trot back the judge. He trotted impeccably and back around into the lineup. 

Now we just had to wait and hope for the best.. We had some spaces to move up if we were to win, three in fact so we just hoped we'd done enough.

After much deliberation while the horses stood up (well, some did, not the fidgeting horse doing it's best to reverse into Beanie) we were utterly gobsmacked to see Georgie had been pulled in first! 

She'd only gone and won it! Our first ever county level show and she'd won it!!

I don't think anyone could have wiped the beaming smile off my face for anything! All of us put some much time and love into Beanie it's so rewarding for it to pay off when it really matters!

We don't have our own school, or a big fancy lorry.. we're just humble amateurs who try really hard!

I am so proud of how far Georgie has come since last season! And now they're a county show winning pair! Hooray!

We walked back to the trailer to mainly smiles and hugs! We untacked B and let him eat. He didn't look like a show pony stood plated at the trailer, more like a pony club pony eating his way round the grass as far as his rope would reach. He's a funny little character that boy!

Georgie even bumped into John Whitaker and had a brief chat with him about her win and what he was doing for the day. He was a childhood legend so to meet him was very cool!

Our day wasn't over yet as Georgie still had the Challenge class to come. So after a brief lunch, a change of saddle and bridle we headed to the Working Hunter ring to walk the course and rewarm up. 

The jumps we're quite generous but not too big. Georgie headed into the ring to try and jump clear. Alas it was not to be and she had an unlucky pole, but the round as a whole was smooth and not rushed. 

My friend Michael from Lens & Hound Photography  popped over to see us and captures some lovely pictures - 

All the horses popped back into the ring for the show and conformation trot up. Georgie's show was a little too long and with a driven buggy zooming past it did just catch B and made him spook slightly but after earlier we weren't too unhappy. 

He was pulled into 4th place, but he was a good boy throughout. It was only our second Challenge class ever, so we definitely will be doing more and working on them going forward

Our whole experience of the Suffolk County show was a positive one. Everyone we encountered was friendly and kind. The stewards, the judges, even other competitors (which isn't always the case) so we drove home happy and smiling. We will absolutely be going again next year. So now just one month until the ROR final at Hickstead Derby Day, can we repeat Thursday's win and get another dream ticked off?

We shall see....

Until next time..

Sophie x

Challenge schooling with Mia Palles-Clark

What a lovely sunny weekend, it really is starting to feel like summer. Yesterday we had an impromptu lesson over in Chippenham at Oaklands with instructor Mia Palles-Clark and it turned out great.

For a couple of weeks now Georgie and I have been discussing this years show season and with B doing so well at his jumping we decided that a good thing to do more of this season is the ROR Challenge classes, as well as continuing to do some ridden showing classes, just not as many perhaps.

We got to Oaklands and got B ready and had a quick cup of tea before the lesson. Frankie came along with us and had a lovely time watching, patting dogs and eating cake Grandma made that morning. 

Frankie had a bit of a soft spot for Mia's dog Milo. They had plenty of cuddles while watching her Mum.

The lesson was to take place in an outdoor paddock school rather than a surface school, over a variety of rustic working hunter type fences which were a nice full up 90cm.

After a little warming up, schooling started testing the horses jumping over a smaller box roll top which B flew over giving an extra 2 foot or so of air. He was very pleased to be working, even after a long ride out Friday down the Roman road. He's so fit at the moment and is thriving on work.

Once all the horses and riders abilities had been viewed by Mia over the warm up fence, she then asked everyone to take it in turns to come over the back of the paddock to jump a set of upright fenced made into a double. 

Annoyingly, B's enthusiasm to jump everything like a professional show jumper meant he rushed into the double, flew the first part, but by jumping it so big meant he landed in the middle of a stride and he got a bit too deep into the second part and knocked down the top pole. 

But that meant Mia could now start giving Georgie things to work on to stop him rushing. E.g. Looking for the fence earlier, this allowing B to focus further away on what jump he's being asked to do, which in turn meant he could lock on and focus earlier without rushing. 

G came round a second time and with more focus and control he cleared both parts perfectly.

Above Mia gives Georgie advise on using her hands to bring B's head up and stop him pulling so he can see the fence earlier out.

Once everyone had jumped the double and given advise, it was time to focus on learning and linking combinations.

First over a smaller upright, round a slightly right corner to a skinny rustic upright.

B flew these beautifully and with Mia's advise about looking to the fence earlier on and using her hands to get B's head up he saw the fence earlier and popped over it no problem.

All was going well, so round the red upright, over the skinny again and onward to this wide oxer.

One thing Beanie is definitely not lacking in is scope and be flew over this no problem.

Now, saying that, B was evidentially having a lot of fun and with the standing waiting for other horses he just started to loose focus and when presented with this  big spread oxer, he rushed again and knocked the front part with his front legs.

Frustratingly G was about to come round the represent B at it hoping to clear it, only for another member of the group falling off into the fence, when their horse refused and demolished it. Subsequently it was not put back up to how it was (photo below) so we didn't get to cross the t and dot the i on this fence which Georgie would have liked to. We all know it's best to finish a fence you've knocked down previously, clear so as to set it in the horses head that was what you wanted them to do, but with group lessons you have to go with the flow.

After another wait while a fence was rebuilt after being completely knocked down plants and all, by a second fall from aforementioned rider in the group, G set up to see how B would go and hope he hadn't switched off. 

First jumping the upright, to the skinny with plants above, over the oxer, then came round to the middle section of the original filled oxer on it's own - 

Fine so far.. round along the long side over two large uprights with a white pole over hedges and flew them.

Then steady up round the corner to get straight at the upright skinny arrowhead and round to the oxer. Fine over these..

Then, dammit...

Annoyingly, we've seen before B struggles with focus in group lessons. He's a bit of a lone wolf when competing as he naps. We've all had it, horses are in the end, pack animals and he was naughty and ran out napping to the horse  directly next to the fence..

After some words of annoyance to B he soon realised he had been a little sod and sorted himself out. Mia advised Georgie on what she needed to do and she represented to the fence.

No horses next to it, no problem! Perfect position, perfect strode.. Spot on.

Finishing off the lesson on a good note.

It's frustrating when little things you think you should have pre-empted happen but that's lessons. Lessons are just that, learning from your mistakes and changing them for the better.

I know Georgie is pleased with how he went overall and will be much more focused on being aware of these things before they happen. No letting him rush at jumps (easier said than done with a horse as strong as B) and no horses next to jumps when jumping!

I have to say, I am really proud of Georgie lately after both her lessons with Russell at Centaur Biomechanics and then yesterday with Mia. She has listened carefully to their advise and her riding has improved dramatically. Her hands and position when schooling are now ten times enter than they were! And B goes better because of it.

And jumping, she listened to what she was told yesterday, took it on board and used it. Yes, she had 2 hiccups with a that run out and a couple of poles down through exuberance. I know for certain Georgie will learn from that.. and the poles. Well, that comes down to Beanies enthusiasm. He has oodles of it and he enjoys himself so much, but Georgie just needs to keep a check on that and not let him run at fences and bring him back onto his hocks and listening to her when being presented with fences. 

It's all about learning and molding your horses into something better with that knowledge you've gained.

I hope you had a lovely weekend with your horses too!

We have a busy long weekend next weekend so until my next post, have a good week!

Sophie x