Another quiet week, lots of schooling, and a jump lesson with the French bloke, he didn't scare me this week so I didn't jump on him...we have an understanding. One the plus front he has some contraption which means dad can come into a big jump and not wave his hands like a conductor!! Also this weekend entries opened for Oasby!!!! Yey!!!

Another quiet week, mostly flat work. Friday and Saturday dad hacked me out and I did show off a bit, but in my defense it is mild and I am verrrry fit!! Had a jumping lesson on Sunday with this Cadre Noire chap which was fun, dad has threatened to take me out arena eventing next weekend but we'll have to see if he does the entering thing..he's still not very organised.

Only a week til entries open, obviously dad still needs to register me but hey early days!!

Ok it's been a very quiet week, Dad has just schooled me mainly in a dressage saddle, euch!! Had a jump on Friday after a long hack out but ground was too hard Sat and Sun to do much of anything. Maybe w'll go out next weekend.......

Well dad had a lesson today but it wasn't a lunge lesson, rather nearly 50 mins without stirrups. Must admit it was better for me not going round in a small circle, though I did feel sorry for dad, as the jump saddle hasn't much padding!!!

The trainer seemed very good, although he did push dad very hard. Used to be at the cadre noire, wherever that is!! Well that's it for me see you soon!!

Happy new year to you all!!. Hard to believe I'm officially 10, I just don't know where the time has gone.
Dad and I are hoping that 2012 will be a good as our first season, well he is getting on a bit.
I haven't enjoyed the wind this week, and then just when it got cold, I was given a number1, and dad had the cheek to say I was sharp!
Anyway that's all from me, I heard dad talk of a lunge lesson this weekend so will report soon....

Well, as some of you know we have had a torrid time in 2011, and my dad had a major confidence failure and almost gave up eventing. So, in the last few hours of the year I thought I'd do a round up and where we are going next year.

Well after Withington Manor, we went to Aston Le Walls and it fell apart a bit. We did a nice dressage test, but in the show jumping I tweaked my back. Dad thought I was being difficult and wasn't too chuffed when I stopped and he went flying. He retired and we went home. After a week of practice we went to Brigstock, again we had a reasonable dressage and we warmed up well, but it was blowing a gale, and in the large arena  the jumps were blowing over. When we went in, dad was worried and quite tense, I was very spooky and on the last combination I freaked at a fallen fence and took off. Dad pointed me at the fence but I hadn't seen it and stopped dead, dad fell heavily onto his shoulder. He didn't let on but I knew he was sore because he had to get help get back on me. We completed the XC with a stop and time. After that dad decided to drop down to BE100, and we had a great run at Shelford finishing 7th with a fast XC time (we were equal 6th but the other chap was slower and was closer to the optimum time). After that dad entered us for Draycott novice, which turned out to be a mistake. For a start the ground was very hard and dad was fretting about it, we jumped tentatively in the show jumping, and had 2 down. Cross country dad was more worried about the ground, and rode like a spanner. We had 2 refusals and dad retired.

After this I didn't see dad for a few days, and I was quite worried about him, he did reappear and we started to work again. He had a large number of lunge lessons over the summer, and gradually his balance improved and his confidence grew. After 4 months of not competing (boy was I bored!!) Towards the end of September dad was missing eventing and entered us  at Brooksby BE100, (we had to go non-competitive due to my points). OMG I was so excited to be out, did an OK dressage and clear show jumping. On the XC dad held me back a bit for the first 6 fences (we hadn't jumped more than 2 solid fences in 4 months!!), but then let me go. We went clear but more importantly both dad and I had a great time.

What turned out to be our final event of the season was Oasby again BE100, (dad entered Norton Disney but was too ill  to take part). We did a smashing dressage and jumped clear. Cross country was fab, and I had a ball. We crossed the finish line, flying and after dad hopped off we heard that we were leading the section! We held the position and ended the day and the season on an all time high.

It was in 2003 at Oasby 2 that dad started eventing so he was on cloud nine. We even got our photo in Equestrian life and Eventing magazine, so,.......... next year who knows???

Dad's Aside....
As you've read it's been quite a year, we ended at a BE100 instead of a CC!*, but still managed to accrue 2 BE points a 7th place and a win!! This year has been character building, but one thing I have taken from this year is the importance of lunge lessons!! They have improved my balance immeasurably and MG jumps so much better when I'm not hanging onto him. So the lesson is this, if it starts to go wrong, go back to the absolute basics!!!

Eland and Withington Manor

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted and quite a lot has happened. Dad and I have been out competing twice, with very different results.

Now Eland has bad memories for dad as he had a bad fall here (before I found him!) and broke both heels and an ankle, and every time he's been there it's been a problem.

So we went with a little bit of nerves, I did a good dressage test, and had a pole down show jumping, and then we moved on to the XC. The first 4 were fine although I did feel dad tense up a bit then we had a sharp left turn to a skinny with a ditch, and dad just froze, I thought he meant stop so went to but then he changed his mind and I had to scrabble over it, only just staying on my feet. Dad was still doing acrobatics in the saddle when we came to the next fence and I just couldn't do it so stopped, imagine my surprise when Dad flew over my head to land on his back on top of the jump. As there were a lot of people about he did a quick bow, got back on board and represented but I could tell he didn't want to continue so we retired. (the official photographer was next to us so it's all captured on the Eland Lodge website!-poor Dad)

The next day we did some jumping as Dad was quite tense about the whole thing. Because the ground is so hard we've not been cross country, just working on relaxing into a jump, a bit of galloping and some flat work, with a view to our next meeting at Withington.

Well it was a long drive down, but we had late times so didn't have to leave too early. We've been here before, last time we'd jumped clear showjumping and were going well XC til my martingale strap came off my stud girth and slapped me in the face, I was so surprised I stopped dead!!!!

Again Dad was a bit tense in the dressage, however we weren't too bad and finished on 39. The show jumping wasn't too big but there  were a couple of lines that ran down hill so Dad had to work hard to hold me. We jumped a clear round so moved on to the XC. Withington is quite a strong track and hilly,

Well we set off quickly and jumped the first 4 with ease, then a bit of a hiccup before no.5 ...Dad had forgotten where it was!!! Once we found it, it was fine and continued round without any problem. The corner came at 8 and was an open corner. Dad slowed me right down until we both saw 3 good strides, and then it was easy as was the related skinny wishing well. We cleared the fence where my martingale unravelled without incidence then over a wall to the water, with consisted of a pallisade, 2 strides to a ski-jump into the water, 5 strides then step 1 stride to an angled skinny log. From here it was only 3 fences, a roll top with a drop a double on 1 stride with a skinny log to finish. We had 8 time penalties, but more importantly it was the best round dad had ridden, he told me where to go (mostly!) and when to take off and if he keeps riding like this there is some hope for him going up a level.

Well, I've got a couple of days off, then working back towards Aston le Walls. Sadly no photos as the official photographer failed to show!