So at the Beaumont Derby they had a little stadium course at the beginning, and then you did the cross country part, and at the Alhambra derby they had stadium jumps mixed right into the cross country course! I wasn't sure how big a fan I was of that at first, but it ended up being so awesome!!
#6 blew over, lol.
We had an option of a ditch or a old brush jump for #10. I chose the ditch because I wanted Sunny to see a ditch before we got to the un-coffin combination!
There was an option for 12 too that I somehow totally missed when I walked the course!! This jump, or a corner with a big flowerpot on it. We totally did the corner! It was a decision on the fly, Sunny has only ever done one other corner before, and she didn't even look at it, lol.
The un-coffin combination!
We just had compulsory flags for the water, but the jump was set up in such a way that going up either bank would have given you a pretty bad line. So the ramp out it was!
Sunny came right out of the box pulling to gallop, and even though she was super forward, she still was listening to come back before the stadium fences, which were ALL set on downhill slopes, save for the very last combination, which were big airy verticals heading towards home. Very clever Mr. Course Designer;)
The course rode great, and jump after jump I was getting happier and happier, Sunny wasn't looking at ANYTHING, so when we landed from fence 11, I decided to go for the option, the corner, and steered her over. Not a look, hesitation, flinch, or anything, she sailed right over it and carried on! Same with the un-coffin combination, right through with no hesitation! And we've never actually schooled a full coffin before! Had a good rap on fence 8, but it stayed up, and I totally forgot I was wearing a watch until the last part of the course, but we were good for time! I was SO THRILLED!!! We had the option of a second round, but there was no way I was going to tire Sunny out just for shits and giggles. She galloped, she jumped, she was FABULOUS, sure we could have been a little more organized through the coffin, but we made time and went clear, what more could I have wanted?? Sunny did everything I asked of her, she is such an amazing horse!!
I was SHOCKED when I saw the results, WE GOT 2ND!!!!! The first place rider was 7 seconds closer to the optimum time:) I didn't even really care about the placings, I was already SO happy with Sunny and our round, but it was definitely icing on the cake!!
So a few weeks ago we had our first outing of the season, the Beaumont derby. I decided to give training level a go even though Sunny and I had only jumped 3 times over the winter, and hadn't even gotten a chance to school cross country yet, due to our lovely extended winter! I wasn't expecting a lot, just wanted a positive experience to start off the year.
I didn't need to worry though, Sunny absolutely FLEW through the course!! What I discovered about the first round, was that when in doubt, Sunny just GOES! That's her default, is even if it's scary as hell and she's wavering on the approach, she just goes anyways! Might not be pretty, but she goes! And it's my job to stay with her;)
The course started out with a small stadium course of 8 jumps, and then headed straight into the short xc course. Wasn't sure how the time/optimum speed was supposed to work exactly, since everything was all together, and speed was 425 m/m for the entire course including the stadium part. I had forgotten my watch (and we couldn't use them at pre-training level the last 2 years anyways) so we were just winging it basically. It ended up that you had to FLY on xc to make the time anyways, so it all worked out.
Surprise!! First on course was a half coffin. Almost everyone's first fence was a ditch, even the lower levels, and there were SO many stops, it was rather silly, whoever thought that one up:P
Then next was the crazy bank/ditch thing. Sunny had never even SEEN anything like this before!
Next couple fences were pretty straightforward...
Pheasant feeder, then across the water!
And angle over the house to the finish:)
First round was ok! Had a couple of rails in the stadium course, and set out on xc. Sunny wavered coming up to the ditch, but awkwardly jumped it, and I kind of landed in a pile on her neck, and Sunny smartly did not continue on over the jump! So I reorganized and approached the combination again, and Sunny was like WTF but a tap with the whip and she popped over the ditch and over the jump no problem and we carried on. At the banky/ditch thing I could just feel her looking and going !!!!!!!!!!!!! as we approached, but I sat up and put my leg on and she went right over with no hesitation:) We flew over the next 3 jumps no problem, then all that was left was the pheasant feeder, water, and house jump. I was ok with Sunny maybe needing to have a look before she went over. Totally slowed the last 3 strides to the pheasant feeder, then LAUNCHED herself over it practically from a standstill!! It was hilarious!! I went with her as best I could, and lost a stirrup, then as she was galloping through the water towards the last jump I was just thinking, "Lord, I hope I get my stirrup back before that fence!!" I did, and she flew over it:) I was pretty happy with that round actually, amid the minor bobbles!
I think I had about 5 mins before they sent me off for my second round. As soon as we set off, Sunny was totally on! Went clear around the stadium course, and Sunny didn't bat a single eye at ANYTHING the second time around!! She was pulling to gallop harder between fences, turns out all the horses were just galloping headstrong into the wind! She was bold as hell to everything second time around, and crossed the finish line pulling to keep going:) I was THRILLED!!! It was SO awesome!!
Turns out we were pretty much bang on the time, and so was almost everyone else! First, second, and third were mere hundredths of a second apart!! It was crazy! But I was so happy, and we ended up third!! :D
Warming up...
The stadium part...
Pheasant feeder, water, house!
And of course the helmet cam! It was SO windy that day, the sound is horrible, you probably want to turn it off!
I thought it was a pretty decent start to the season:)
I thought I'd start this blog to chronicle and share my eventing adventures! Me (Jess!), and my fantastic OTTB mare Sunny are making our training level debut this year! With my bf Kris, the trusty groom and photographer, and my new helmet cam, it will be a fun adventure for sure!! :)
