I can’t believe that not only is the eventing season fully
underway but we are already in April! Lily started her season at Poplar Park
BE90 and was remarkably relaxed by her standards. She had a great run and
finished on 39.0 after having a pole in the SJ where she was rather too keen.
She then headed to Munstead for the BE100 and in contrast was a little hormonal
and distracted and had two rather unnecessary poles SJ so Martin just gave her
a slow school around the XC to get her thinking. She was absolutely awesome
over the brown sticks and was really looking forwards to South of England as it
would have been her first real test at this level, but unfortunately they have
had to cancel.
I continued schooling outings with Little Lexi. We went back
to Munstead to SJ school in their grass arena, XC schooled at Lodge Farm, and
SJ schooled again down the road at Team Manhatten. I had made the decision
after the pre-season combined training antics that I would put Martin on her
for her first few events as he is much stronger and gung-ho than me and I hoped
he would be able to pick her up by the scruff of her neck and fire her
forwards. I am pretty sure once you get her thinking this way her confidence
will grow and grow. So pick her up by the scruff of her neck he did! The 12
year old boy in him made an appearance in the SJ arena at Munstead BE80 but it
worked and she jumped a clear. She also jumped clear around the XC, albeit
rather too quickly where he was trying to keep her in front of his leg. So a
very educational trip out for her, excellent. Love it when a plan comes
together!
Next up I took her for a jumping lesson with show-jumper
Vicky Gosling. This was brilliant and just what we need. She is absolutely
lovely but totally kicked my butt. Constantly at me on my position and the
quality of our canter flatwork. Then there was my position over a fence…..oh
dear, rather a lot of homework. She thought Lexi was lacking mileage and it is
time to get out more, plus I need to be MUCH more disciplined about her staying
in front of my leg. This sounds easy enough but there was at least twenty-five
minutes in canter, some of which was on an 8m circle drilling us both. Lots to
work on. I hadn’t appreciated just how
much weaker my flatwork is in the jumping saddle. Discipline Lamy, discipline!
So then we had a mad morning back at Munstead for the hunter
trial to see if we could keep repeating the forward message. Martin was on at
9am because he was needed at Addington Manor at 11am as Quiz Master for the PC
Championships! It all worked out really well with her going much much better
and Martin screeching into the carpark at Addington at 10.53am. Phew.
Especially pleased with the Bomber. Sadly a few days later her off hind was fat
and infected again. A little worrying that the abscess she had back in
September, the fat leg in January and this are all linked.
Somewhere in the middle of all that we picked up young Millie.
Bless her, she walked straight out of her field with her mates and straight up
the lorry lamp. Since then Martin has been onboard and she has had her first
canter under saddle. She has been a different horse this time; so much more
relaxed and really sweet and friendly. She is now the proud owner of two front
shoes!
We had a great SJ clinic at Eaglesfield but unfortunately
lost most of the planned XC clinic at Bonfleur due to the awful Easter weekend
weather. Fortunately, it had cheered up a bit for the Pony Club Area 11 Mock B
Test day at Crockstead where I was assessing the SJ.
After six months away from competing due to my injuries, and
then Ehren getting a winter cough, it was time to get back out there. We headed
off to Oldencraig BD on April Fool’s Day no less, fully expecting fireworks. I
am not saying my daughter is manipulative but she must have been fluttering her
long eyelashes and nuzzling her Grandad because he very kindly has decided to
join the sponsorship gang and support her dressage outings. As an aside Lily
has the Unions involved and is mounting a campaign “equal rights for grand-children”!
Anyway, I digress…..we have form at Oldencraig and I had visions of a wild one.
Totally threw me to find that my pony was dozing in the sunshine, and even dare
I say it, rather lazy in the first test. In hindsight I could probably have
asked more from her, and didn’t really feel back on our game until the second
half of the second test. However, we are new to Medium and were rather ring rusty
so absolutely thrilled to get 65% in both tests and two red frillies,
especially as I know there is much better work in there. What a good girl.
So plans as always are changeable with South of England
cancelled and Lexi on three legs but we are hoping to do Munstead unaffiliated
and Chilham horse trials. Ehren is hopefully back out next week, and Jasmine’s
Lottie too. We have the first SJ clinic of the year at Carmen Court, more clinics
at Eaglesfield and XC schooling at Lodge Farm and Bonfleur…..woohoo!