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Last year when I returned from the Senior Inter Regional Competition at The College, Keysoe, Bedfordshire it was pouring down with rain, blowing a gale and I was sat indoors reading about how successful the Great Britain riders had been on the Sunshine Tour in the British Dressage Magazine. What a difference a year makes !
The sun has beamed down on us at 21 degrees for two days - how pleased (sun burned) are we?!
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Like last year I will bash on with the results and for those who wish to read on about our weekend as we saw it can continue and look at our pictures.
THE RESULTS
My results for this weekend were -
Saturday morning warm up test - 62.10% 8th place from 11 starters
Saturday afternoon Team test - 66.60% 3rd place individually from 42 starters
Sunday Team test - 64.20% 19th individually from 42 starters
Individually over both days - 11th from 42 starters
Northern Team 3 - Saturday over night position 5th from 39 teams
Northern Team 3 - final placing 15th from 39 teams.
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Day 1 - Friday.
“We“, been Mum, Carolyn, Mathew, Joseph, Gary and of course Sam made our way to The College Equestrian Centre at 10am ish. After going to the Regional’s last year without my jodhpurs and shirt you couldn’t move for check lists I didn’t dare leave anything behind this time.
As I couldn’t get a larger coat to arrive before the day I was on a fruit and bean diet in the hope that the jacket wouldn’t begin to be a triple vent instead of double - tucking in to a bag of grapes on the journey had Gary very concerned that I may need the loo !!
We arrived at the venue without any loo problems.(I can only think that Gary thought that grapes had instant effect....)
Mum, Mathew, Carolyn, Joseph and Boris - yes Boris had arrived before us and got the tent up in our Region’s parking area. Boris belongs to Joseph he has come along from his school for Joseph to look after and write his diary on Boris’s holidays. I don’t think that he will look or smell too good when he goes back.
Gary, Sam and I arrived.
Sam took great delight in filling his belly with grass. Once his stable was found and bedded down for him he was parted from the grass and taken into the stable block for the Northern Region. We were really lucky as Sam and some of the other Northern riders were in the livery stables that belonged to the College which was great.
Camp was set up and all of us chilled out before I rode Sam in the arena walk, set to tack and boot cleaning and the evening entertainment commenced.
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Rest time !
(Joseph, Mathew, Mum, Gary)
Sam had spent a while relaxing in his stable before he was disgusted with us for appearing with the tack. I was worked a little in the indoor school then joined in what could be the new form of Speed Dating during the arena walk.
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Working in the indoor school the light was really not that great for pictures and Mathew got a telling off for using the flash !!!
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Before entering the Arena Walk a nice stretch of the legs wont hurt.
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Once over he was retuned to his stable and we got sorted out for the Team Briefing at 7pm.
The Team Briefing is to get all the Northern riders together. This is a good chance to meet everyone, to be able to put faces to names and for Sarah Huntridge our Senior Training Representative the opportunity to inform riders of the instructions, rule changes and bits and bobs to help us have a stress free weekend.
Sarah took the time to spend with the riders answering questions and just generally been there to support us all, to enjoy the lovely weather and given regular updates on the behaviour of "Boris"!
I dont know how the other riders felt but I certainly was pleased to know that the Region had someone to turn to (even though I did complain - but it was only a little one!!!).
Following the Team Briefing was the Hog Roast - again the College provided a really nice “pig” and pastas.
Boris got drunk !!!!!
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Boris joining in the fun!!!!
School will never let him come with us again!
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Our team!
Carolyn,Mathew
Me,Gary,Mum
picture so well taken by Joseph!
Bellies full we returned to camp for a shower and bed. Early start in the morning.
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Day 2 - Saturday
Early start for the test in the Warm Up class at 9:15am. Gary took Sam for some grass as he hadn’t eaten very well over night which is not really like him but he seemed to be OK. All the grooming, plaiting and doing taken care of and begun the warming up in the very hectic indoor arena. Sam was a little tight in the warm up and I wasn’t 100% confident on the way of going when it was our turn.
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Any way off I went. Gary and Mum sorted the boots and the changed of jackets before I went in. I had learned my test or so I thought and I some how didn’t halt at the beginning of the test - whoops !
One way to practise riding down the centre line!
I was fine once I had stopped at X. How stupid was that?!!!
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I fairness the test wasn’t as sharp as it usually is but this was only the warm up but after winning it last year it certainly didn’t ride like that test did. Not to worry. I don’t look at the scores usually until the class had ended and I expected 60% so was happier when I finished on 62.10% and placed 8th - at least I wasn’t last - not a good place to be on the first test.
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Back to camp for lunch.
The first of the Team tests for me was at 2:24pm. Sam was already plaited so didn’t need all that faffing with before hand providing he had remained standing! He thankfully had as he was so impressed with his hay. I had brought my “persuaders” (spurs) with me and put them on to try and bring him to life a bit more.
The collecting ring wasn’t quite so busy for some reason in the afternoon and Sam was really settled working a lot better so feeling was more positive into this test.
My feelings were right and the test was much more lively and more like him - he went when he was asked, came back and turned so things were good. The girl who was collecting the score sheets popped up behind the hedge at the side of the arena just as I put my leg on for the canter transition which gave us a bit more jump!
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I thought it was a nice test but I am only the rider not the judge. I finished on =3rd with 66.60% from 42 starters with the winner on 68.62% and second place on 67.93% I was really pleased. This was defiantly a placing good for the team.
It was really hot so Sam had a bath and taken again to graze and dry off in the sunshine. So very different from the past two years that we had been there but very welcoming.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing in the sunshine and eating !
My fruit and bean diet had ended and made no difference so tucked in to tea.
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At 9pm the final tests had been completed and the Northern team got together again with Sarah for an overview of the day and general social. The overnight placings were announced and the team I was on were in 5th place overnight which was great.
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Sam was sorted out for the night after the team meeting and then back to the freezing cold showers before bed.
Day 3 - Sunday
I was lucky that I didn’t ride until 12:30 so it wasn’t so much of a rush first thing. Opportunity to have a proper breakfast and again more sunshine.
Plaited up and raring to go again for the final test in the competition. This would be part of what would keep our team in the running for a top spot. I had already decided that a placing in the top 20 would be good out of 39 teams but a rosette is always nice.
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Sam worked in fantastic he gave me all the right feelings at the right time - which is helpful !
All going well even though 10 minutes into working in I was told they were running late. Never the less Sam was walked a little then picked up a couple of minutes from the five minute call before the boots and jacket alterations - all was going well.
Until…..
I almost got bucked off !!!!!!!!!!!!
There were some people congregated in the door way to the outdoor school, I had been called to go to my arena and I shouted to the people to move the took ages and Sam started to nap - trying to turn round and walked backwards - I gave him a little kick forgetting I had put the “persuaders” on and Sam didn’t give the answer I expected but went shooting off onto the outdoor arena.
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With this the beginning of the test was very tense and tight and I repeated yesterdays error and did a circle at E instead of V - good bye 2 more marks !!!
Things did improve as relaxation took over and I were able to scrape together some 8’s and 7’s toward the end just not enough of them to put me in the top 10 placings. Individually I was 19th with 64.20%.
At the hottest part of the day Sam was given another good bath and Gary spent the next hour grazing Sam in the sunshine. Mum sorted his stable and I cooled off.
Plaits out and the results were in the hands of the judges so it was just a matter of waiting until the final horses had gone and the prize giving announced at 5pm.
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More food and relaxing. Boris seemed to have been forgotten about as Joseph had taken a great interest in the lorry been loaded onto a recovery truck.
The prize giving at 5pm was really well organised and thankfully didn’t take too long as it was really too hot to stand around in full riding outfit.
Camp was all packed up and we were ready for setting of for home after the prize giving.
Sadly I had just missed out on an overall individual placing but even so the results were still in the top half of the class.
The Team had dropped to 15th place which was again in the top 20 and from 39 teams a good place to be even though been 5th overnight saw a drop in 10 places I was part of the highest Northern teams and with been 11th last year it was better to be 15th then 11th only just like last year.
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Our Team -
Joseph, Mum, Me, Mathew, Sarah, Carolyn
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Our team with a photographer swap -
Mum, Gary, Joesph, Me, Sarah, Carolyn
Once over we set off for home having had a successful weekend we thought. Carolyn and Mathew had some sun burn to attend to, Joseph had to explain why Boris had been on his holidays and got drunk, Mum - was looking forward to a rest, Gary a day off from horses and me, well I was thinking about the Home International !!!!!!!
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