Arrival and course walk
Arrived Saturday evening after a clear and uneventful (TF) run down the M4 and 5. As soon as I had settled Frank in to his stable I went to walk the course. Extreme thunder, lightening and bursts of heavy rain found me running back to the lorry park for my life. Fence 11, situated at the top of a hill in the middle of a stand of tall trees, looked like a good lightening magnet so I decided to leave inspection of that fence for another day. I love Pontispool XC course – this is where Frank and I had our BE 80 debut a couple of years earlier and I love to go back there. The course always manages to look like a mini badminton with a huge variety of fences and two water complexes. Moving from 80 to 90 there are more questions concerning which lines and alternative fences to take. At BE 80 lines are fairly direct and obvious… at 90, lines between fences, approaches and landings are not so clear. I was a little concerned about the skinny fourth element of fence 8 (which had an easier alternative) and I worried about the two ditches – one deep, water filled ditch (14a) and one ditch at the bottom of fence 15, a big hedge. Whilst Frank has jumped ditches, in all their various guises, team chasing he had stopped at the intermediate ditch at Pembrey a week earlier and despite all my efforts I could not persuade him to get to the other side.
So, back to the lorry, kettle on and a rummage through my fairly meagre supplies found a scotch egg from my favourite deli in Swansea. I ate half of this, some tomatoes, a bit of cheese and tea and a ginger biscuit. Too tired to have much of an appetite and couldn’t wait to get in my new sleeping bag which made me look like an aubergine. It was midnight before I shut my eyes and I don’t think I spent much time on my mental gymnastics (imagining jumping ditches with ease) before I slipped into the land of deep nod
Sunday morning and second course walk
Slept well but woke before crack of sparra …fumbled for my phone and squinted at the screen 5.45am… oh God, thats early….as dawn chorus cranked up I was lured out of sleeping bag by thoughts of tea and ginger biscuits. While the kettle boiled I made alpha A, oats and linseed breakfast for Frank and popped up to his stable. Found him lying down and blinking….bless. Looks like he’s had a good sleep then…face covered in poo. Getting back into my sleeping bag I contemplated the day ahead. Energised by tea I then mucked out, filled haynets and topped up water buckets. Walked XC course again. Having studied fence 8 more closely I decided to take the alternative option for 8d. Although this would take extra seconds it was better than risking a run out over the skinny. Found ‘lightening magnet’ fence 11 which was a rather chunky looking wagon at the top of a hill. Running down from fence 11 to the second water feature I managed to slip down the slippery track by the pond. As i reached out I grabbed hold of blackberry brambles and nettles, caught my left arm on the fence and removed some skin. Ouch. I hoped this was not a bad omen but I know I have better balance on Frank than I have on my own two feet….and I don’t believe in all that omen nonsense anyway. Skipped out the stable, plaited mane and tail and prepared stud holes. Have to put Frank in the lorry to plait his forelock and organise partitions so tight he can’t move…like a cattle crush. If Frank feels the plait touch his forehead (before it’s been folded up) he thinks it’s some alien antennae and freaks out to try to remove it from his head. This has to be seen to be believed. If he’s loose when this happens then fucking run……
As I was almost last to go XC I had running commentary all day over the PA system on all the problems the ditch had been causing throughout the day. I could see some of these difficulties from the viewing platform as I drank coffee next to the show jumping arena. Around midday, I bumped into a friend whose horse was in the lead with an amazing score of 24 after SJ ‘how did you do XC? I asked excitedly. ‘I fell off’ she said. ‘In the ditch’. Noooooooooooo. Now I really was worried about the ditches.
Dressage
was at 3.30. I won’t say much about this as its really bloody boring. The day, by now has turned into a scorcher and I am boiling in the bag. I haven’t eaten all day, feel a bit sick (on account of intrusive thoughts of ditches) have been up for eight hours and would like to lie down now. Anyway, better tack up and get dressed: hat, gloves, boots, stock – bonkers kit for a hot day eh? So get down to the dressage arena and see that my sheepskin numnah is really wonk: sigh, dismount, re-adjust, scramble back on. Take Frank for a li’l blast up the field to try and get some wind chill… do a couple of circuits like this then go and stand under a tree and watch a test or two from the shade. No idea of the time I try a few desultory transitions, Eeeeesh its hot. Go for another fast canter…on my return the steward is beckoning me in. What? Me? Now? I thought they were having a break…. ‘no thats after your test’ the steward informed me. So, in we tootled – Frank alternately behind and in front of my leg. The straight bits were a bit 7’ish, the bends a bit 6’ish – but on a good note, no errors of course, we stayed within the boards, correct canter leads (which this time last year would have been a miracle) and the test was accurate. I hadn’t warmed up enough on account of feeling I was about to pass out with the heat and the whole test felt little more than satisfactory if a little insufficient in places.
Showjumping
We went into the showjumping on a score of 39. Actually managed to walk the SJ course this time and noted four dog leg turns – but all in all it looked OK – nothing we haven’t done before and the fences looked small. We had a 5-10 minute warm up and I was keen to get in. I enjoyed this round. I focussed on every fence and kept my reins short. Frank listened and waited for instruction – he was smooth and careful and CLEAR.
XC
Now for the best bit. Would the ditches be bitches? Would he refuse the first fence like he had at Mount Ballan? Would we go for the fastest route and fence 8 and 10 or opt for chicken run? So many possibilities… Come on Frank – lets do it
Frank is oingy boingy in the XC warm-up and is squealing and broncing with excitement. I love it when he’s like this. It’s his way of telling me he’s ready to go and has energy to burn baby burn. Into the start box: 5-4-3-2-1-go. Not wanting a repeat of Mount Ballan and a stop at the first I kick on and he pulls me into it…. a good fast gallop to fence 2 the pheasant feeder and a curve to the right for the bar top. Pick up a bit of speed to the dog kennels (4) and fly over that. Going a bit too fast on the approach to the horseshoe pond so apply some brakes. I can feel Frank back off ever so slightly as he takes in the view of the water after 5a…so I squeeze and we are in the water turning sharp right and heading for the boat then onto fence 7, the gate and gallop down to fence 8 where I couldn’t resist a loud yeeeeeeee ha! Over the hanging log (a) into the sunken road (b) and out (c). By now the steering strings are very long and i have to make a quick decision… skinny fence (d) or safer but longer alternative. Frank’s going so well so steering him with my knees we go for the skinny which he pops over like a pro then speeds away thro the trees looking for the next fence. 9 is the quarry log and then we slip thro a narrow gap between a large hoarding and an intermediate fence onto the owl hole which he refused last year but not this time. A long pull up to the wagon at 11 which he jumps quite big
– I close my eyes on landing as there’s a bit of a drop here. Down to the second water and quickly in and out, over the log at 13 then down to the ditch. Frank is really pulling now as he can see the lorry park. I know the first ditch is coming up so i half halt, lift his head, reins now in one hand whip in the other every cell in my body screaming GET OVER THAT DITCH… He sees the ditch now and momentarily backs off but a good heeeee shah in the ribs and a scream and he jumps it grand canyon stylee. The steering strings are too long now and by the time I get my shizzle together we have overshot part b. So pleased to get him over the ditch though I don’t care….onto the penultimate fence and here comes another fcuker…. ditch in front of a hedge this time but he clears this as if it wasn’t even there and gallops off for a speedy finish. The end.
Only Joolz and Horses 