Well where do I start!!!!!
So the day if the show had arrived and I was still excited rather than nervous, Had a good day at school with the kids and left a bit early to ensure I was ready on time as sometimes Maj is a bit of a git to get in the trailer!....... Got half way down to the yard (20mins or so from work!) and realised the bag with my jods and Faithful Rollestone Farm top were sat in the classroom where i'd put them to remind me to get changed BEFORE leaving school!!!!!
Eventually got down to the boy (who thankfully I'd left in for the day!) about half an hour before we needed to leave, got him tacked up and took himout to load up!.................
30 chuffin mins later Maj had successfully broken a lunge line, done some pretty impressive dancing on his back legs and managed to push me to the point of Jacking it all in, oh and VERY nearly kicking my friends Dad smack in the face with BOTH his back legs!
Two Girls from the yard across the road had seen our fight and Very kindly came to offer a hand, (at this point i was refusing to go and tried to tell my mate to go without me but she wouldn't let Maj win!!!! Bless her) So these two girls took over and after another 20 odd mins, some more dancing on his back legs and lots of effing and jeffing from all involved Maj got in the trailer!
It was then a mad dash down to the Hand, Me ringing my mate who works there to try an get us booked into the clear round with 3 mins to go! I managed to get us one space but by the time we got there we were needed in. Bree being sensible said she wouldn't as she hadn't warmed up properly.....However with the mood I was still in I decidd to do a couple of laps of trot and get in the arena, Propablynot the best Idea but knewif I didn't do it then and there I wouldn't be doing anything!
So in I went and Maj really redeemed himself, bless my boy he was a star! Steady, collected and listening!!!!!
We knocked down the last pole but after the ordeal we'd had I was pleased!
It wasthen time to decide if I was gunna do my first proper class of substantial height (we did 1'9 last summer), well substantial for me....2'6" again I came up with the mad theory of if I didn't do it now i never would and felt happy with how he'd gone previously! It was at this moment my mate announced that cus she hadn't done a clear round she wasn't going to do the class!!!!!! (Now i felt really guilty,cus of me and Maj she took me to a show and did nothing herself)
She accompanied me into the arena to walk the course! It wa two-phase which was instantly off putting as I was shattered enough doing 8 jumps let alone 14! I decided I wasn't going to push him but just get round in one piece! The first part of the course was great as it was the same as the CR but then we walked up to jump 10!!!!!
A HUGE yellow and white double, the first part of which was a spread (it looked 6ft wide but think it was just my nerves!) Now I was worried, I tried to block it from my head and went back to join Maj after walking the rest of the jumps (all of which looked fine if i got that far!!)
I sat and watched some of the other riders go...All of which were having trouble at 10! It was then my turn, feeling soooo sick scared Me and Maj entered the arena, waited for the buzzer and we were off! Nice and steady over the first few, even managing to come back to trot to re-balance a couple of times! (something I never thought was possible with Maj) Nicely over the double at 5 all the way round to 8 the endofphase one....we'd made it that far, just had to keep going (I had in my head as long as i went clear i'd be in with a chance as hardly anyone had gone double clear!) Over 9 nicely, this was it....we turned to face number 10 and i was pushing but could feel him looking too much, I gave him a boot and urged him forwards but the brakes had gone on! he refused! I did a circle and got him into a nice canter and pushed him on towards the jump he was goingthis time I could feel it, One last push and...............what happened next my cousin would describe as 'a stylish dismount'
I very gracefully somersaulted over Maj's neck (which was wedged between his knees) and landed on my feet!
Still I can't grumble as am soooo pleased we did it! Thats only my second fall off of him and the jump had caused sooo many ppl problems!
Definately can't wait to do it again, without the fall tho, Did't think about the height once as I was going round and I always used to, so we are getting their slowly!
I do need to teach him some manners as needed to get heped out by two nice lads
to get him back on the trailer! (only 10mins this time) but they taught us a nifty trick which we will try next time.
I'm shattered and ache all over now! think we are both going to be stiff in the morning!
Sel and Maj xxx
The training day is full, gunna try for one later in the year thoand am looking for an XC course to hire out! couln't do anything today as weather was to bad! Keeping fingers crossed to get in arena tomorrow nite tho, watch this space xxx
