24 March 2008 - Fontainebleau CIC***
Monday 24 March - Fontainebleau CIC***
Early start and a half hour in hand walk to loosen Spex off before the trot up inspection, after a polish and plait! The show jumping course was not ready to walk yet so I gave Spex half an hour school with the double bridle on to make sure he stayed soft and round ready for the jumping (after xc they can still be in gallop and jump mode - no good for knock down fences!). I then walked the course with Cinda and then again by myself. It looked quite big and there were 2 lines at the end that were built on tricky distances (big triple bar on 6 or 7 strides to a double of uprights and then the last line of a big spread on 5 short curving strides to an upright). I watched the first 6 people jump before I got on to warm Spex up. There were only 4 clears out of the whole class one of which was Spex! He jumped brilliantly. This pulled us up again into 7th place - which meant prize money (put towards cost of trip which will leave me bankrupt!!). I think the BSJA we competed at early this year really helped (if only to make me feel it was just another round of jumps). A quick get away and we were on the midnight ferry home. By the time we got back home it was 1pm on Tuesday. All exhausted!! Sharon and I both suffered chill blains down our legs from the cold! Spex had Tues off with work returning to normal Saturday that week - no rest for the wicked!
Sunday 23 March - Fontainebleau CIC***
Cross country didn't start until the afternoon so after a good warm up in the morning, off we went again to do the final course walk - this time with Yogi. Everyone was worried about fence 6 which was a tall drop off a wall into water followed two strides later by a skinny jump out. Unfortunately the early horses did not fair too well here and the fence was taken out. However, it was good news for the other riders. As I warmed Spex up Rodney Powell and I both heaved a sigh of relief that we didn't have to jump it!! Spex started the course a bit green and we wasted time whilst he had a look at the fences! He was flying by the end though and jumped really well. We had a sticky moment at the second water (which Sharon told me later they kept replaying on the big screen!) which was a bounce into the water then 5 strides to a step out to a very angled hedge on 1 stride. I landed on his neck into the water and my hat came down over my eyes (why do hats start off fitting perfectly then get loose - surely a design fault?) - however, we survived and he all but jumped the hedge by himself - such a star!! He pulled up well and had a nice wash off and lunch whilst we went and watched some of the last horses go round. Time faults left us in 14th.
Saturday 22 March - Fontainebleau CIC***
This was the second day of dressage so I took Spex for a nice school with all our jumping gear on (short stirrups and jumping saddle - hurrah!). We then walked the course with Cinda who, as she knows my horse so well, advised me at the tricky combinations. We all came to the conclusion that although not hugely big the course was technical. We then jumped Spex over some practice show jumps with Cinda instructing me and Alex on his lovely grey mare Magenta. Another course walk later that afternoon (the course ran through the woods mostly and as was flat was not too exhausting to walk!) was followed by another meal with a gang of people one of which was Caroline Creighton who very kindly lent us her small radiator to warm up the back of the lorry!
Friday 21 March - Fontainebleau CIC***
I stuck to my plan and rode Spex in the morning, nothing serious just loosening him off. I then gave him an early lunch then got stuck in with the plaiting, etc. Having been advised by Yogi Breisner and Tracy Robinson to try and get the horses dressage warm up down to 20 minutes (in case we go to Olympics) that is the time I left to ride before my test. Spex performed well to finish the best of the Brits on 41.5 and in 7th place before the cross country. Everyone seemed very pleased with our efforts but it was commented that the judges took a while to warm up with our marks. I sometimes feel that the lesser known rider has to perform better than the well known professional to get the same kind of marks. That's life, but it can be frustrating. Sharon and I ended the day with a quick look at some of the fences before we braved the on site showers - tepid!
Thursday 20 March - Fontainebleau CIC***
As Spex normally has an hour on the walker first thing every morning I decided to try and keep to the routine, so instead of the walker I wandered about for an hour with him. Alex and I went around the gallop track which had some of the cross country fences in the middle of it. We were able to see early what was in store for us!! Needless to say, we managed to convince ourselves that every fence we saw was unjumpable!! Whilst I rode, Sharon sorted the stable and managed to find some caterers on site who just happened to sell lovely croissants, which ended up being our breakfast every day!! Times for the dressage did not come out until the evening so as was not sure when I was doing my test I thought I better run through the test that afternoon and give him a good wash ready just in case dressage was Friday. Times came out late evening and we were on on Friday afternoon. That evening about 20 of us got together to have dinner in the catering marquee - very jolly and very late!!
Weds 19 March - Fontainebleau CIC***
Arrive at Caen early morning for the 5 hour drive to Fontainebleau. Did not see much of countryside as was asleep! The French were not expecting us so early and weren't really organised. No running water at the stables! Not what you need to settle the horses in quickly. The stables were very comfortable, on shavings, but you needed to buy more for a proper bed (at £8 a bale!!). I took Spex out for a lovely hack in the acres of woods that the site is on, with Cinda on Brit. Needless to say we got lost and ended up in the middle of a motorbike scramble - a motorbike school resides on the site. Spex felt fine and quite excited - Brit even more so. Sharon and I settled into the back of the lorry on camp beds with hot water bottles as it was so cold!
Tues 18 March - Fontainebleau CIC***
After a last minute dressage lesson with Virginia in the morning we gave Spex a good wash then set off to the Frederick's, arriving late afternoon. Accompanied by my friend Sharon Edmond, we unloaded all our gear into Alex Hua Tian's massive brand new Lehel horse box. He was only taking two horses with him so easily fitted us in! At 8.30pm we headed off to Portsmouth for the ferry. As the ferry left at midnight we were given cabins to have 4 or 5 hours sleep. Everyone met in the bar for a drink before heading off to bed. Nicola (Alex's groom) and I met up half way through to be escorted to check the horses (you are not allowed to stay with them in the lorry).
9 March 2008 - Ready steady ........ flop!
Just finished our first event weekend of the season and all did not go to plan!!! Spex had half a run in the OI at Tweseldown before I managed to get us technically eliminated on the XC!! He did perform well in the first two phases (2nd after dressage) and was incredibly fresh and excited to get on the xc which is good news. He will now run in the AI at Aldon before leaving for Fontainebleau, France on the 18th. Poor Herbie really didn't have a good time in the Pre-Novice at Bath & West! The dressage warm up and arenas were fetlock deep in slushy mud, so much so that as he came up the centre line at the end of a good test one of his front legs got stuck in the mud and he lost balance. The end result was a deep cut in his pastern caused by the other foot's stud!! We called it a day and went home. I felt really mean having to ask him to perform in the mud and should have followed my gut instinct and not even done the dressage! You live and learn! He seems fine though and will hopefully be at Aldon this Friday 14th.
Spex and Herbs BSJA 6 February
Extra jumping sessions with Herbs paid off with a win in the British Novice! He also went really well in the Discovery class until a pilot error (too much fiddling!) gave him 4 faults. Will continue with little but often theory especially now he has dressage regionals in a fortnight - must remember to keep jumping him. Spex was fab also with a win in the Newcomers class - nice to beat the showjumpers!!
Spex also had his first dressage lesson of the year with Virginia (Peters) on the 7th - we concentrated on his basic paces, as he knows all the 'tricks' now. Lots of power trot and canter with a soft feel in the hand - felt wonderful. Spex and I were also over at the Fredericks (8/9th) - had a great session with Cinda. I then slept in lorry overnight (no heating!) to take him onto Salisbury plain early so could get back to teach at home. Exhausting week with lots of travelling but worth it!
30 Jan 2008 - Spex and Herbie BSJA at The Hand, Clevedon.
Herbie was 2nd in the British Novice class which seemed to wear him out as he went on to have 2 down in the Discovery. I think at home I will have to work on developing his strength (rather than fitness) over jumps - may try jumping him more often but for shorter periods. Spex had 2 down in the Newcomers jump off - very unusual for him. He was neighing for Herbie whilst being warmed up and got a bit tense. He then went in the ring and felt like he'd never seen a jump before in his life! In the following class, the Foxhunter, he went much better for 1 down. I think he just needs to go out more often and take things a bit more seriously! Will be hoping for more clears next time!