Today 'should' have been a day of going in circles and attemptinig our first prelim, however someone didn't book the day off far enough in advance, so had to teach until lunch time. However this proved to be rather fortunate for Mally, as it meant that instead we went to do some more jumping, which is far more exciting!
I can't say I was feeling too enthusiastic about rushing off to Vale View after a morning spent sprinting after small ponies and their even smaller jockeys on a diet of fresh air and revolting flavoured water, but at least the joys of a bay pony meant I only had to show her a brush and throw her on the trailer, so we arrived at Vale View in plenty of time.
I entered the Clear round and the 75cms Trailblazers, so that she could have a look round first and then jump a nice round after... in theory!!
I set about warming up the donkey I had dragged off the trailer, however it would seem that someone had swapped her for a large rubber ball, that bounced her way around the warm up and boinged her way over the practice fences!
Into the Clear round and I needn't have bothered about her looking! What was a very spooky course right from the word go, with giant dice at the first fence, warranted absolutely zero response from the Moot! She jumped the first and second well and then jockey had a slight brain fart and forgot she was riding a green youngster, didn't half-halt or steer and we sailed past number three (with jockey nearly going over alone!), circled round and she popped it lovely. The rest of the course went well, with just the rail going out of a two stride double down, she got close to the first part and then fitted in three strides to get way to close to the second part and take it down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XgdV6qUxOU&feature=channel_video_title
Loooooooong wait until the 75cms class started, at which point someone thoughtfully returned my donkey, who stood dozing in the sunshine whilst we waited. I was third to go, so popped the practice fence to wake her up (which it did, the leaping, boinging, bucking ball returned!) and we went in. I was slightly apprehensive as she had been doing a rather good impression of a hurdler in the warm up (someone is trying to tell me that little jumps are for babies, and she is nearly 5 you know!), but she went in a was very sweet and rideable. Jumped round lovely with just a rail at fence 2 for 4 faults. Completely my fault, I rode around the corner aware I needed to ride a good line to 3 so she didn't run past it again, didn't ride 2 at all got deep and didn't get out of her way so she could jump, so she had the pole in front.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSn32n7HLyk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
There were only 4 clears in the entire class, so technically she came joint 5th, at least that's what she's telling all her mates!
Once again I am completely chuffed with her! to have a horse with both an on and off button is fantastic!
Next outing is our very first ODE at Eland Lodge on the 22nd of May, then hopefully we have a place on the EHOA Summer Camp at Rolleston in July, which will be brilliant but also rather nerve wracking!!
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