This was perhaps the most exciting thing I've done as an adult!
It was very strange warming up because, warming up for Dressage/Eventing Dressage - I know what I want. Warming up for Show Jumping/ XC / Eventing phases - I know what I want...
Warming up for a showing show - not a clue. I literally had no idea how Freddie would cope with the whole "Group walk trot and canter" thing or standing still whilst others did a show piece.
But Jane Vosper was judging and she said to me, just come and have some fun. Enjoy it.
And so there we were, in the warm up, having a little pop (he was sharp but better behaved than last week!) and then we headed down and waited our turn to go in and jump. He breezed over the jumps only causing himself to 'chip in' because he was so busy being nosey about people in the canteen or similar.
He behaved beautifully in the group walk trot and canter, but I did make sure we got to the 'front' as it were. And he also behaved beautifully through the show piece - both his and waiting.
I was delighted to come 2nd of 3 at our first attempt and that meant we'd qualified for the championships.
Beautiful photos of the event
Our 80cm round
The group section
Our individual show piece
90cm anyone?
And then the fences went up and Jayne looked at me and said "Well? You gonna do it?" I noted that some of the fences only went up a hole and so I pulled up the brave pants and said, yeah go on. If it starts to unravel, I can always stop right?
And so we set off. I sat quietly, not fussing and he gave me the most incredible round. He gobbled up the course like it was child's play. It just didn't even trouble him and as we finished the course and did our final salute - I was soooo pleased, that I had tears in my eyes. Even with a clip and knock down, we'd done it! our first 90cm competitive course.
our 90cm course!
and then suddenly we were in the Championships, everyone came back in and we were all trotting and cantering around on command. Fred continued to behave impeccably (despite me not realising i was on the wrong canter lead - because his counter canter is so balanced these days - doh!) I did correct it.
Champion and reserve champion were awarded.
And I was delighted to discover the next day that, we VERY nearly got awarded Reserve Champion AND, if we hadn't had the knock down we would have won the 90cm class.
Wow, that was just like adding cherry to the top of the most glorious cake EVER. Well done my little freddie!!
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