The Competition

Hello, everyone!

First off, I'd like to apologise for taking so long to get around to posting this. I became quite busy and didn't really use my laptop at all, so sorry about that. With that out the way, on with the post!

I did manage to have the Pony Club session before the competition a couple of weeks ago. It gave me a good indicator of what Bails would be like at the competition, and was really good fun - even if we basically destroyed the last jump. I'm getting much better at riding courses now, and so I felt as prepared as I could be for the competition the next day.

The competition itself was really good. Bails was ridden by two other people before me, which was a
bit disappointing as he only went clear with the first person. After that there was one fence he wouldn't hit on the right stride, and he generally was just too excited to think about his feet. Nevertheless, I was mostly just there for the experience as opposed to claiming 1st place. I'm just not that competitive. So I walked away with a rosette that has special written on it, and I am perfectly happy with that. My instructor said it was the best course I had ridden, so whilst I may not have place highly it was still a personal best, and I think that's all that really matters.

My Dad did record the jumping, although I haven't actually seen that video yet, but I think it'll only prove that my position was a bit over the place. The jump that Bails wasn't hitting on the right stride in particular meant I was out of sync with him. I love riding Bails though because I never feel panicked in the approach to a jump, because he is so honest. The only scary part is when you finish the course and he won't stop, and you're not convinced he'll avoid the jumps!

One thing I would really like to work on is changing leg over a jump. Or just a generic flying change. Bails can be quite hard to bring back to a trot, so being able to do either of these things would be helpful in keeping relaxed so I'm not fighting him to come back to a slower pace. On the bright side, my instructor taught me a trick of sorts that enables me to know if I'm going to fast. Instead of counting '1, 2, 3' (because you can count that faster and faster), she told me to recite the days of the week. It being two syllables automatically means you can't say it quite as fast as the numbers, and if you start emphasising each half of it, then you really can't say it all that fast. So 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday' is my new jumping chant!

Well that's all from me. I hope you are all well, and I'd love to hear about your competition memories!

Until next time :)