Last weekend we entered the Development classic show at South View Equestrian Centre for the Winter Novice Hickstead Qualifier.
After canceling the entry of the Winter Novice a few weeks back at Aintree dew to not feeling like we had done enough work to be 100% ready for the qualifier we decided we would attend the last qualifier in our reign in a few more weeks. We sadly didn’t have a good run up to the show as we had to change the bit once again into something stronger 3 days before which meant we didn’t get to fully practice using the new bit. (tom thumb with iron rollers) This meant that it could go either way on Saturday.
We were drawn 4th to go in the 1.10 speed warm up early in the morning , after walking the course I looked at all the fences and thought about how much there was for my mare to look at knowing how spooky she can get at times seams they had all their fancy fences out for this show. She started the course off quite unsettled and had the 3rd fence down dew to a dodgy line and her looking else where It cost us the back rail to fall but after that she began to settle and jumped the rest of the round brilliant. The course caused quite a few problems in all different areas but the 3rd fence seamed to cause the most problems to all types of riders.
I was then drawn 32nd to go in the Winter Novice Hickstead Qualifier , I walked the course and as I got half way around as the fences started to increase I started to question if I was a little bit adventurous by entering the mare in such a huge class with only jumping 3 newcomers before hand. The last line gave me the most worry with her as it was a big square oxer coming across the arena then running up along the side of the side to a double, oxer in and upright out as the last fence. Knowing how many problems we have had with doubles recently I didn’t want to scare her. She jumped the round with a few inexperienced baby poles down but took everything in her own stride and coped amazing with the last line that I worried loads about.
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