In my last blog I was talking about my deviation to plan B. So you would think when plan B seems to not be working there should be a seamless progression onto successful plan C. This mostly is not the case particularly when a three day event Is looming and the pressure to get it right is growing. Generally there is a very short transitional phase. This phase I like to call ‘melt down’.
With Serious Business (Jasper) comfortably putting all four feet on the ground again we were off and running, looking for a good run at Camperdown. I wasn’t feeling quite as happy with how he was working after he had come back from his time off, but I just had to keep plugging away. His test was respectable, but I overcooked him a little so he wasn’t showing quite as much as I would have liked. The cross country course was looking challenging. The designers had gone to a lot of trouble to change the direction of the course to give it quite a different feel. After riding the course a lot of riders agreed that although it was great to have a change some of the changes did disrupt the flow of the course causing it to not ride quite as well as it usually did.
But I digress. My plan for Jasper was to head out quite strong and stay forward. This was quite easy to do up the hill in the beginning, but much more difficult as the course turned to head down the hill. I start to choke a little and to become a little unhappy with my ride. The water has been moved to a lot earlier in the course and is quite a difficult line with a right angled turn off an A element to the water and then a roll back on to a skinny. When I was walking my course I told myself one hundred times ‘don’t fight through the turn, guide don’t pull’ so as you can probably guess I fought and pulled and we got a stop. The next fence we also have a run out because I am over steering him instead of just letting him do his job. At this point I decided to retire and head home. My little pre novice horse saved the day again, finishing the event 3rd.
Let the melt down begin! After deciding that it’s all my fault and things would only be better if I was a much better rider I then decide there’s no way I can do Melbourne this year! Then cue a few (unnecessary and unsuccessful) bit changes. I try to think positive! I decide to have some cross country lessons with Emily Anker. She has helped me with some problems I’ve had on Jasper before. We planned three lessons and about ten minutes into my first one Jasper ripped his shoe off and took a bit of his hoof with it. It’s at this point I think I turn from strong lady holding it together to gooey puddle on the ground. Em takes one look at me and says ‘Edith I really think you just need a hug’.
What are good friends and coaches like Emily Anker for? Hugs, of course
All of the angst I had been trying to hold in explodes in a full blown melting moment. Emily was thankfully there to be the voice of reason and tell me it was ok. We’ll put the shoe back on and we still have plenty of time to come out schooling again before the next event and most importantly, now was not the time to be making huge proclamations such as ‘I’m not doing Melbourne.’
Then came two really fantastic lessons with Emily. Her message was get a forward rhythm and keep that rhythm. If the canter is good enough it will always take you to a good distance every time. Everything changed; not only did my cross country feel back on track, but so did my show jumping and dressage. Melt down over, I’m now ready for a great ride at Ballarat.
Yep, it felt super .........................
Dressage he was super, a few little mistakes that still need to be ironed out but he was still sitting 3rd. Show jumping he felt better than ever producing a beautiful clear round and I’m equal second. Cross country I had Emily warm me up to make sure I was on track. The ride was super. I couldn’t believe it; there wasn’t a bad fence. I wasn’t worrying too much about time, just getting a rhythm and keeping it (hoping that would bring me in close to time). I was ten seconds under, perfect.
As I’m coming into the vet box with a huge smile on my face I’m wondering why my groom (and very close friend) isn’t running towards me with the usual glee she shows when the boys go well. She looks like she is about to cry as she says he looked so good. My heart sinks. I can tell by looking at her face I have not done as well as I think I have. Yep I’ve done it again, I’ve missed a fence (I literally had to canter around this fence). Although I feel incredibly stupid and shattered that I let my horse down and cost him a win that he deserved, I still feel fantastic about the ride I had. I’ve got confidence back in myself and really feel I have a score to settle at Melbourne.
She can leg me up into the saddle for showjumping but sadly my groom can't ride XC with me and give me directions!
So a great clinic with Heath Ryan, squad weekend to come and two days of cold and pouring rain tell me that Melbourne three day event is just around the corner and I’m excited!
