Like the rest of Australia, when I heard the gut wrenching news about Megan withdrawing from the Olympic team, I was completely shattered. I was so excited about the Olympics and watching my coach ride! It would have been the first time I had ever known someone competing. I’ll admit I cried for her, but I was extremely proud of her for being so strong and gracious and putting Floyd first. She’s truly won gold in my eyes.
So, I began thinking of a way I could send my support to Megan and to try and lift her spirits just a fraction and I decided that Billy and I were going to hold our own ‘mini Olympics’ in her honour!
Let me explain a few things first.
This time last year was the very first time in my life I competed in a Horse Trials event. Prior to that I’d had two one hour cross country lessons with Megan the previous weekend and that was the limit of my experience.
The event I chose last year was Melton Horse Trials and I was terrified. When it was my turn to ride cross country, it poured with rain and I trotted most of the course and rode with the map in my hand, which I might add was reduced to a soggy mess! I had one stop at the concrete pipes (pictured below) because I was choking Billy from fear. I finished about a minute and a half over time and placed 18th, but I was happy I had done it and survived.
Tweleve months later here I was preparing for the same event. I had a lesson with my sponsor, Remote Coach, last Sunday and we worked on canter transitions and getting Billy to move forward off the leg. He was brilliant and we had some really lovely transitions and paces. I was pleased I’d had my lesson because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to ride again before the competition. My goal was simply to ride for Megan and go clear and within time.
With an early morning start I caught Billy in the dark and the rain and we loaded up heading for Melton. I felt sick in the car most of the way to the event and several times thought I may need to pull over. For me the day was so important and I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, which I didn’t really need to do. However, I found that as I arrived at the event my fear dissipated and I became excited rather than terrified.
When we arrived, I unloaded Billy, organised his hay and water and then checked in and had a good look at my cross country map. It looked the same as last year but went for a walk around the course to confirm that I knew exactly where I was going. I’d left home at 6:30am and arrived at Melton at 8:00am leaving me around an hour to get ready, including putting in studs, as the ground was really muddy and soggy.
I find plaiting really helps calm me and spent a while getting Billy ready. I bought some Twinkletoes Hoof Glitter and popped that on his hooves once he was plaited up. We’d had him clipped last weekend and he really looked amazing – just like a real eventer! In case you haven’t guessed I love getting ready for competitions.
Billy was with his bling!
My dressage test was at 9:40am so at 9am I mounted and headed over to the warm up area and began my routine. Billy was at first a little resistant when I asked for right canter so I gave him a reminder with my dressage whip and he pig-rooted. I laughed and rode him through it and from then on he was very responsive. I think the whip stung a little more than usual with his coat being so short.
At 9:35 the ring was empty and there was no one else waiting to go in before me so I decided that, as Billy was tense and literally champing at the bit, I would present to the judge and see if she would like me to ride early. She was happy for us to compete early so we headed down to the A marker. The horn beeped, I took a deep breath and off we went.
At the end of the test I was rather disappointed. I felt I hadn’t done very well and that Billy had been a bit tense. Never mind I gave him a big pat as we left the arena and then focused on the show jumping and sticking to my goal of going clear and within time.
I don’t do a lot of jumping in my warm up, I tend to jump maybe three times and then focus on rhythm and forwardness, which seems to work for us. As I was watching some of the other riders, a lady in the ring next to ours was jumping Grade 1 and came off her horse and dislocated her shoulder. She was on the ground for quite some time before the ambulance arrived and then it promptly got bogged so a tow truck arrived to assist and that got bogged too! So you can see why I was keen to have studs in!
Just like the dressage we went early in to the show jumping and after presenting to the judge and the bell ringing Billy popped straight into a canter and off we went. I was super pleased with him. He was rhythmic and forward and we cleared the course. The jumps felt so small. I can’t believe I am actually saying that, but I definitely know the clinic with Amanda Ross paid off big time!
I took Billy back to the float, un-tacked him, gave him some carrots and water and put his rug on and then went off to walk my cross country course and was really pleased to see it was the same. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about the pipes but that was really the only thing I was niggly about. I took photos of all the fences on my phone as well to help me recall them.
I then had a two-hour break until my cross country and went to get some lunch and collect our dressage test. I filed through the tests and pulled mine out. I was absolutely gobsmacked!!
Just look at those nines!
I actually cried when I saw 5 x 9’s and 4 x 8’s! I couldn’t believe it. I thought I had done really badly but now I thought of Megan and how happy she would be! I headed straight back to the car and gave Billy a huge hug and showed him the test. I then called Fiona (Remote Coach) and told her the news. She was absolutely thrilled. I asked her to help me get my focus clear again and once our call was finished, I sat in the car and visualised the course from start to finish and us clearing every fence.
As I tacked Billy up for cross country I had a little word in his ear. “Let’s do it for Megan, Billy. Let’s ride this and nail it. We’re gonna make her proud!” I am sure he understood every word I said!
Let's go
I headed out to an area where there were no other horses and began warming up. I worked on forward trot in two point and then canter in three point seat and ensured that I kept my reins at the length Megan had taught me. For me, that’s the first notch closest to the bit. I then worked on keeping my lower leg wrapped around Billy’s tummy and toes up. I felt really good and secure. I did my routine on both reins and then had two jumps over the practice fence and then spent the rest of the time just walking around and taking deep breaths. A lovely rider had lent me her rainbow whip (a perfect addition for Billy Sparklepants!) as I had left my jumping one at home.
Finally it was our turn to go. I headed into the start box and with ten seconds to go, started my watch. Billy just stood there, taking it all in and then off we went!
Clear over the first! The second fence was a flower box, I talked to Billy and we cleared it. Over the third and onto the fourth fence. I saw the rider in front of me had come off and her horse was going crazy as she held him. I slowed down a little and shouted out, “Are you OK?” and she said, “Yes! Sorry!” I said “You’re right ,mate, I’ll go around you!” and that’s exactly what we did. We flew around the course and I felt so proud! Billy was loving it and as we approached the concrete pipes, I looked at the ground in front of them and saw the left side was better so aimed for that.
“C’mon Billy! Let’s do it for Megan!” I said as we approached and I sat in my light three point seat and closed my legs on him and we sailed over it. I let out a huge Wahoooooooooooo!!!
The rest of the course was a blur! I was thrilled with how it had gone but I was pretty sure we’d gone too fast.
We walked into the vet check and I asked if I could dismount and did so. I loosened Billy’s girth and cavesson and flash strap, crossed my stirrups and knotted the martingale. As we walked, Billy smooched me and I hugged and patted him. I was thrilled with that ride! We really did ride our hearts out and I know that Megan would have smiled if she’d seen us! Billy’s heart rate was 65. I was very happy.
I walked him back to the float and told him how proud I was of him. I un-tacked him, removed the studs and gave him a drink and rugged him and walked him around to cool him down.
Once he was cool enough, I packed up all my gear and the sky began to get really dark so I put on his canvass rug and headed over to the secretary’s office to collect my cards. I just assumed that I’d not placed and was ready to go home. I was very happy.
I chatted to the young girl who handed my cards to me and she said that we’d brought her to tears when she heard me encouraging Billy to do it for Megan. It wasn’t long after that, the same young girl came back to recollect my cards as the results had not been posted. So I handed them back and finally at 4:50pm the results came out. I waited for the area to clear and looked at the bottom of the list, expecting to see my name down there somewhere. My eyes went higher and higher and higher on the list.
THIRD! I did a little dance! Billy and I had won Bronze for Megan!
I waited for the presentation and was so proud to accept our white ribbon. Finally it was time to go home. What an amazing day.
I texted Megan when I got home and told her our story and what the jump judge had said. She said. “Oh Jenna that brings tears to my eyes!! Well done.”
Yep, she’s amazing all right!
Thank you also yet again to Remote Coach, Fiona, for your support!
Until next time, dream, believe, focus and achieve!
Jenna and Billy
