So how was our first time at the Festival of British Eventing? It was exciting, nerve racking and quite a big step-up. It could have been better, but it could have been worse. I am both pleased and disappointed with our performance.
We did our test on Saturday morning. Arriving on my own was quite daunting: getting out of the lorry I could hear the commentator announcing competitors and scores – reminding me that it was a championship. It didn’t faze Bow - he doesn’t get easily wound up; he worked in really nicely giving me confidence that he would produce a good test. That was until the heavens opened about twenty minutes before our time– I’d seen the forecast but hadn’t quite anticipated how heavy the showers might be. Within minutes I was soaked through to my underwear, squelching and sliding around the saddle – now I know how it must feel to continue a cross-country round having fallen in the water -not a pleasant experience. Bow was distinctly unimpressed at being asked to work such conditions – he attempted to stay in unprompted travers – putting his bottom into the rain - unhelpful as it wasn’t in the test! By the time we went into the arena he had completely switched off and I struggled to get him going forwards at all. Although the rain had eased, it was hard to tell the difference as there was still a curtain of water running off my top hat. We completed a very average test for him – I struggled to use my legs and seat effectively as I slid around in the saddle; he struggled to go forwards and sideways on the slippery surface. As I completed our final halt, I was relieved but disappointed – at least I had remembered the test and we hadn’t made any mistakes but we could have done so much more. The judges awarded us a mark of 34.9 which placed us 31st out of 90; a fair mark for an average test.
On Saturday afternoon I watched some show jumping and panicked about the crowds, the big screen and the atmosphere. The course caused a lot of problems; many horses were struggling with the atmosphere and the undulating ground and were having several poles down. I felt sick just watching. Bow can be a bit careless if I don’t ride him positively – how would he cope with all these additional issues? What would happen if we had them ALL DOWN? Total meltdown; total humiliation.
At 3.30am Sunday morning I was restless, anxious and struggling to sleep. I was tormented by nerves. I’d walked the x-country course on Saturday afternoon; both a blessing and a curse as it gave me plenty of time to think about it but it also meant that my sleep was disturbed badly that night - my demons and nightmares ran through my mind. It looked big and there were one or two fences which asked deceptive questions; in particular a wall with a low wall in front of it – on the approach it looked like a bounce and I was worried that he might misread it. I knew that it needed positive riding especially as it had an uphill approach. What if he put his front legs into it? I know that negative thoughts can act as a self fulfilling prophecy but I couldn’t help myself. The other fence I was especially worried about was the corner combination under the Landrovers – I was more worried about the people distracting him (or me) as that is where the biggest crowds congregate. The crowds were another concern – how would he react? He’d never seen so many people before. Would it blow his mind?... Thoughts reeled over and over as I tossed and turned before eventually giving up and getting up even earlier than necessary....
I arrived in time to walk the show jumping and x-country (again) which actually helped to dispel the demons. That was until I walked down to the arena on Bow; my heart stopped, a sea of faces surrounded it – at least three rows deep. How did I keep going? I’m not entirely sure. Reaching the warm up arena I walked him down the stringed tunnel to face the crowd; sports psychology has taught me to face my fears so rather than pretend the people weren’t there - as I have done in the past - I looked at them and smiled. Strangely, it worked, I felt less intimidated. We had a good warm up; my long suffering trainer there to provide support and advice – confidence giving and calming, he helped me to enter the zone. Entering the arena was like entering a bullring, the crowd waiting for disaster to strike.... I blocked it all out and kept my head... we cleared the first few fences easily... and then we hit one making me ride negatively ....two more poles fell before I managed to get him back into a positive rhythm the for the final line; 12 faults - disappointingly worse than I’d hoped for but better than my worst nightmare.
Making my way down to the x-country I felt calm; nervous but positive. There wasn’t long to wait before I was being counted down .....5,4,3,2, 1 go – we bounced out of the start box, clearing the first three fences well and scooting down the drop and into the trees....out of the wood and into the crowds...he wasn’t bothered by the people until we reached the seventh fence when I felt him back off ...quick thinking and we re-routed to take the long route safely before kicking on...we cleared fence after fence as he grew in confidence...the Landrover combination felt easy; he didn’t waver from the corner ....we rode up the hill and over the mushroom before approaching the big hedge to go down the other side... but I didn’t quite get my line right and he launched himself over it down the hill more quickly than I intended....me more of a passenger than pilot... before I reacted we arrived at the bottom of the skinny brush in a heap...he couldn’t have jumped it from there so he sensibly opted out..... swearing under my breath – extremely cross with myself for letting it happen....we renegotiated the fence successfully before completing the course a little more conservatively than we’d set out.
Many things to be positive about the entire experience, but I can’t quite shake off the disappointment with myself. I know my horse well enough by now; we are better than that. I should have stepped up to the mark but will endeavour not to beat myself up about it; we live and learn.So how was our first time at the Festival of British Eventing? It was exciting, nerve racking and quite a big step-up. It could have been better, but it could have been worse. I am both pleased and disappointed with our performance.
We did our test on Saturday morning. Arriving on my own was quite daunting: getting out of the lorry I could hear the commentator announcing competitors and scores – reminding me that it was a championship. It didn’t faze Bow - he doesn’t get easily wound up; he worked in really nicely giving me confidence that he would produce a good test. That was until the heavens opened about twenty minutes before our time– I’d seen the forecast but hadn’t quite anticipated how heavy the showers might be. Within minutes I was soaked through to my underwear, squelching and sliding around the saddle – now I know how it must feel to continue a cross-country round having fallen in the water -not a pleasant experience. Bow was distinctly unimpressed at being asked to work such conditions – he attempted to stay in unprompted travers – putting his bottom into the rain - unhelpful as it wasn’t in the test! By the time we went into the arena he had completely switched off and I struggled to get him going forwards at all. Although the rain had eased, it was hard to tell the difference as there was still a curtain of water running off my top hat. We completed a very average test for him – I struggled to use my legs and seat effectively as I slid around in the saddle; he struggled to go forwards and sideways on the slippery surface. As I completed our final halt, I was relieved but disappointed – at least I had remembered the test and we hadn’t made any mistakes but we could have done so much more. The judges awarded us a mark of 34.9 which placed us 31st out of 90; a fair mark for an average test.
On Saturday afternoon I watched some show jumping and panicked about the crowds, the big screen and the atmosphere. The course caused a lot of problems; many horses were struggling with the atmosphere and the undulating ground and were having several poles down. I felt sick just watching. Bow can be a bit careless if I don’t ride him positively – how would he cope with all these additional issues? What would happen if we had them ALL DOWN? Total meltdown; total humiliation.
At 3.30am Sunday morning I was restless, anxious and struggling to sleep. I was tormented by nerves. I’d walked the x-country course on Saturday afternoon; both a blessing and a curse as it gave me plenty of time to think about it but it also meant that my sleep was disturbed badly that night - my demons and nightmares ran through my mind. It looked big and there were one or two fences which asked deceptive questions; in particular a wall with a low wall in front of it – on the approach it looked like a bounce and I was worried that he might misread it. I knew that it needed positive riding especially as it had an uphill approach. What if he put his front legs into it? I know that negative thoughts can act as a self fulfilling prophecy but I couldn’t help myself. The other fence I was especially worried about was the corner combination under the Landrovers – I was more worried about the people distracting him (or me) as that is where the biggest crowds congregate. The crowds were another concern – how would he react? He’d never seen so many people before. Would it blow his mind?... Thoughts reeled over and over as I tossed and turned before eventually giving up and getting up even earlier than necessary....
I arrived in time to walk the show jumping and x-country (again) which actually helped to dispel the demons. That was until I walked down to the arena on Bow; my heart stopped, a sea of faces surrounded it – at least three rows deep. How did I keep going? I’m not entirely sure. Reaching the warm up arena I walked him down the stringed tunnel to face the crowd; sports psychology has taught me to face my fears so rather than pretend the people weren’t there - as I have done in the past - I looked at them and smiled. Strangely, it worked, I felt less intimidated. We had a good warm up; my long suffering trainer there to provide support and advice – confidence giving and calming, he helped me to enter the zone. Entering the arena was like entering a bullring, the crowd waiting for disaster to strike.... I blocked it all out and kept my head... we cleared the first few fences easily... and then we hit one making me ride negatively ....two more poles fell before I managed to get him back into a positive rhythm the for the final line; 12 faults - disappointingly worse than I’d hoped for but better than my worst nightmare.
Making my way down to the x-country I felt calm; nervous but positive. There wasn’t long to wait before I was being counted down .....5,4,3,2, 1 go – we bounced out of the start box, clearing the first three fences well and scooting down the drop and into the trees....out of the wood and into the crowds...he wasn’t bothered by the people until we reached the seventh fence when I felt him back off ...quick thinking and we re-routed to take the long route safely before kicking on...we cleared fence after fence as he grew in confidence...the Landrover combination felt easy; he didn’t waver from the corner ....we rode up the hill and over the mushroom before approaching the big hedge to go down the other side... but I didn’t quite get my line right and he launched himself over it down the hill more quickly than I intended....me more of a passenger than pilot... before I reacted we arrived at the bottom of the skinny brush in a heap...he couldn’t have jumped it from there so he sensibly opted out..... swearing under my breath – extremely cross with myself for letting it happen....we renegotiated the fence successfully before completing the course a little more conservatively than we’d set out.
Many things to be positive about the entire experience, but I can’t quite shake off the disappointment with myself. I know my horse well enough by now; we are better than that. I should have stepped up to the mark but will endeavour not to beat myself up about it; we live and learn.So how was our first time at the Festival of British Eventing? It was exciting, nerve racking and quite a big step-up. It could have been better, but it could have been worse. I am both pleased and disappointed with our performance.
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