BSJA at Stretcholt

Following a very busy week with 7 horses now in, Millie and Aragon headed to the BSJA show at Stretcholt on Saturday which was holding there first jumping show. On arriving I was slightly disconcerted to find a course of uprights with several poles missing, but was then informed that they were still awaiting more jumps to arrive! As a result the first class started half an hour late and Millie and I were ready to go in first and christen the course. Although she can be quite spooky at home she really enjoys going out jumping and was completely unfazed to jump a nice clear. Aragon next was very excited to get on and then marched round the warm up like he owned the place. He behaved impeccably though and drew many an admiring glance. The course itself was really a bit small for him and he just tapped one upright, but he went round calmly and in control, although being a big horse the 20m by 60m suddenly felt a lot smaller than on Millie.

Aragon Warming Up

With about 8 horses through to the jump off I decided to not try tight turns on Millie, but just keep her moving on a forward stride which is how she likes to jump anyway. She produced another great round and tried to cut a few corners herself despite the fact she has never been taken against the clock before! Fiona and I were thrilled that she finished 2nd and gained £18 and a qualification for the 90cm amatuers second round.

After 2 rounds Millie was looking slightly tired, but Aragon definitely needed to go into the 1 metre class to give him something bigger to jump and we decided that we might as well enter both, but ride Aragon first to give Millie a little rest. Aragon warmed up beautifully and in the ring felt much more balanced and basculing beautifully over the bigger fences. Frustratingly he just touched one and it fell, but I was over the moon with the round and felt he could have done with the fences a bit biggeer still. Unfortunatley Alice who was filming forgot to start the video until the last two jumps so there is only a very quick video of the end of his round plus one of him jumping in the warm up.

Aragon Warm Up Video                     Aragon Course Video

Onto Millie and she felt rather dead inn the warm up so i opted for just a couple of jumps whilst wondering if I was right to try our first attempt at this height when she was a bit tired. I needn't have worried as she immediately perked up in the arena and seemed to be under the impression that we were going against the clock again! The result was a free, but lovely clear with her being exceptionally neat over the larger fences. She repeated this in the jump off, but unfortunately we didn't get the best stride to the planks which came down leaving us just outside the rossettes.  Neverthe less Millie was a star managing the raised jumps and really enjoying herself, show jumping is definitley her thing and she was still on a high today when Fiona took her out for an easy hack.

Millie Course Video 1m