So, a bit of a sorry state of affairs after my run of cast iron balls activities. First off, I was massively on the up after my ‘mock hunting’ experience so thought this would make day to day riding, clinics and popping a small fence in the school a doddle. With the right mind set, I entered for a show jumping clinic at Brinsbury College and when asked what height I wanted to jump – very boldly wrote back 90cms!!! WTF was I thinking (scuse’ the language). I know this might not seem a huge feat to most of you but when New Husband put a 70cm jump up in the arena to practice over for the big day – I just wanted to get off. I almost cried and almost certainly had a change of undies looming.
Saturday morning came and I was literally white as a sheet walking down the field to retrieve my poor horse! I gave him a small calmer syringe (Lord knows why I didn’t syringe it – and the rest of the pack of 3 – straight into my own mouth!). I got all my gear on – Jumping saddle (borrowed from a friend), branded jacket (from days gone by when I didn’t tremble so often) and my new INVINCIBILITY BOOTS**. – We certainly looked the business!! On arrival I was delighted to see the jumps were tiny and the 2 people in the group before me hitting the deck and getting up laughing! PHEW!
We went in, perfect dressage moves across the arena, mediums all intact, counter canter, flying change *SHOW OFF ALERT* but then I remembered why we had come and began over a cross pole that my cat could have jumped over, clinging onto the neckstrap – breathing a sigh of relief over not dying, I jumped a few single fences before being picked out of the group as the first course jumper. Well… they were 85cms, I didn’t faint, I didn’t cry, I kept a nice rhythm, put my leg on where I needed to and got each jump foot perfect. I literally couldn’t have been happier – jumped the course once more in the session and because of how thrilled I was to be alive, I decided to quit while I was ahead!!
I hacked home with a grin on my face as the tension pains in my chest subsided, another happy outing doing something out of my comfort zone!
Next stop DRESSAGE. A competition environment where I feel a little more confident in our capabilities. We have 2 competition days in a row – day one is 2x Novice tests and day 2 is a Novice and Elementary! I have also found a chum to buddy up with at a Hunter trial on 2nd Oct and I absolutely MUST get XC schooling at Littleton before the fateful BE day! Please hold my hand!!
**INVINCIBILITY BOOTS – The box arrived and the first word I read on it was Cognac… I thought my luck was changing and they came with a free bottle. Alas, it was the colour – I have been through pairs of death boots before and these looked not all that dissimilar. BUT…they haven’t once made my feet pound with circulation loss. I feel invincible in them – I put one foot in, zipped them up and it was like someone had melted them to my legs – they are grippy, elegant and described as “perfect choice for any top-level rider.” WELL THAT’S ALL RIGHT THEN!!!!!
To get yourself a pair of INVINCIBILITY BOOTS, go to Ariat and look up the ‘Challenge Contour Square Toe’ they are worth every penny!
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