Sunday saw our second BE event, again at Intro level, this time at Pontispool.
I have been working hard over the last few weeks since Stockland Lovell on our dressage and in particular focusing on getting Fleur to really engage her hind quarters and round through her back especially in the canter.
We went in for our test having again worked in well and performed what I felt was a cracking test. The only way I could really fault her was that I had over collected her slightly for the level of test (so her fault not mine), and that in the walk I didn’t go for an all out stretch so to prevent her from jogging which she was threatening but she was soft and forward especially through the trot and canter work. Unfortunately though the judge didn’t seem to agree and awarded us 37.5 (62.5%), but reading the test sheet it is almost but not quite as if he was watching a different test. The judge said she was tense and not working forwards and also said she bucked into one of the canter transistions. well I can happily say she wasn’t tense and she was working forwards into my hand and she most certainly did not buck (I would hope I would have noticed if she had 
), therefore will be chalking that test up to experience, I was pleased how she went so we will ignore the judge’s comments! :p
Next was the Showjumping, the course shall we just say was small and Fleur had no respect for it at all and was bouncing and pulling me round. She jumped a bit too flat over the planks and as they were the upside down cups there is no lip so the tiniest touch and they fall so we finished on 4 penalties. Disappointing as she is normally so careful showjumping but just confirmed she needs bigger fences to concentrate on what she is jumping rather than what is going on around her!
Lastly on to the XC, the majority of the course was nice and inviting and not too large, although there was a decent trakenher at 4 followed by a double of brushes on a 90 degree turn at 5. There was also a big question at the first water which had 4 parts so a big ask at intro.
She was jumping round really well and we were at a quicker speed in attempt to get rid of those time penalties. She popped the trakenher, brushes and water without issue when we then approached fence 10 an innocuous brush fence. On approach but still a fair way out she suddenly ground to a halt and shot sideways which at first I couldn’t understand. I then spotted that in the direct line after the fence was a photographer hiding in the long grass. I fairly loudly made a point that she was spooking at the photographer not the fence at which point he dropped his camera down from his face, Fleur realised he was human and went forward again jumping the fence with no issues and continuing round the rest of the course in style. I would say we easily wasted 10-15 seconds at the fence, so to find out we were 11 seconds over the time (so 4.4 time penalties) I was in a way pleased as it meant had we not had the photographer issue we would have been pretty much bang on the time.
Unfortunately those time penalties did cost us a place as without them we would have been 9th with we were 14th. Without the pole down and the time penalties we would have been 5th. So we were very close to a placing yet again but even our final result was a good one and I came away very pleased with her behaviour, even if she could have slowed down in the showjumping!
If you click the below link you can see the professional photos taken by Jayphotos.
JayPhotos.co.uk pontispool Pro pics link!
So onwards and upwards now, next weekend we are off to Moreton again for the intro and if that goes well we will move up to Prenovice at Winkleigh at the beginning of July.
