Lil's first grand day out

Yep, lorry is now called Lil. As in lil' lorry. Well its better than Bertha I guess!

A very hot day, but my times were nice and close together (in hindsight, far tooooo close together, no time to wash off/cool down/drink between times).

We got there with no fuss. Magic travelled in front partition and I left door open to living so I could see him and him me. I think he was a bit surprised to find himself in a house when he stuck his head through! "oooh, Mum, what are you doing in my new trailer??"

Dressage, he warmed up fab (we did, ooh, 5 mins?) and then parked up and watched a few.

Went in and he was a bit onward bound but did a lovely obedient test. Not as good as Solihull, but I was pleased, as the ground like concrete and the other horses tiptoed round it.

Out we go, quick wash and tack change (in lorry out of flies and sun :smug:) and off to SJing. For some reason known only to myself, I decided the pelham looked too high in his mouth so took it down a hole. Warmed up, thought push up to plate and stay light in hand and he jumped the practice fences fab. Only jumped 4 times as ground was just like a road.

In we went, he was calmer than he has been for ages, and we set off well. I pushed up to plate and he jumped absolutely perfectly the first 5. Light in my hand, no fiddle from me and me pushing up and him getting the perfect spot. It was most definately swwwwwwwweeeeeeet.

Then on a tight turn to the first double, he must have got his tongue over the bit... cue major panic from Magic, head everywhere, with me thinking "shiiiiiit, double Magic DOUBLE". I don't know how he did it but with half a stride to spare, he went for it and jumped it really well. Then back to totally behind hand and fliptop head. I threw my hands as far forward and up as I could to try to help him get it back- and by then we are at the wall. He concentrates for a split second to jump it, then is back to stress mode. Somewhere between there and fence 8, he got it back under.

Thank goodness - I NEVER want to do that again! We got our act together for a lovely shot at 8 (still me pushing up to plate and not fiddling) and then related distance to 9 - a black and white spread with filler. Felt him backing off from a mile away, so he got 4 strides of kickpushwhack.... and he grudgingly jumped it. Then the final double and we got a fab clear :-)

Was definately the best round we've jumped yet. I had hours to make turns and keep rhythm, he wasn't running at all and it would have been perfect without the tongue incident. He obviously felt it was all too easy if he needed to back off a black and white one.... grrr.

I put the bit up before we went xc!!!

Quick wash down, change and off we went for XC. Warm up he was really odd. Very nappy towards lorry and away from practice fences. Nearly ran out the second one and jumped it badly, then better the second time. I'm thinking, this doesn't bode well.....

Off we go, and he absolutely flew round! It was a very trappy course, nearly every fence had two elements, and all approaches/getaways were on tight turns. It wasn't a Magic can gallop track at all. Having said that it will have done us BOTH the world of good!

1 & 2 were simple, he didn't back off no 1 which I expected him to do after the nap. 3 was step up to roll top, which he sailed through without slowing. 4 a big palisade with a drop, then 120 degrees back on self to 5, a house with feed bags under it - he flew the palisade and I had major issues getting the turn, but we jumped it on an angle! 6 was a skinny pimple with flowers on top :eek:, I got him straight a long way off and he just kept his line despite not liking the look of it.

Then a long gallop up a hill to 7 a and b, steep dogleg angle round a tree in the dark! He flew them, then onto 8 which was a nightmare, a plain upright at 90 degrees to way we are going, then 180 turn and over another, then another 180 turn to get to the water. Unbelievably twisty and not very fair!

Water was a skinny log under a tree, a couple of strides and a big step down and big step up. Would he wait for me? Ha. Got over the log in some semblance of control, then he launched into the water and out again.... he's never been that bold into water before! Then the 2 big steps down the biiiig hill - then 2 strides to a skinny brush..... dodgy on a steep downhill. I DID make him wait here - my life depended on it! He stayed beautifully straight on his line, boy he's grown up over the winter!

Then bowled on down the hill and sharp 90 into wood, with 3 fences on 3 strides then 5 strides.... bending line one way then other - he was awesome - just jumped, turned, jumped on an angle, turned, jumped. And galloped away down the hill!

Over the plain ditch (warranted a good look) then flew the trakhener (go figure!), the skinny on the top of the mound, and then barely made the turn (rider error) back to 16 another skinny, so we angle it (ooops). Over the last, a flower bed (still on a dodgy turn).

He was brilliant. An absolute machine! Got off and led him back, washed him off and gave him grass and fuss.

He LOVES Lil - I really didn't think he would, but he has loads of space and she's light and airy and there was a lovely breeze through with the doors open, so he was plenty cool enough standing in.

Travelled like a star and loaded on and off various times.

And it was soooo nice to have all my clobber in its place and be able to get changed etc. Such luxury! Echo liked it too, although she felt the need to stay on sentry duty in the hotter cab, despite the living being breezy and cool.... even when I put the blanket over the cut through, she still snuck through to the cab. Hey ho, odd doglet!

We got 39 dressage, which I felt was very harsh... having seen the ones before me etc. But hey ho... not all judges can see the quality in a Magic. We got a double clear inside the time so it still got us up to 4th! :-)

Picture will follow when its on the web.