Wandin ODE

Car packed, float ready, horse won't get on the thing. Argh! Worst case scenario number one. My confidence level is plummeting very very quickly, and I am considering throwing in the towel. I call reinforcements (namely, husband), and together we get Gally on the float.

I now have about 1.5 hours of driving to reconsider my approach.

We arrive at Wandin, I put the horse in the yard, register and check out the dressage rings. All good. A thousand thoughts are running through my mind, none of them helpful. I stand up straight and think "ok, what's my problem? and what's my plan?". My problem is experience and fear. Experience has shown me that horses can freak out in new situations - new noises, new sights, flags, bunting and tents flapping madly in the wind. And I fear the worst because I've experienced the worst. So my plan is to get in that yard, saddle up the horse, and get to the warmup area for dressage. I erase all other thoughts from my mind, and presto, execute my plan to the letter.

In the warm up area I meet Gally's previous owners. The warmup goes well. I am told that I cannot take my whip into the dressage test with me. Ooops. I didn't anticipate this. Never mind. I ask for lots of forward, and ride the test. It's not perfect, but I ride well. That's what counts. The dressage judge's comments are useless, all about how the circles aren't perfect and nothing about how the horse is travelling.

After the dressage I have a short break. My, now very pregnant, horse riding girlfriend arrives with her daughter. I am greateful for the support. It's good to lighten up the atmosphere and have a laugh.

We walk the showjumping course, then it's back in the saddle and warming up over a cross rail. By now, Gally has recognised Wish, (Gally's previous owner's horse), and is more interested in following the grey mare around, whether it be over jumps or not. I'm only half way through my warm up, when my number gets called up. Oh well. "Lots of forward", I think to myself, nod to the judges and kick off over jump number one. The course flows, between jump 5 and 6 Gally neighs a soft, semi supressed greeting to Wish. At jump 8 I lose my balance and almost get it all wrong, but manage to recover, we go over 9, and get a clear round.

Now we get a longer break, which is filled with lunch, coffee, walking the XC course, organising the car, mulling over the XC course, having a lay down in the float while mulling over the XC course, and walking the XC course once again. Everything from jump 7 onwards worries me. Worst case scenario number two.

I saddle up and warm up. Gally is reluctant to go over the warm up jumps, and while I don't actually get a refusal, we do have a problem with forward. The fact that he gravitates to every grey horse, Wish herself included, doesn't help. The starter begins my countdown, and we're off. Gally shies even before we get to Thomas the Tank engine, but he clears it well. 50 metres away from jump number 2, he's already doing big eyes at it. We approach and retreat, let some horses go past, get goodness knows how many refusals, but we get over it. Three flows, 4 the ditch is easy, 5 the brush is cruisy. We slow down to trot for jump 6, then trot into the shaded alley and do 7. At 8 Gally tries to duck left and right but I get him over it. Nine, 10a and 10b is good.

He stops at the water. We don't actually need to go into it, but he doesn't see anything except the big pool of water, which of course contains some horse eating monster. And I can't actually get him to the jump. Worst case scenario number three. After a very very long time at the water, I choose elimination and move on. Refusal at 12. I come back with more drive and we're over it. Then of course he doesn't want to do 13 - a very steep slide down the hill. Jen (his previous rider) even comes over and starts giving me some coaching. The coaching is brilliant, and I really appreciate it, but in the interest of everyone's time and safety I move on, get us over 14, then through the finish flags. Phew!

The vet gives us the ok, and we're free to relax and laugh about it all.

Wish and her rider win the Training Level 5 Wandin ODE!!!