Area 20 Indoor Jumping Qualifier.
November 2011.
THE YEAR THAT WE WON IT.
“Anyone interested in the Novice Indoor Show Jumping Qualifier” was the content of the email!
“Ermmmm – OK I will if you will” said my friend! And that’s how I came to be competing again for the first time since I was 12!! That’s over 35 years ago, and that is all we will say about my age.
As it turned out, my friend had a rather fab surprise birthday prezzie from her hubby which was a trip to Thailand for 3 weeks to meet up with her daughter who was travelling out there, and she had to withdraw.
So that left a very nervous me on my lonesome, not having met too many members of Maelor RC as yet and had never set eyes on my team mates before! So if you can imagine the scene, a nervous ex-Pony Club mum riding the horse she had bought for herself 4 years previously to “have a go “ on and had not actually managed to yet, and on the horse who had just spent 10 months in rehab after he fractured his shoulder last year acting daft in the field! And by the way, squashed into her daughter’s competition jacket, because she did not own one herself! Not a recipe for success one would think, nervous as hell and unable to breath because her jacket is too tight!
I walked the course twice, and watched the first half go before getting Magnum off the lorry and started to warm up. Once my number was called I waited anxiously by the gate, and here I met my fellow team mates for the day. All I can remember was Ann talking to me, but I couldn’t hear a thing, knees were shaking and I was feeling very sick. I suddenly had a lot of admiration for my daughter and her riding abilities, even with me wittering on at her from the ground just before she was about to compete. How on earth does she remember all those jumping courses dressage tests without anyone to help her?
I waited for the bell and jumped the first three fences very cautiously (slowly) and then Magnum decided he was doing it on his own and picked up the pace and grabbed the bit off me and set off. I just pointed and pressed all the way round trying not to hang around his neck and he did the rest. A lovely clear round! That put Maelor on Zero to be carried forward to the next round! Phew- not disgraced myself this time.
Round two was not quite as good for us, with two down, and my score being dropped. But the others did well and that put the team in joint first place with two other teams and just two qualifying places available. The jump off was nerve racking and Mags and I were one of the last to go. We did a decent round but had the last fence down! No one seemed to know who had won at the end, and we were utterly amazed when it was announced that Maelor had won!
I was thrilled for my lovely horse Mags, who I nearly lost last April due to a fractured shoulder, but thanks to a super hero vet and weeks and weeks of box rest and then re-hab, seems to have come out the other side. All being well I hope to continue competing with him this year and have a go at some very small hunter trials and eventing competitions too. Looks like I need to invest in a new jacket!
Leesa and Magnum
