Gracie went to her first show a couple of weeks before Arena UK, She came 2nd in the BN so I carried on throwing her in at the deep end,And for her 2nd trip off the yard we went and stayed 4days at Arena UKs major showjumping festival. I went with the mind set that anything that happened was all good experience for her, and it was!
We traveled down the Wednesday afternoon to get her settled into her stable, she traveled like a saint (Which was an amazing improvement since she tried to climb out the lorry window last time she was in it!) And came off the lorry into her stable like a little lamb, and just tucked into her hay-net.
Thursday was the BN, I got on her in good time to walk around the showground and give her a slightly longer than usual time in the warm up ring to get used to the atmosphere but in true Gracie style she took it all in her stride and didn't bat an eyelid at anything. She was slightly spooky in the ring but jumped round the first few jumps lovely, we came to the double and had a baby moment before the double and went quite green and wobbly, Not to worry, she came back out and had a jump in the warm up so no confidence lost! Baby will learn.
Friday brought the 4yos, which we was very much the small fish in a big sea in! All the other 4yos had records and results in 4yos and BNs all year, where as you could count the amount of times poor Gracie had jumped some jumps on 2 hands! She jumped round lovely, but tried to take the double as 1 jump! So when she came back round she wasn't so sure as it had knocked her confidence a bit so she didn't wanna go again. So that was 2 refusals but again she jumped a different fence lovely and popped a few in the warm up, so just doubles she wasn't judging well! I mentioned to dad that I felt like once she took her head up (No martingale- never needed one) she felt worried that she had lost my contact which was making her loose more confidence, so I got a martingale to try for the next day.
Saturday brought her last day and the 95cm. It was whatever table where they can bang the 2nd phase up a decent bit, so I went with the game plan if she jumped well I would retire her after the first phase so she ended full of confidence. She jumped round beautiful and clear and jumped through the 2 doubles no worries! Which I was so happy about. So she finished confident and clear and I couldn't be more proud of her.
She couldn't do any wrong in my eyes, even if she went and was a total idiot I'd of still been proud of how well she has done and how she has come on in the short time I've had her. She has been a pleasure to produce from an unhanded rising 3yo to the horse she is now. If she is this fab at 4, well I am so excited for her future!
Thanks for reading, I am super excited to get her back out and doing what she does best!
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