This was a long show and I am still a bit tired, but overall
extremely "Chuffed" (I think that's the English word) with Cudo as a
whole.
To summarize this was our competition schedule and events
each day:
Thursday: Had to be at grounds by 11 for check in for the
Team competition. Did a 1.10m open round just to get him in the ring. You won’t
believe this, but I was thrilled with him. It was a good round, though
intentionally slow, so I had 9 time faults and then I thought I we were jumping
off for a medal of some kind and tried to slice fence 9 that just really was
way too extreme of a line, so we had a silly runout. But I stayed on and re-jumped
it so all was fine. Honestly the round gave me a ton of confidence in the
weekend as a whole.
Video is here: https://youtu.be/I7R6HU2Cj7k
Friday: We had the jog at 12pm (on a ring surface instead of
packed anything) and that went fine.
Video here: https://youtu.be/bhOhqoV0NWI
Friday afternoon we had our first class for the Team champs
and it was a Table Section 1 class which is a speed class. No faults converted
though, so if you pull a rail you have 4 faults and your time. The goal being
to go clean and fast as the time for this first class would decide any ties
after the last round on Sunday. And boy did Cudo take that seriously. I have
watched the video and I see points where we could have gone faster but we did a
solid round, solid enough to sit in 2nd out of 17 riders.
Video here: https://youtu.be/ZfFejuQv_IY
Saturday: We had “team day.” This consisted of 2 rounds over
the same course with no speed component in the 2 rounds. Just Table 2 courses,
which means go in do the course inside the time with no faults. (Basically
Eventing Show jumping style) The kicker was coming back and doing it a second
time once they had seen the track and doing it clean again. I had a fantastic
team of 3 other lovely ladies. 3 of us had been in the top 6 of the first round
so there was some hope that we might be able to be competitive. We went in and amazingly produced clear rounds
with all but 1 of our horses so we were standing on a score of 0 with our drop
score. Cudo and I had jumped last and so the Chef asked if I was comfortable
being the jump off rider to jump for the gold and silver. 1 rider from each
team tied for a medal placing had to jump off for the medal. I went first and I
honestly was just a tick slow. Not really intentionally, but I can see on video
where I was not ‘going’ as much as normal. We did our jump off in 37 seconds
and the other rider managed to beat me and get a 35 second round. But still we
earned the silver medal out of a total of 4 teams. And 3 rounds and 1 jump off in, Cudo and I
were still holding second with a score of 0. It was a good day!!!
Video of round 1 here: https://youtu.be/doZPxeGg0q0
Video of round 2 here: https://youtu.be/_bJs1pIkpU4
Sunday: We had our
last individual round. 1 round just clear and inside the time. The times from
Friday’s speed rounds were going to determine the individual placings if we all
were still on a 0 score. Reverse order of standings meant that I went second to
last. I was nervous but not in an “I can’t do this” way but more in that the
law of averages and being able to jump another clear was wearing on me. I
typically make mistakes… I mean we all do in subtle ways, and I am still
figuring him out. But I did walk the course when the ring was set for their Grand
Prix so when it was actually put down to 1.15 and I walked it again I was
laughing. 1.40-1.45 actually didn’t look bad. I kind of want to head that way
and I think Cudo could do it too. 😊
I tried to use what I knew from jumping stadium at the old
long format 3 days. I knew he was tired and I didn’t do a lot. I did a bit of
stretching while off his back and worked long and low before jumping only 5
warm up jumps. The girls in 4th and 3rd had gone clear. I
had to go clear to stay in second and I doubted seriously that the horse in
first would touch anything. So I went in and set off. 1 and 2 were good 3 was
nice, and he sailed over 4 but was sucking back as he gave a big look at 5 and
added a stride. He did an ugly bunny hop and left 5 up so I got after him and
pushed him forward through the rollback turn to the triple at 6abc. He went
through that fine even with the forward distances but then my most common problem
emerged again, I didn’t get my reins back quite enough and didn’t half halt as
much as was needed on the way to the style fence at 7 and I knew it had a
feather touch top rail and sadly we took it down with a good clunk. I groaned
internally but then tried to fight out the rest of the course to keep it to
just 4 faults. Cudo, per usual, hates hitting fences and was careful the rest
of the way. The in and out at 10ab wasn’t pretty but we got it done and by 11
and 12 he was back to sailing the jumps in his typical style. And then like all
shows, it was done. I couldn’t get the rail back, all that was left was to
thank my horse for helping me along and to learn from these moments so that in
the future we will make it on the podium instead of being relegated to 5th
place. We had a fun time in the victory gallop and I got off his back and
promised him even more treats.
We cooled out and bathed him and indeed
stuffed him full of stud muffins and apple flavored treats. Then we had to pack
up and go home. And then we were home, he was out in the field and I was a
rider staring at a pink ribbon kicking myself for what might have been. It’s
not a big deal, this isn’t our true goal but you all know… you get to thinking
of how cool it would be to win or be placed high and when it doesn’t come to
fruition, well there’s that moment of being bummed.
Today I am better and so appreciative of
my big boy. He is getting a pulsing treatment this am to help with those
undoubtedly sore muscles and we have a show (only 1 or 2 classes) a week from
today on Labor day. It’s a local unrecognized mini prix set at 1.25. I’ve
always watched but never had the horse to ride it. So this time we’re in and
then the next show isn’t until Sept 27th, so Cudo will get a week’s
break and then fire up again. He’s getting 3 days off this week, well timed
with a heat spell, and then we’ll go into the Monday show gently.
Emily
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