Friday after he got new shoes it was as if butter wouldn't melt and mr diddle trotted and cantered around the track on a loose rein and I thought ooh do I have my horse back after his crazy antics over the last week (including reacquainting me with the ground). Saturday we popped over a few jumps and did some schooling and he was a little rushy and strong but mostly good. So I thought ok let's do it, and still went to the comp on Sunday! the first two rounds he was stopstarty and then bolty and just not listening at all, and we had a dumb rail in both, then I entered him the next height up (our 3rd attempt at it!) and he suddenly started respecting the height and it was our best round of the day, one rail (striding was wrong it got almost everyone!) but till came 5th. And of course he jumped the two scariest the best (brick wall and jump #1 - which was actually 5cm higher than the class, and yes the rules do say there can be a 5cm tolerance but still, jump #1 should be the smallest of the course!)
Running total:
Aus: 239.5hrs
Mads: 9hrs