Cocaïne's first comp done!!!

orbvalley

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Jan 15, 2008
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France, South
Tuesday was her first competition albeit only training but a very big event with hundreds of entrants which even stunned me. I don't compete but as she's being shared by the riding club I asked if they could take her. She was entered into two rounds - the Ist was 85cm Show jumping and Cross, the 2nd 95cm Show and Cross.
The day started with her not wanting to load again! Chifney out and onto van within 10minutes and countless rears apparently:oops:. I met them at the show to find the place alive and running with horses everywhere loud music blaring out of speakers and eventually found Cocaïne stood quietly next to the trailer munching:)
The rider that took her round started to get nervous the nearer it got and was worried that she would nap/reverse/and just generally refuse to go forwards including not wanting to canter on the grass:rolleyes: A new one to me which made me LOL! I told the rider that she'd being living out in acres of grass since birth and loves nothing more than holing around on it so not to let her try and trick her into thinking that she's been living in a cupboard for 6 years:D I also said if she just managed to get her round the warmup & felt it best to withdraw I would still be hugely proud and pleased that she's managed that:cool:
So in they went to the warm up. Cocaïne jumping sideways at her own shadow, the wind, the noise of the music blah blah blah. But the rider held tight and relaxed. Moved through to the jump warm up. No probs:cool:
Called through to the start box and she reared up vertical at a road block that blew over with a gust of wind :eek:. I really thought the rider was coming off but again she held tight:cool: Countdown and they're off - flew round the show jumps (she's used to that) through to the cross country - a bit wary but legged on and went up the piano bank, over a rolled pipe and off into the distance. 2 refusals caused an elimination but allowed to complete the round for experience which they did with a few circles round and back over various jumps. Back into the arena she flew over the show jumps to home:cool::cool::cool:
Rider was knackered! and very worried about the next round whishing they'd left it at just the one. I said Cocaïne would be easier IMO the next round as she'd already figured the cross country idea and would now know what the idea was.
In again to the start box, dying round the show jumps to gasps from the crowd:p out to the cross was over a brush fence with a drop landing out of the arena which got a refusal first time (no-one had yet managed it) circle round and big jump over it:D up the bank and flying round off into the distance with another refusal causing elimination again but continuing on. Cantering back up to home to jump a skinny (the one I'd said looked the most tricky to me!) she came to a halt in front of it. Rider kicked on and Cocaïne jumped it from a stand still unbalancing the rider and causing her to fall off:eek::(:( Rider had banged her head:( and had some vision probs:( But RI told me it was a bit of an exaggeration and not to worry as the rider was up and ready to watch her friends go round:)
Cocaïne loaded for home without hesitation or fuss:D:D:D
I was so so proud of her and so thankful to her brave brave rider.:D:D:D
The RI was eyes wide open at the power in her jumps and said to me I don't know what level your jumpings at but how do you manage to stay on?!! Easy I replied - I'm always hitting the deck:p
What a great mare my feisty dragons turning into:):):)

Some pics if you got this far ;)
 

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Crikey - loved your write up I was quite out of breath and and hyped up by the end lol! Thoroughly enjoyed the ride around though :D What a super little horse, I absolutely loved that type about 40 years ago but you wouldnt even get me on her these days. And what a brave rider to stick with it - well almost stick with it. Are you going to compete at some point? :)
 
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That left me quite breathless reading your report.

That is a very brave rider has she been jumping her at home before the competition?

The rear round have finished me off. Looks like she is going to be show jumper then.

What are your plans on her.
 
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The rider has had 1 group lesson on the flat with her where she was prancing around with her tail in the air snorting and 1 cross lesson on her where she apparently refused to canter on the grass! She is a very brave rider to have taken her round twice on her first outing as she can be quite a handful if she goes into overload mode!
I think she will take to cross once she's had more experience with it, I've always jumped her in the school and she knows her job in that so I expected her to be ok with that.
I don't compete, never even tried. I don't like to be in the limelight and I would have been sick numerous times prior to my turn had it been me:D:oops: Plus it is all youngsters or young adults, I'd feel a chump if I won and stole the rosette off of one of them!
I would though love to train for it and be able to do it just for my own pleasure, just not on a competition day. I'm keen to get going on that now!
 
Wow, what a day. How amazing that she's done so well at a busy competition first time out and has she never done XC before? What a brave rider too, hats off to them both!

:D:D:D
 
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She's never done Cross before as at my other yard there wasn't a cross course. She had 1 very small session last summer at this same RS she's at now but its only got a few quite simple small jumps.
 
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3.5years ago I retired my gelding and best friend. I was looking for another horse to ride as I realised that being on the ground wasn't enough for me. I was definitely not looking for a mare, nor a grey as I didn't want to get mixed up emotionally with my grey retiree, I swore I'd never buy an unbacked. I ended up with Cocaïne who was a quiet twinkle baby 3 year old unbacked grey mare in the field. She grew into a hot headed feisty dragon of a witch but she's now at 6 starting to become almost loveable if the mood takes her:rolleyes: Bl*dy hell its been a journey!
 
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Sheesh! Can I borrow her brave pants?!

Well done that rider, and well done your clever girl. The more she does, the more she will understand. How exciting!
 
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Well done to the rider and Cocaine, she looks great!! Brave rider and pony, sounds like a full on event.
 
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