I set off early doors this morning on mine and hubby's 12th wedding anniversary to take on the rain, mud and the entirety of itself.. Tweseldown. You've heard of 'bitten off more than you can chew', yup, you guessed it, that was sooo me.
I entered myself and the wonderful Maggie into our first BE of the season what thinking that the 90 would be OK and that it's worth giving it a try, right? Well,if you don't try, you don't achieve. I hadn't really prepared myself very well for the tough going and the fact that I had to get down that drop to that awkward dreaded skinny... This was not filling me with confidence as Maggie and I aren't so fond (not at all actually) of the slimmer fence. So i have a nifty sip of bubbles and an Imodium, Whicker hat liners in (you all have to try these, with my dreadful sweaty head and I can just change the liner after a few weeks and my hat is still as fresh as a daisy) and I'm set to go.
As it seems, this was the least of our worries.......
My section in the dressage was being scored pretty harshly, so I didn't have high hopes, but what did please me was that Maggie had tried her heart out as we were trudging through the mud and she had done more than enough to make me proud.
Next up, show jumping... I wasn't too worried about this, very little warm up as it was so muddy. We go in early (being brave) and we start off OK but Maggie is starting to worry herself with her footing in the deep going and roles quite a few poles 50% of them!! AARRGGH!!
What she did do though is try, she took off for every jump I asked her to and didn't stop... Heart of a lion even if not perfect.
Here it comes... the X-Country.... I head off to the warm up...Again not at all wonderful conditions in the warm up, we pop a few practice fences, take a line for the larger one and the worst happens, I am off, jacket has gone pop and it's not going well. That will teach me to take a crappy line in crappy conditions and expect Maggie to look after me. She can only do what she can do.... After having to see the doctor (as they have to make sure you're OK to continue) with a kiss (from the doc) and a leg up and am ready to go. I get to the start box and the lovely man asks if I'm alright and bless his heart.... I am blubbing! YES!!! blubbing, it was all becoming a little emotional and I am trying to hold it together. I don't want to let little Maggie down. After my little pep talk from the lovely gent, I've got 20 secs and I'm on my way. He holds my hand taps my leg and sends me on my way. Well, Maggie is like a machine, we are flying, hitting every fence spot on and eventually smiling. The first water is coming it (we all know my history with water and Tweseldown), we are through and we're going again, over a log pile that I was dreading and then to the drop and the brush skinny...... down the drop and heading for the OOOOPPSS!!!!! We've refused, we head for it again... nope and again, she's (We're) having none of it and that's it game over! I did manage to stay on after hanging out of the side door and the jump judge was suitably impressed if that's consolation?! I take an amble back to find my wonderful supportive friends and meet the lovely doc. He's made me feel so much better about myself and telling me that so many people have come out at this fence and I wasn't the first and certainly wouldn't be the last and that I should be soooo proud that I got back on after the fall and carried on as much as I could. I'm now smiling as walking back to the trailer that I actually had taken myself to have a go and I had faced my fears and I had done pretty OK-ish. Maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew or was it just a very bad day? Either way, on wards and upwards, I will take myself out practice, practice, practice and try and make myself the best I can be and help myself and Maggie achieve our goals!!!
I'm hoping the next event we'll have better news, but for now... A huge lesson learnt and a cracking day out with cracking friends!! This I am massively thankful for!!!!!