What a weekend of rain!!! We'd booked to go to our 2nd Arena Eventing event and the weather forecast became increasingly grim as the week went on 🤦🏻♀️ Do we withdraw, sit tight, or just inwardly panic? We went for the latter. (I was stressing as she's hardly had any ring experience and knowing it was going to be wet, wet, wet and leaping over big obstacles made me even more uneasy)!
The rain had pretty much fallen for the entire week leading up to the event and even worse the morning of the event (I felt so bad for the 8am competitors), but we're booked in and we're on our way. I couldn't quite believe it, as we're on route the sun was actually blinding us from the glare of the wet road, but taking it with a smile as it's dry!!
We arrive and great parking (which always helps), the weather is holding up and we drop the ramp for Mr P and give him a huge snack and go to see what's occurring.
The course looks nice, there's one wet area of arena, but they'll just have to pull back there and take it steady 😬
Ok, fences 1-7 she can learn as they're the same throughout classes, we just have to wait to learn the latter part of the course only 10 fences. (We know we're not too good at remembering our way(but I'm hopeful)). 🤞🏻
The time has come to get Mr P ready and start warming up. Mr P comes off the lorry a few hands bigger than he went on (oh my gosh, like my nerves aren't shot enough already (please P, relax))!
We continue, get the little Jinja on and as we so Mr P takes a breath and shrinks a little nearly back to normal size and we head to the warm up. They are trying to get through quickly as we were due to lose the light, therefore warm up time slightly reduced and time to walk the course. There is a very dark cloud (the whole sky actually) looming and waiting to dump another vast amount of rain. Please hold off...
Walking the course and looking for the lines to keep it easy and fluid for them (not wanting her to cut corners).
The first competitors are in and out and Little Jinj & Mr P to go. I did well to video and not watch as it doesn't seem as real, although I still had my heart in my mouth.
I'm watching and they're flying, she's going the right way and they're doing super well!
I am ecstatic! A clear and safe round and they have done so well! I'm like the crazy lady, cheering all by myself on the side line. Sorry not sorry!
Literally as they come out of the arena and that sky decided it was time and wow!... It wasn't even rain, just water dumping from the sky. We get Mr P covered, untacked and in the lorry and look on in disparity for the competitor after us... oh man, that was a very wet round!! 🫣
We had super support from other onlookers and what a wonderful atmosphere it was! Thank you to all @ Coombelands and @Equitogs for a super show! We can't wait for the next one!!