Our FFE Debut!
Things I learned today
Even half a mug of tea is enough to make me need the loo more often than is comfortable
Flurry is a great colour to hide dried mud
It DOES get colder when the sun rises – who knew?
Warm-up arenas in France are just like warm-up arenas in Ireland. Except we had the added distraction of a jumping course being built as we warmed up
(Huge thanks to my LongSufferingHusband for fighting off the effects of jet-lag and a 16 hour journey to come along and take photos. And get up at 6am. And stand around in the cold all morning.)
Warm up photos (click for slideshow) :
More things I learned today :
After 16 months of not competing, Flurry will get a little excited at the start, but nothing scary (phew)
People warm-up on frozen arenas here without complaint (my SMD friends will understand)
Flurry is 100% comfortable cantering barefoot on a frozen arena (go Team Barefoot!)
Paying attention to your trainer is always worthwhile
Not only was I not allowed to carry a whip, but I wasn’t allowed to do rising trot, either. Oops.
Entering HC in France does not necessarily mean you won’t get a prize if you’re placed.
Flurry now has minions. Here he is with one of them :
More fab photos from the LSH :
It felt like the best test I’d ever ridden, but you never know…
We scored a staggering 73.667%!! When I looked closer, I saw I’d only received a 2 for Position and Seat, with trot elevé (rising trot) the first and foremost of my listed faults. The other collective marks were 7s or 8s, so I can assume I should have had at least a 7 there – approximately 2% thrown away for stupidity!
On the other side of the coin, we scored a 9! for our half ten-metre circle down the centre-line to the final halt. Nine! All because I listened to Alexandrine when she told me to ride the half circle a bit bigger – I was essentially riding a half a 7 metre circle, making life much more complicated than it need be. Hooray for listening to trainers!
Speaking of which, Team Alexandrine had three of the top six placings in out test. Kanzi and Nero where 1st, Flurry and I were 5th and Slyvie and Tara were 6th. Kanzi and her brother Chawgi also rode in the Equifun class and were 4th and 3rd respectively in that.
Team Alexandrine (except for Sylvie & Tara)
The final thing I learned today :
I’ll never be able to compete Aero at any level here unless I figure out how to sit to his trot. That’ll be fun. Not.
We’re off out for dinner tonight to celebrate loads of things –
the successful inaugural running of the LSH’s photography course
our friend’s new movie winning two prizes at the Bordeaux film festival
my FFE debut with my amazing little horse ♥
Tails From Provence 