The Last Winter League

So after about twenty shows, one elimination, ten trillion hours of grooming, one fall, blood (yes actual blood) sweat and tears the Winter League came to and end.

We cannot thank Hill House enough for keeping shows on throughout the Winter giving us the motivation and kick up the arse we all need to keep going and keep improving. Without these shows our confidence would not be where it is now.
Each show every other Friday taught me something new either about myself or Aladdin but I have always come away with a new nibble of knowledge.

My jumping jitters were actually slightly present the other Friday as we warmed up as in my head I was picturing myself forgetting the course of coming off (like the fortnight before) in front of what was probably the busiest night I had seen turn out wise.
After he well and truly decked me in the 45cm the time before which may I add was super embarrassing over what are canter poles to most people, I decided to not use the smaller class for a warm up and to just go for it.

There was a ‘ray of light’ on the arena surface which kept causing horses and ponies to either spook or jump it so I had in my head that I would make a good few circles around the beam when it was our turn. However typically as we trotted through the gates the ruddy beam had moved onto part B of a double. In my head that was certain death, doubles are bad enough without a horse eating sun stripe just chilling there.

We set off, our jumping pants were on and his canter felt superb. One of our goals for the year was to complete a course in a confident canter at competition and I was feeling rather ‘full of it’. Unfortunately due to me looking at the spotty fillers which I mounted two weeks ago we temporarily lost rhythm. We soon picked it back up on landing and headed towards the sunbeam double. ‘Must not look down, must not look down, must no—- Hooorahhhhh’ he flew the sunbeam and we got round clear in what felt like our best ever round!!

I had that so happy I could cry feeling and was so totally over the moon with my flying cow. The results came in and we won the class which I was totally ecstatic about as the show was busier than usual and there were ‘actual’ horses in it where as its usually the naughty baby/ been retired for ten years comeback class.

Not only that……… BIG DRAMATIC DRUM ROLL….. We won the League!!!! Aladdin has the best heart and always tries his best to please me. Love him ridiculous amounts, proud mum.