One stride at a time: my horse riding story

Foxdale Annual end of year show (20.12.2015)

I was dropped off by my parents at Foxdale on the day of the competition and then they left. I woke up at 6 that morning was there by 7:30 to grab the horses from the paddocks, groom, tack up, and warm up. I was a little sad that they didn't stay to watch the competition, but I had my best friend and was riding a horse that I absolutely loved.

When I got there I was instantly greeted by the girls and Leesa, and I went to the tack room to grab a halter and a lead rope, after I had paid for my classes, so I could go get my horse from the paddock, and set off to the ten acres. I was riding a horse called Taj (a dark bay thoroughbred who has a white stripe, with a star and a snip, his racing name is Razor Point). I wasn't surrounded by any other horses luckily (which is something that happened all the time it was so annoying as you couldn't do anything) and my friend Sinead was on her way back from the ten acres with her horse Beau. So she stayed near the gates to wait for me from getting Taj, before we made our way back to the yards and tack room together. I (unsuccessfully) braided Taj's mane and Beau's mane and tail, however Beau's mane was too short for what I wanted to do, so I scrapped the idea, and same with his tail. Just then Sinead's two sisters and mother arrived to watch for the day, by that time it was nearly 8 and we had to start getting ready to tack up and mount.

Not too long after their arrival, we were grooming and tacking up, and soon after we were in the warm up arena with a bunch of other riders (the arena an equivalent to bumper cars, it was a nightmare), we waited for ever to get into the dressage arena (if I'm not wrong it was roughly 3 hours) We got on at 8:30 and dismounted by 12.

By that time we already had someone fall off and that was Maddy who was riding Dasher as he tried to jump the barrels. She got back on and redid her dressage test from scratch. I was next in the arena, however I had to ask one of the people who came to watch to remove Taj's fly veil as we weren't allowed to have them, (lesson learnt, never ask a non-equestrian to do so, they don't fix the browband up after that and you end up with something wonky and lose presentation points), I walked around the perimeter and stopped in front of the judges to say my name and the horse's name. After that Wendy rang the bell and off we were, we had 60 seconds to get in the arena and start our test. I was trotting Taj already by the time we reached our announcer, although I had plenty of time to do another lap of the perimeter at the walk. I trotted in the arena completed my test with ease and confidence, and by the time I had saluted the judges and walked out everyone was clapping and Sinead was already making her way into the arena, through the gap in the barrels and around the perimeter. Once she had completed her test we both went to enjoy the coolness of the shade sitting under the shade of a big tree, our feet out of the stirrups and relaxing before our next class.

Once our age group was completed with their dressage tests Shannon met us all in the shady area with the big tree that Sinead and I were already sitting under and had our second class (best rider). It was a short class and once we all had our instructions given to us we all watched each other ride as we went around the course one at a time. After that we got awarded our ribbons, I came in second a tie with Amelia, Sinead came in first (not surprising Beau kept trotting whilst Taj was dozing off). The course had been extremely simple, walk down the center line of the square, turn right and trot down the diagonal and then go back to a walk on the long side facing away from the tree the others were staying under. Very simple, I kind of felt offended we weren't asked something more challenging to be honest.

It was break time after that, so we dismounted and made our way back to the yards to untack and tie the horses for lunch. I noticed that after a while Taj had been untied (or at the time I thought he'd gotten loose) so I went to see what was happening, only to see Kelly (quite possibly the only reason I enjoyed the lessons at Foxdale was because she'd challenge us and make us take off our stirrups, and canter over jumps and work on our posture and aids) she was leaning over Taj's hind leg, he only had a small cut and she kindly told me that it should be fine, but not to work him out to much as he already had a slightly sore knee, but he'll be fine for me to finish off the day. So once that was sorted out, and he was tied up again, we made our way back to Sinead's sisters and mother and enjoyed lunch.

After that our jumping rounds weren't too far away so we tacked up and mounted, and warmed up a little, only to then dismount to walk the course. Kelly (who was also judging the jumping) was in charge of taking us around the course, telling us a few rules to remember, the entire time the other girls were running ahead of Kelly expect for me and Sinead. Once we had walked the course, we got back on our horses and warmed up until it was our turn.

It went really well, I competed in a 20cm AM7 for which we did not qualify for the speed round as we weren't fast enough and Taj had refused the fifth jump in the course, once the individual rounds had passed the team baton relays were next, So I placed myself in the little square that was just after the tires and waited for Sinead to come over and hand me her whip so I could continue on. After that Sinead dismounted and I ran over the course again in my head.

"Circle the jumps and turn to the left, over number one, around the tree, to the left and over number two, slightly turn to the right to go over number three, make a right angle turn over 4a and 4b, U-turn around the tree and go in between the two trees over number 5, and way around the tree on the left as if heading back to one, however instead of turning left go straight over 7 and turn sharpish right towards jump 8, jump 9 is located right next to 6 and then make a sharp turn right towards 10"

The course was more fun to complete as it was a tad taller and all the girls were cheering me on, we had one knock in total (number one as he stepped over it, my fault not his) and one refusal (number 3 to which I bought him back over). Kelly was surprised that I didn't get any more knocks then that, and knowing how lazy Taj is, so was I.

I untacked Taj for the day, and got my dressage test back, along with my ribbon I had come in first place. I was really happy and really proud at how well i had done, once Taj had completed his feed, my parents arrived and I placed Taj back out in the ten acres before heading home with my two ribbons. Later that night I got a message from Leesa with the results of my classes.

"You didn't place in the 20cm so you got participation, you and Sinead came in 6th in the baton relay, you didn't place in the 40cm either as you were the only school rider and Kelly had to judge you with the lease riders so therefor participation. And you also got overall champion school rider."