Tuesday we arrived at Bromont and the weather was lovely. Tori, Anne Marie & I unloaded into the main barn and then took the horses for a quick walk and some grass before heading to the vets for “in barns”.
After that I took Zephyr on a hack around the track where you can see many of the cross country jumps and then did 10-15 mins of long and low work in the warm up ring.
Woody and Bentley were next. Tori & I took them around the track also. It’s like the blind leading the blind with those two because their both VERY spooky! We did a little long as low with them too before we finished.
As soon as the horses were settled we took our bags to the farm house we rent about 10 minutes away. It’s a lovely house that sleeps about eight people if not more! The doggies are allowed to come so Bizzy & Maizey were running around the house giving everything the sniff check.
We headed to East Side Mario’s for a quick dinner and then back to the horses for late night.
Wednesday morning I rode Woody on a hack in his jump saddle and then did some flat work, not too stressful but more then long and low.
Zephyr and Bentley did flat work after their magnetic blanket session so they were feeling their best for the first horse inspection that afternoon. They both looked beautiful despite the miserable cold weather.
Tori & I walked the 1* course together and took the dogs with us. Maizey had two leashes connected and one end was tied to Tori….needless to say it was a great source of entertainment for Bizzy & I. For the first part Maizey was basically dragging Tori along, all she needed was snow and a sled. Then Bizzy & Maizey began their game of tug of war with the leashes and tried to tie up and/or trip Tori.
The course got busy right away at fence #4 A, B. A very large vertical at the top of a slope, five strides downhill to a skinny hedge. Soon after that was the coffin combination, vertical ok the lip of a hill, one arise down to the ditch then three strides to an angled skinny log slightly to the left of the straight line. I learned later that Tori lost her stirrup there did that combo with only one stirrup! Impressive!
There was a single corner at the top of the mountain that was very hard to get to, only the last two strides straight before you jumped it. The first water was the toughest I think. An into space hedge then sweeping turn left to a skinny duck into water then 6-8 strides bending right through the water to a left handed corner (max).
Poor Bizzy was horrified when we finished the 1*, Tori & Maizey headed back to the barn and I called her to start the 3* course. She followed right on my heels the whole way, no extra strides with those short legs on this walk.
I was relieved to see the first water on the 3* was a brush in at the edge of a slope into water 6-7 strides across up a ledge to a max width table on a slight angle (which makes it even wider!)
Two very sharply angled hedges going down hill before you cross the bridge. A ditch and wall four short strides to a triple brush wedge (Woody and I did this in an easy three).
The second water was a huge hanging log drop 5-7 strides across the water to two very angled boathouses 2 strides apart. The reason I write such a range of strides in some of theses combos is because I witnessed them ridden in ALL of the above.
The big bank down four strides to a bee hive. A double of corners two strides apart in the arena. The third water was and hanging log 5-6 strides across the water to a fairly big corner on the edge of a slope out of the water, four strides to a very skinny hedge.
On Thursday morning the CIC 3* horses did their horse inspection. Woody coughed and tripped on the jog strip right in front of the ground jury, just to keep things interesting. Luckily I didn’t wipe out and we were both accepted!
Dressage that day with Zephyr first, he was a good boy as finished up 7th after dressage. Bentley was more rideable then Grandview and did quite a good test, much improved from last year. We had the welcome party that night with nibbles. We had walked our courses again that day but were still chilled to the bone so we packed up early and went back to the house.
Friday wasn’t exactly what I had planned for Woody & I.
He warmed up beautifully and we were in it to win it. I put him in the snaffle for the test like always and I could feel him testing it and plotting. Once we started the test I could feel his excitement rising, by the time we got to the canter work he was bounding across the ring with great enthusiasm. I felt like a little kid again on a horse that’s too big for me to handle. He’s just very fit and forgets himself sometimes. Luckily he made it up to me on cross country day.
Cross country day was perfect footing and weather for the horses. Zephyr was amazing! A few time faults but I think that’s because he jumped so high. No complaints from me. Bentley and Tori did a fabulous job. Just that darn corner at the top of the mountain with no approach caught them out. Thy circled around and jumped it no problem second attempt. They flew through the tuff water to the corner no problems and were very fast.
Woody was exceptional, definitely one of our best rounds! Just 1.2 time faults and some brush decorating his girth that we picked up at the first water apparently.
Sunday was a bit of a bummer. Bentley had bruised his foot and although he looked fine early in the morning he wasn’t 100% by the time he presented for the jog so we had to withdraw him. He is fine now and looking forward to his next chance. Zephyr passed the jog as did Woody.
Pilot error in show jumping on both my horses. Zephyr did a foot perfect round till the last one stride of a triple combination (which walked quite long) I had a case of “last-fence-itis”.
I leaned forward early and he chipped and had the last fence down. “Sigh”
Woody warmed up like a rockstar. The course was different from the 1* and again pilot error, after we knocked down fence #5 I kicked Woody and locked on to the wrong line (remembering the 1* course) THANKFULLY I realized before I went off course and turned to the correct fence, however that brain fart cost me 4 time faults. UGH!
Why they can’t just keep the course the same and add or take away fences I don’t know? That’s how they used to do it. Or better yet let me do Woody’s course first.
Anyways all in all we had a great weekend despite the weather. We all came home fit to fight another day!(hopefully a warmer one????)
I am on the left, Anne Marie on the right and Tori is that tiny white speck in the distance.
This is the less glamorous side to eventing. After Bromont the paddocks really needed a good clean up so Wednesday morning saw Tori, Anne Marie and I out picking paddocks.
