14 June 2010 - Update Kaiapoi ODE

Well we arrived, good start to day, easy drive. Lace was beautiful outside the arena, listening, transitions were good, but once we got in arena, I think I was sooo worried I was going to forget it, I just got tense. She was up and down with her head at canter, but all in all was okay. Only got about 8th, but considering she's only been ridden 3 times in 3 weeks thats okay. SJ was rather scary for me to walk, mainly cause I've not ridden her much recently and no jumping practice. However she was a dream, and I learnt when she reached out for some jumps to just give her her rein and stretch those legs down of mine and just sit there. No rails down and the turns I was worrried about weren't an issue. XC started great, flew through all the water, but got to the big corner near the end of the course and there were two sacks on it, I looked straight at them thinking they werent' there before, so needless to say she stopped. I did the same thing again, wasn't till I took the corner from a differnet line and I WASN"T LOOKING at the sacks did she fly over, so all my fault. But I was soo happy with the ride, no pulling, it was lovely. I came off even though I'd stuffed up, really really happy with her. However she has started pulling back at the float, did it 3 times and if it hadn't been for a lovely woman beside us I couldn't have left her to walk the XC. Helen also tied foxy up to my float and she seemed to settle after that, helped Helen was riding immediatley after me. So that helped a great deal too. Thank you Helen!!!!