I don't need to make any introduction to Ziggy if you're an avid follower of my facebook page, twitter, Instagram or if you were there from the beginning when this petrified young pony quite literally fell into my life with a bang. I'll post the first proper riding photo I have of him, just to show how far he's come!For those who don't know, I'll give you a quick insight. At the time I was looking for a potential dressage pony that wouldn't cost the earth, and that would take me around a course of jumps safely as well. I didn't mind something that needed some work, but I didn't want something too green because of working full time.
...and along came Ziggy, a 3-year-old Irish Sports Pony. Advertised on Facebook for several months, I watched his price drop and drop because of his so called issues. Something about this boy caught my eye but I just don't know what and I made a stupid offer of very little, half thinking "Ahh they wont accept that, I'm fine - it doesn't matter I've never seen this pony in the flesh!", only to have an instant reply that he was mine and he'd arrive the following day!
This gangly looking pony arrived, petrified of everything; generally of life, and I was wondering what the heck I'd done. As were friends, family and all connections. No one quite knew then what he'd turn into. Apart from my friend Fiona who turned to me when she came to meet him and said "He's going to be a star, you'll never sell him!". "I will" I said, "He's not stopping- he's here to find a nice home and then I'm getting my dressage pony!"
The following weeks were testing to say the least. 6 weeks to get on a pony without it standing up on two legs and bolting was a little more greener than I had in mind, but hey! Then when we were on, we attempted our first jump and boy I realised this pony could jump...and the rest is history!So, fast forward 2 and a bit years and our days haven't been plain sailing. Ziggy being petrified of people was the least of my worries when I realised it wasn't really people he was petrified of, it was everything, including butterflies!
We've had our days where I've broken down in tears sat on his back after feeling like we're getting nowhere, I've had the days where I feel on top of the world. This pony that was once petrified is now one of the most loving ponies I've ever come across. Going into a fence he has the heart of a lion and will jump most things you put him at - he just wants to please.
Without delving deeper into his issues, which I try to just forget and concentrate on the good bits, I decided after some good 70%+ scores in British Dressage, I should attempt the PetPlan Area Festivals. The rest they say is history!
We managed to get our qualifying scores in just two BD visits and at the same time be selected to represent the Northern Region in the Senior Inter Regionals, be picked to represent the local riding club, narrowly miss a place for RC nationals by coming 2nd (but to my gorgeous veteran, Ceaser whom I was also riding so I can't grumble!) and lots more.
With a couple of good scores under our belt I felt confident enough to go out and play with the big boys at the PetPlan 1st rounds. Stupidly I completely missed the Arena UK entry deadline - my head was in the clouds as always and I realised I'd have to wait until slightly later and do the Sheepgate class. The week before Ziggy had been a total nightmare, in fact I didn't even get on him for 7 days because of the wind, and he was just being a complete tool. He was spooking everywhere at the slightest of things, and generally being uncooperative to say I had a big competition coming up - as if he new. To make matters worse, we were representing our riding club on the sunday at the area show jumping qualifier.
The Thursday leading up to the PetPlan class on the Saturday saw me send an SOS text to one of the local riding instructors that has taught us before and knows how spooky Zig can be. I told her I needed some help and quick, if we had any chance of getting to either competition at the weekend.
Friday evening and our lesson came and I hopped on Zig wondering what our lesson would bring. For those who are reading and own horses, you'll probably know what I'm about to say. He was an absolute star!! We did lots of transitions, shallow loops in both trot and canter and working on getting him to concentrate and not turn his mind elsewhere, which he's very good at. But he was fabulous and my instructor deemed his trot work worth lots of 7.5's and told us to go and kick ass!
Thankfully we've been to sheepgate a few times as its our local venue so I was confident but slightly apprehensive about the dressed up arenas - more for Zig to look and spook at. I was having a panic attack I'd not learnt my test and the warm up arena was absolutely buzzing, which always worries me slightly because I know Zig's spooks can come out of anywhere and if its busy, there's the risk of running into someone.
A couple of good friends came to support us and said his work in the warm up looked nice, which gave me some confidence. He was warming up like a dream and our terrors the week before seemed a distant memory (bloody horses!!!). Soon it was time for us to go into the arena and to enable him to have a quick look around I trotted half way around the arena, on one rein, changed the rein and did the same on the other rein. No excuses for him to spook as he'd seen things on both reins now and I was willing him to just do this for me. Soon enough the buzzer rang and off we entered up the centre line. The judge at C was smiling at me as I entered and I couldn't help but beam back - I've never had that before, and I truly believe it set us off for a really nice test. We were entered into the Prelim 19 silver section and I love riding Prelim 19 as well, which helps.
Ziggy felt supple, and he was really listening to everything I asked. Our circles felt great, his trot work was super and his transitions were all where they should be and as soon as I asked. I don't think I've ever smiled so much through a test! Trotting back up the centre line I beamed at the judge at C, halted, saluted and literally fell into Ziggy hugging him. We walked out the arena to my friends who all greeted us with huge smiles saying it was one of the best tests they'd seen us do, and Fiona who follows our journey said how Ziggy hadn't noticed the horse in the arena next to us almost doing cartwheels was beyond her. It just shows how much he's grown up!
I quickly popped him away and checked the live scoring online to see where we were lying in the scores. My ambition had initially been to just get a top 10 placing but inside I wanted a place on the podium, I wanted to be in the top 3. The first two scores were up and they'd scored over 67%. I lost hope then and stopped refreshing the page for a while, but when I did I couldn't believe my eyes - we had over 68% and in the lead with only 2 more horses to go!
Unfortunately (I say unfortunately, but I don't mean it like that) the last horse pipped us to the post with over 70% but I was absolutely beaming and over the moon to be second and get that elusive place on the podium, as well as a place at the finals later in the year. I honestly couldn't have been prouder. *
The next day we were up at the crack of dawn to head to the area show jumping and again for those that know me, I HATE show jumping competitions. An accident aged 14, has left me petrified of spreads, but for some reason Ziggy makes me love show jumping and we've done a few ODE's, with our goal being a BE before the year end is out. Anyway, I only put my name down to help the team out and walking around the course I could've quite easily thrown up! (maybe the night out with the young farmers the evening before didn't help, but..)
"I'm not doing it!" I said to Fiona.... and you don't need to hear her reply, but it consisted of a few words I can't repeat, all you need to know is, she basically said I had no choice. I'll fast forward my jabbering and get on with the fact that my once petrified of everything pony produced two super confident rounds, took me over things I'd said I wouldn't get him near and our team only went and won meaning we had qualified for the RC Nationals! Which when I was told, I nearly threw up again. "You mean I've got to go out and do ALL that again in a few weeks in a bigger class?!" were my words!
Overall, we had a super weekend and my worries the week before of whether I was good enough, whether Zig was good enough, whether I had what it takes to get him to where I think he deserves to be were all gone and we were on cloud 9.
Follow us on our journey now to the final PetPlan rounds in Autumn!
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