I’m not sure I even have the words to describe today. I contemplated just not saying anything, because what do you say when you cross the finish line with tears in your eyes, blurring your vision, and all you want to do is hold onto that feeling forever more. I don’t want this feeling to end. I want to bottle it up and keep it.
2 years ago I had this stupid idea I wanted to event Ziggy. God knows why because I’m not brave AT ALL! So to test the waters I entered the 70cm ODE at Eland Lodge. He did an almighty dressage to leave him in the top 5, then went onto to have 4 down in the SJ, and XC....? We were eliminated at the first fence, then the second, then the third, THEN zig realised his job and went on to finish the rest of the course clear.
Massively in doubts over whether he’d make me an eventer and if he was brave enough to take me over the fences I sat there like a lemon over. One of us needed to be brave! So I left it. We did one more ODE at a small local equestrian centre which was 55cms. And I put my focus back onto dressage.
Until, on a boring day back in December 2017, I declared I was bored of BD and I signed up to the wobbleberry challenge. Stupid really, given that I’d almost decided to give up jumping after suddenly developing this habit of not breathing over fences and making myself puke. True story..... the humiliating video is still floating on fb somewhere (thanks mum and Fiona 
💁🏼♀️).
Anyway, I’m waffling. SO! I found my brave knickers, I found two instructors that could sort me out and well, they kind of have. To the point where a few weeks ago I declared I was by now almost definitely bored of BD and I wanted a challenge. So I looked at BE events and decided which one I would set my heart on. One instructor said “please do an unaffiliated first, so you don’t set yourself back.”
And that’s how I ended up at Keysoe today. But I almost didn’t end up there because the forecast rain and wind was awful and after deliberating ALL night (I’m not even kidding, I learnt my dressage test at 3am this morning I couldn’t sleep that bad). I woke up to my alarm at 5am this morning. Um’d and ahh’d and then just as my other half was nodding back off I declared “nope were off, come on get up, we’re late!”.
So we set off to Keysoe to do the 70 class. On the way the wind and rain was horrific but no changing my mind now.
Zig warmed up beautifully for dressage. I literally did 10 mins. Leg yielding and tapping that hind leg like Tracey had said to. Dropped the whip to go in and oh my life he became lazy AND spooky. Must admit to mumbling “not this again zig, they’re dressage letter boards” as I literally pulled my outside rein and kicked with inside leg whilst smiling like I was Charlotte on valegro! Thankfully judge didn’t notice too much and gave us a whopping 31, the second highest score out of the entire 2 70 sections! Wahoo!!
Onto showjumping. It was raining SO SO heavy now, and sideways. “I’m not doing this” I said to my other half. To which he told me to man up and get in. Tried to jump a practice fence, zig flew the brakes on whilst the steward screamed “LEGGGGGGG” at me. Ok, leg and we flew. Must remember to ride!!!! Told other half if we had trouble SJ’ing I’d retire from XC.
It was piddling it down now to a point i can’t describe but it was our turn. Bell went and Jesus he flew #1, almost pulled my arms out over 2, an upright, then to 3 an oxer, over 4, and then we hit 5. Right by the tables... he stopped, lept it, then carried on over the double, over the upright, then back over the big oxer to finish with 0 time penalties. Okay, he made nothing of them! Fist pump into the air. Oh shoot, clear meant I HAD to do XC now!
Quick change of clothes and over to XC. Still raining cats and dogs and sideways. Zig refused the first warm up fence. Gave him blooming big kick, told him to man up and he flew. Then they were calling my number.
Over to the start box. God I love this bit. 10 seconds.... and we were off! Tapped for the first fence to wake him up, he flew, and over the 2nd a feeder, over the 3rd, and then round to the 4th a blooming big step up, he took an almighty leap, tripped a bit but carried on, thank god! Over the house, the log pile. He FLEW the coffin (see photo!). He hadn’t looked at a thing up until now. Aside from whinny the whole way round. Silly pony! Up to the water and could kick myself for this. I didn’t realise you could just dip your toes, so I literally flew into the water, zig tripped again - it was deep and we went through it all. Cost us some time, but clear so far so couple of taps on his bum and woke him up again, flew the fence coming out, and we were onto the home stretch! A simple log, slight angled fence, and then I could see the last one... growled at him, tap tap and he flew the big house to storm to the finish line!
We’d only blooming gone DOUBLE CLEAR!!!!
Knew we’d had time penalties and could’ve kicked myself when I saw we were winning had we not had XC time penalties! However, double blooming clear! Crossing that finish line I couldn’t hold back the tears! I honestly can’t believe how far we’ve come. Think back to 4 years ago, when this boy was unrideable, the spooks, how tricky he is at home - BUT he comes out on a day less than ideal weather wise and jumps blooming double clear!! Thrilled to say we finished 4th and highest dressage!
I’m sorry for the long post, but goodness I love this little lion heart horse! 
❤️
🐴 MASSIVE confidence boost!!
❤️🐴 MASSIVE confidence boost!!
THANK YOU to everyone that’s helped me, my instructors; Kate and Sophie who have literally kicked my bum lately, followers, those that believe in us. I definitely think I’m hooked - BD doesn’t give the feeling coming out the start box and crossing those final flags does.... WE DID IT
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