Fresh from our success with Matt Ryan last Sunday, on a fit of upness I entered a couple of dressage tests at Allenshill.
I love that place, it’s all so chilled and relaxed.
The first thing that struck me as I drove towards the lorry park was that the burger stand was gone!
Oh no! This is a crisis of massive proportions! What am I going to do without my many mugs of hot chocolate and, ahem, fried egg sandwiches?
We rolled to a halt, I switched off, got out, lowered the tail ramp, patted Vin and gave him a slice of apple and went for a Recce.
The first thing I noticed was that the burger stand had merely been moved.
Waves of relief washed over me as I watched the guy setting up for me his many customers throughout the day.
Our first test – P7 (or Prelim 7 if you prefer) – was at 09.38 and that, my friends, was the sole reason The Lovely S wasn’t with me; she’d worked all day Saturday and I didn’t want to drag her out of bed at 06.00 on a Sunday.
We worked in, went forward, did our test which although wasn’t brilliant it didn’t feel bad, considering we’ve not schooled as hard as we should have – prior to a competition.
Our second test was at 10.30 which meant Vinnie got rugged up and a light snack and I visited the burger bar for, ahem, a chat.
Both refreshed we worked in, went forward and did our second test which – given that P14 (or Prelim 14 if you prefer) is a horrid, start-stop sequence of movements that come up very quickly – actually went very well.
Vin felt brilliant for both tests, but he was much more relaxed during the second.
Back at the lorry I untacked, groomed, rugged up, put him in the lorry and gave him his haynet, then I visited the burger van. Again. Ahem.
I had a quick chat with Max who co-owns/co-runs the place, she said she reads this drivel!
Picked up our marked sheets for both tests – we were placed in P7 but P14 was still going on so don’t know how we did there.
Closed the ramp, drove back to the yard, unloaded, swapped Vin’s rug for an outdoor one and put him straight out in the field with his buddies.
I think I may have startled Jodie with my version of Mr Brightside by Killers – I didn’t see her in the barn and I really was belting it out fortissimo! Dang these iPods! 🙂
Back home by just gone 13.00.
Showered, shaved, clean-clothed and in to Bromsgrove for a hot chocolate and slice of cake with The Lovely S.
And now – 17.51 – back home where, after a spell of eyes closed, deep and rhythmical breathing whilst I contemplated the nature of the universe for half an hour, it’s still daylight outside.
Brilliant.
Sundays should always be this good.
An email has just rolled in from the Riding Club asking if I’m happy with a 14.30 slot at next weeks show-jumping clinic.
More than happy.
Bring it on, that’s what I say.
Bring it on.
B.