Kind of like one of those Malory Towers books – or even something by Christine Pullein-Thompson, or the far more saccharine ‘Jill’ books (Jill has two Ponies; A Stable for Jill, etc)…
The big day arrives and with the predictability that fate is unpredictable… something comes along to scotch the plan.
The weather.
We were supposed to be going down to Herefordshire today, for Vin’s (aka Dubious Deal) first Hunter Trial.
We walked the course yesterday and it was wet; in some places it was boggy, in others it was ‘soft’ – but that was before any horses had gone forwards at 25-30mph.
There was a notice up that said if there was any rain overnight the Hunter Trial would be cancelled.
It’s been raining here since 04.00 – mostly light rain but with several periodic bursts of what is known, in technical meteorological circles, as ‘pissing it down’.
I’ve checked their website; it says the competition is still on.
Perhaps it’s not been raining down there in Herefordshire?
Whatever; on the basis of yesterday’s ‘walk through’ I was already in two minds as to whether to compete or not.
Today, after listening to the rain and remembering that we’d be 34th to start, and imagining what the state of the – already – very wet ground would be like, I’ve decided we’re not going.
So yay.
Except… boo.
Vin needed to go. I needed to go. We needed the run.
What we didn’t need was skiddy, slippery gallops, ploughed up take-offs and boggy, muddy, tendon-pulling landings.
This is supposed to be part of Vin’s ‘it’s all fun’ education.
It’s a high risk sport and I’m not in the game of increasing the risks just for the sake of it.
So I’m disappointed that I’ve decided we’re not going, but I think it’s the right thing for us.
Live to fight another day, but disappointment all over the place – in my head at least.
Thursday we’ve got show jumping training with Mandy at Gracelands.
Next weekend we’re in a Mercian Teams two-phase at Sapey.
But I would have liked today’s run first, but not at increased risk.
And in my eyes the overnight weather and already soft going are good enough reasons in their own right not to go.
But there’s still a bitter taste in my mouth.
B.