The two-phase

I’ve done this in a kind of Twitteresque way…

05.15
Just leaving the house to get ready for today’s 2-Phase competition. So nervous breakfast tasted awful and felt like mashed cardboard in my mouth.

05.45
Arrived yard, drove the lorry out of its parking bay, washed out water containers and refilled, just fetching Vin in from his field to feed and groom him.

06.55
Finally finished grooming Vin, he’s had his breakfast, tack’s loaded in the lorry, 30-gallons of drinkng water onboard, passport, grooming kit and clothing all checked. Just going to load Vin and set off.

07.50
Arrived Sapey, walking the cross-country course trying hard not to remember that a rider was killed here last year. The show jumping track looks easy but two changes of rein!

08.25
I’m tacked up: white shirt, black tie, fawn jodhpurs, black show jacket – number bib over, black riding gloves, leather riding boots, hat with black silk.

Vin’s tacked up: brushing boots all round, over-reach boots on his front feet, two numnahs, saddle, girth, bridle, running martingale.

Time to get on and work in for the show jumping.

09.10 – the show jumping
It wasn’t bad! We were first to go in our team (of four) so had the standard to set. Unfortunately we didn’t set it too high – Vin got a little close to the first element of the double, rubbed it with his off-fore hoof and that got us 4 penalties.

That aside it went really well but I did feel (mentally) that I held him back, though I didn’t get that feeling physically. Very chuffed with our effort. Now back to the lorry to change.

09.30
I’m tacked up: fawn jodhpurs, T-shirt, body protector, cross country shirt – number bib over, black riding gloves, leather riding boots, hat with matching cross country colours.

09.35
Arrive at the cross country start to be told that Vin’s new reins don’t have martingale stops, we’re sent back to sort this omission out.

09.45
Thankfully, find a pair of martingale stops on an old pair of Beech’s reins in a bag at the bottom of the lorry’s tack locker. Fit them, mount up and ride back to the cross country start where…

09.55
There’s a hold on the course while an on-course hole is filled in. I wonder if it was moles.

10.05
We’re told that the cross country section is restarting. I work Vin in gently, we jump the practice fence twice then hang around the steward looking ‘ready’; she calls us forward to the start.

10.08
One minute countdown.

10.09 – the cross country
Fence 1 was ridiculously easy. Fence 2 same but we wobbled two strides after landing while I retrieved my right stirrup while maintaining our forward pace. Fence 3 was easy as was fence 4 and fence 5.

Fence 6 was (for the bold rider) a testing narrow corner or (for the less bold) a significantly easier upright. Fence 6 was also the start of the timed section. Vin felt absolutely brilliant so we went for the bold corner which we flew over.

We stonk at great speed (we are in the timed section after all!) down the hill to the (steel) barrels which concerns me but not Vin, after landing we bend right and attack fence 8 – which is the last fence in the timed section.

Over it we bend left and shift downhill to the tyres, then on to the hanging roll-top, then the hanging log, then the water, then jump out, then the hanging log, then the table.

My intention was to hack around the cross country and motor like hell through the timed section.

Vin had other ideas.

Back at the lorry I untacked, unbooted and gave him a bath then dried him off. He refused water (as he usually does when he’s away from home) but was interested in the grass so I grazed him.

I’ll spare the rest of the minutiae.

Vin is brilliant; he loves his jumping and we’re establishing all of the things that we need to have in our armoury to allow us to go eventing with the Big Boys (and Girls).

And the scores on the doors?

I don’t know how well the team did but our scores within the team were:

Horse	SJ penalities	XC penalties
Dubious Deal	4	0
other horse	18	20
other horse	0	20
other horse	0	E

See what I mean? How brilliant is this boy!

In closing I need to offer a massive thank you to everyone from Bromyard Riding Club who organised and hosted the day.

I know how difficult it is to put on any kind of competition; every official is an unpaid volunteer who gives their time freely and generously because they want to.

Thank you.

B.