NVEC 90cm Eventer Challenge – 12 October 2019

Back at Newbold Verdon Equestrian Centre after MDRC Senior Camp yesterday…… Was really not looking forward to it (after falling at the water and setting off my air jacket last thing yesterday afternoon). I was seriously considering asking to change to the 80cm, or ditching it altogether to be honest!! Looking back I’m so glad I didn’t bottle it and decided to put my brave pants on to tackle the challenge!

Nash was very sensible today (think he was ctually tired following MDRC Camp yesterday, he was last to go, and he didn’t even bat an eyelid when he was left on his own in the indooe school.   He was working well in the dressage warm up – I was focussing on what Laurence Hunt had been doing with us in our dressage session yesterday – thinking about making bigger, bolder steps – and really concentrating on balance and accuracy.   Think it paid off as Nash really did a super test and felt amazing!  The judge seened to agree too – awarding a WHOPPING 76.15% for his test!  This put us in equal first position after the dressage phase.

 

Venue:Newbold Verdon Equestrian Centre (NVEC)
Discipline:Eventer Challenge – Dressage Test
Test:Prelim 18JudgeLesley Chelener
Percentage:76.15%Place:=1st

Judge’s Comments: “What a Superstar! Lovely test – could be more through to contact in transitions, but much to like. Well ridden.”

At this stage I thought I’d finish on a high and go home! However, Mum and Bridget had arrived to support us, so I talked myself into completing. So….. on to the jumping phases! The jumping tests were to run consecutively: completing show jumping and then straight onto XC – therefore both SJ and XC were ridden in XC gear. Nash jumped beautifully in the SJ, an unfortunate slip into fence 3 cost us 4 faults (I knew I should have put the studs in)! We completed the SJ and went straight over to the XC start box, where the starter was keen to get us going (as I mentioned earlier, Nash was the last of the day and they obviously wanted to start packing up as early as poss 🤣.

I’m clearly very out of condition and needed a little breather, was allowed about 30 seconds to catch my breath before being counted down from the start. I rode every fence positively, taking nothing for granted. Nash had a bit of a look at the upturned rowing boat going into the water – I growled at him and he flew it. He was hesitant going through the water heading towards the barrells (where I had fallen yesterday) – the take off point to the barrells was in the water (you can just about see from the photo), he was not sure, but I put my leg on and he responded by jumping beautifully. Then onto the bounce, the step up and down and the trakehner and through the finish line clear! It felt brilliant, I was so pleased and very proud of Nash! Chris and Henry arrived just as we had finished – and didn’t even see us over one jump – but could obviously tell we were happy!

SJ Jump Pens:4XC Jump Pens:0Placing: 1st
SJ Time Pens:0XC Time Pens:0

We washed Nash off and got him comfortable and ready to travel home. Chris came over having been to check on the scores. He told us we had won, the other person joint after dressage had a few show jumps down and a couple of run outs XC, so Nash had won by quite a margin! We got 2 rosettes (one from MDRC and one from NVEC), we also got a £20 voucher to use at NVEC and a qualification card for an EquiExcel / Blue Chip Championship event at Addington Manor (not really sure what this was – but will look into it).

A very good day!