Rather late I know, but I'm not quite sure where the last 6 months have gone!
After BOP Champs we had another lesson with Julie Malcolm and worked on the foundations we started on last lesson. Rider biomechanics is so interesting and makes a huge difference in the way the horse goes. Julie has had to think outside the box a bit with me because I'm not "normal" (hehe!) and my body won't do some of the 'correct' things a rider should be doing, but luckily Tech is very obliging and is responding well to the aids and positioning I can manage. I've had a lot of positive comments about how much my position has changed since our lessons with Julie which is awesome. Thanks so much to you Julie!!
Next up I swapped roles with one of my super-grooms Becky, and played ground crew and chauffeur to her and her gorgeous boy Matt so they could compete at the local Dressage day. Bex has put such a lot of hard work into her boy over the last few years, and it was so fantastic to see them out there competing at their first show, and being able to give them even just a tiny bit of the support Bex gives me and Tech. Well done guys - super proud of you both!
And then all of a sudden it was only one week until Christmas! We had our traditional team Christmas picnic at the paddock, with the obligatory Christmas hats photos, and it was a chance for me to just say a huge thank you to my amazing crew for all of their help throughout the year. I couldn't do any of it without them, and am so grateful that they choose to spend their free time with Tech and I helping us get better at what we're doing and to compete in Para competitions. Love you guys!! <3
Being Christmas time, Tech and I received some lovely Christmas goodies from our fabulous sponsor team: I had a gorgeous competition shirt with mesh sleeves and back, and some super comfy summer jods from Ridir Clothing, Tech and I shared a big top up of Savvy Touch products including sunshade, skin smoothie, fly spray and cooling gel which are all our favourite Savvy products and summer essentials, and Tech had a bottle of Top Stock minerals and a huge parcel arrive full of Big Reds cookies! Lucky us! :)
My family were going away on a camping trip for 2 weeks over Christmas, so Tech was booked in to stay with Jody while I was away for a bit of a tune up. We managed to work it so that Jody could take him home with her after her last trip to Tauranga for lessons before Christmas, so I packed up the float with all of his sleepover gear and headed up to Omanawa for our lesson on the Tuesday before Christmas.
We had a great start to the lesson, with Jody adjusting a few more elements of my position to build on the foundations from our lessons with Julie, and we were going great until a very loud, sqwaking bird came out of the bushes and flying towards my head... Tech panicked and did a massive jump sideways to the left, which threw me backwards and out of the right side of the saddle. Unfortunately my weak left hand lost grip on my handlebar and I felt myself heading out the side door. Thankfully Mel was quick off the mark and managed to grab my boot just in the nick of time to stop me from flying through the air and landing hard. BUT a combination of the way I was hanging off the right with my heel jammed into Tech's side, and another horse taking off at a full on hoon in the paddock next to us, sent Tech leaping and semi-cantering across the arena towards the little 2 feet high fence around the arena. Mel did a fab job of staying with us, holding onto my leg and trying to grab the reins to stop Tech, but with my head down by his right shoulder, I saw the arena fence getting closer... and then his front feet went over it and Mel just couldn't keep hold of me any longer. I slid off onto the ground while Tech carried on his way. (Check out the pics below if you're brave enough - they show the first 2 seconds of the event before he took off at canter!) Apparently my left leg was bent back under me at a shocking angle, and the girls thought I'd broken my leg, but luckily (probably due to my lack of muscles!) I'm pretty flexible and that wasn't a problem. The fall itself was quite smooth actually, seeing as I was already down at his shoulder, I only actually fell from the height of his belly to the ground, so it was a much softer landing than if I had fallen off when he first leapt sideways and I was upright. But my left ankle was pretty sore - not that I was going to tell the girls that yet hehe! I got back on and finished up the lesson on a good note, and then got Tech all ready to go home with Jody for his Christmas holidays.
I spent that night sat with my foot up alternating between ice packs and cooling gel to try and ease the pain. Luckily I had 2 weeks off riding planned anyway with our Christmas holidays, so I spent those two weeks hobbling around trying to get better so I could ride again once we got home in January!
When Jody brought Tech back over to Tauranga after the holidays, he felt amazing again! My ankle was holding up enough to be able to ride but not do too much off that leg, and we had another good lesson before Jody headed home.
Then we had the Waikato Equestrian Centre dressage day where I was riding in the Level 2 and above Test of Choice class which was a bit daunting - being our first time at the grounds and riding in a class with the likes of Bill Noble!! Jody came over and warmed Tech and I up before our test and I'm very proud to say we managed to win our class!! :) I was soooo shocked to hear mine and Tech's name being read out over the loud speaker as winners of the class when we were getting Tech sorted at his yard afterwards. Wow! It was a great day and the group were so welcoming and friendly - thanks so much for having us Waikato Equestrian Centre - we'll be back!
The next few weeks were spent training hard for Nationals which was coming around quickly, a saddle fit check for Tech from Warwick, and some playtime at RDA for Becky and Tech over the obstacle course after we had a good training session in the arena beforehand.
Next stop - National Champs at Fielding! :)