Showjumping Championships Report

Lincoln 11th-12 th September 2010

Team Members

Helpers

Hello all Shrewsbury and District Riding Club members, welcome to our Showjumping Championships report!.

As some of you will know on 20 th June 2010 we had our Showjumping Qualifier held at Middlewich to which one of our Intermediate teams were placed 2 nd and Helen Ratcliffe was 2 nd in the Style Riding class qualifying for the British Riding Club NAF Showjumping Championships held at Lincoln on 11th-12 th September 2010. Well done to those that attended the qualifier it was a good day had by all.

Well where shall I start! 4 weeks prior to our Championships Nick arranged 2 practice lessons with Sarah Warner, which proved to be a great success she really gave us some good feedback and put fences up to jump not just to skip over!!!.

We all arranged to meet on the Tuesday evening to gather all information and arrange meeting points for the Friday morning for departure to Lincoln . So Friday 10 th September we head off at 10am well I do! Nick and Vikki were late as usual, I had joined the M54 and they were nowhere to be seen!. They get in contact to inform me that they are waiting for Helen, to then realise Helen was in front of them! What a good start. We eventually all catch up making sure we arrive at the show ground together. First thing was to get the horses off the lorries and to passport control to have the horses ID and Flu vaccinations checked. With the stables in rows it was like being back at Pony Club camp, only difference was we didn't have to mow our lines!! I reversed all 17.2hh of Mr Dee in his 12 x 12 box and squeezed the door shut for the night.

We all arrange our vehicles to form a square so we are able to fit the gazebo in the centre to be then told by the grumpy car park attendant we weren't allowed to park like this as we were a hazard (he must've been warned about the “ Shrewsbury team”). Musical Chairs complete we finally have the chance to do what we are all desperate to do- WALK THE COURSE!!

Off we head to ring 3, well I couldn't believe the course it was fabulous I thought I was at Hickstead just without the bank!. The course was full up to height, technical, extravagant colours and wicked fillers, we had a Stile wall, Butterflies, Dice, Cubes, well we all looked at each other and all our faces had drained to a shade of white, especially poor vikki riding paddy who is a 5 year old and his furthest journey to date had been Middlewich. Walking the course Nick was just quiet and strides out his course, along with Vikki contemplating whether it's fair on Paddy to do this, Sarah wishing she was at a wedding again and Beryl saying “i'm to old for this, look at this course, poor Boela”.

We walked Helens “Style Riding” course, a nice flowing course, a mixture of planks and fillers, up to height. Whilst talking with Helen, I found out that Jack does not strike off on the right leg canter lead and unfortunately the start of the course was right lead! Just sit pretty Helen you will do just dandy!

After walking the courses we discuss tactics over a fantastic lasagne cooked by Zoe Ratcliffe it was very yummy and well deserved after a long day of travelling. Thank you Zoe!

After a nervous nights sleep we sat at the breakfast table very quiet and only had a small breakfast!! 9.30am soon came and.... whoops Vikki where's Farnaby's girth???? I hope Nick's well balanced! They get that sorted and off down to the warm up. When I get down there all Nick says is “all I can taste is Sloe Gin”!!! He went in and Farnaby jumped a lovely round just had 1 rail down, not bad when you consider drink riding!!.

It was now Vik's turn her mum (Yvonne) waiting patiently for her dearest daughter to climb aboard her steed, what a good groom you have Vik! Off she went to the warm up which was hectic, Paddy chilled and taking everything in his stride. Vik jumped a cracking round, Paddy popped like he had been there and done it all before, nothing phased him, they had an unfortunate 8 faults but we were all thrilled of how brave they both were.

Next came Sarah riding Mr Dee..... well a might as well have left him in the stable! He came out like a Cork from a Champagne bottle! I had him in a dutch gag on the bottom ring, do you think I could stop him? Not a hope!. I had a dreadful cricket score of 16 faults, Mr Dee was in Demolition mode.

Last but not least following up the rear was Beryl, all I could hear from her in the collecting ring was “I can't do this, why do I put myself through this!”. Well the OAP showed all us youngsters up, with a super duper clear round. Boela went fantastic! We were all ecstatic for her!

Lunchtime folks first rounds over and done with, Bacon butties on the go cooked by Di Williams, like home from home out of the caravan. Thanks mum! Whilst having lunch we had a look at other team scores which had been kept by our fab team scorer Zoe Ratcliffe. After assessing those we were lying 8 th .

Now into the 2 nd round, we went in the same team order with Nick to go first, looking peeky as he and Farnaby jumped the now higher course having a nice round but had an unlucky 12 faults.

Vik to go next, horse again awaiting by the collecting ring, I cannot believe this little horse he again popped round super, just clipped 2 fences, finished with with 8 faults which is really unlike him he hates to touch fences.

My turn again, Dee and I were not a partnership at all this weekend I was so disheartened with him, we had a dreadful 20 faults, he just wasn't wanting to pick his feet up. Sorry guys!

Helens turn in her ring, I do believe she did a lovely round of showjumping, as predicted Jack did not get the right canter lead, but did a lovely short compact show after and they both were very happy with their efforts. Well done Helen and Jack!

Beryl to finish, as she goes around the collecting ring again chuntering to herself, come on Boela, Kick Kick, Whack Whack. They were in and guess what another clear round. Whoop whoop! The “Batty Granny” is in the jump off for an individual placing. There were only 8 individuals out of 88 riders to jump off and Beryl 7 th to go in, poor Beryl had to learn yet ANOTHER course. With only 2 to go Beryl and Boela were still day dreaming, with us all getting her motivated again Kick Kick, Whack Whack, we were off to warm up, and then into the ring! Beryl and Boela had 1 down but were home safely and finished up on an individual placing of 6 th . Helen and Jack were 35 th out of 106 riders and the team finished on a score of 32 with a team placing of 10 th out of 22 teams.

That was it our day was done from 6.30am to 6.30pm. We were all exhausted, we got the horses ready for bed and it was time for us to have a wonderful curry cooked by Vikki as we put the world to rights. Beryl emphasised throughout the night that she was going to retire and buy her own retirement home, she's hanging up her boots, she's not doing this again!. Boela's going to have a foal. We all just said ye ye Beryl we'll see you here in the open team next year!.

We had been and done our bit, represented Shrewsbury Riding Club and had a fantastic weekend. Great company great food!

We would just like to say a very big Thank You, to the best grooms out, Di Williams, Yvonne Cliffe and Zoe Ratcliffe, my wonderful dad Kev Williams for helping us out with transport and most of all well done to all the riders, Nick,Vikki,Sarah,Beryl and Helen for travelling all that way to represent your club. Well done guys.

Hope you've enjoyed reading my report and I will look forward to seeing you all in the near future.

Sarah Williams x

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