fbpx

In my last blog I was just about to head off to the eventing camp held at Kirriemuir, I can confirm that I had a seriously AWESOME time! We had 2 super dressage lessons with Eilidh Grant who so kindly rode Ziva in the second to allow me to watch and also to give her a feel so she could give me some very helpful tips on what to work on next. We show jumped with Jen Burnett who taught us how to have a 12ft show jumping canter (also known as galloping in my dressage dictionary – sorry Jen! I promise I shall work on it) and we cross countried with Daniel Scott who pointed out lots of fences to jump that I am pretty sure we’re not in the 80 or the 90 section! All 4 feet were certainly off the ground and in a good way! The eventers are so much fun, I felt so welcome and laughed nonstop. I came home happy, burnt and tired and will 110% be returning! I have even been brave enough to enter a BE event…..

Having a play at Kinnaird cross country course. Wearing our gorgeous Gillet from Genius EQ

 

 

My radical change in training methods obviously paid off as we headed to Morris equestrian for 2 classes the following weekend. I had planned to do 2 novices at the start of the year but both shows were snowed off and I was behind with qualifications so we headed along in the hope to secure them. Ziva certainly had her dancing shoes on despite the heat and leaving one test to go straight into another was a big ask but she was up for the challenge. Thankfully I received my beautiful new Gillet from Genius equestrian the week before so I got to warm up without being too hot. We came away with 73.5% and 81.2%!!! Our highest ever score and certainly one I will be framing. This is our last year at this level and I know that we are certainly ready to move up now but it is quite a daunting experience considering I am still fairly new to all of this dressage malarkey. I have never ridden consistently at elementary and it is scary to think there is no going back but if I don’t move forward I won’t improve, I try to be a perfectionist and I don’t like to move up a  level until we are ready.

 

The next competition on our calendar was the Festival of dressage held at Rockrose, we were competing on the Saturday and the Sunday with 2 classes each day. I have been having a bit of a battle with Ziva this last few weeks as all of a sudden she has gone a bit heavy in the contact and not using herself as much as she normally does so I feel like I am trying to keep the motor going more than usual and wasn’t particularly looking forward to the weekend ahead. In true Ziva style she reminded me that I shouldn’t of have worried. On the Saturday we were in the Novice 38 and the Elementary 42, as soon as I got on all of my problems drifted away as she was back to her normal self, we were second overall in the elementary and won the novice so we came away in profit and won a beautiful sash! I unfortunately do not have a lorry which makes weekend away shows a bit difficult if I am competing far away from home or for a few days at a time, so we headed home after our last class and then headed back on the Sunday to do it all over again! Another super day with second overall in Elementary 44 and won the elementary 53, so again more prize money and even more beautiful rosette and sashes. I celebrated with a cider and an early night! Dave Cameron was photographing the event and as always came up trumps with some stunning pictures! He always manages to capture the right moments. So for that THANK YOU!

The weekend of dressaging aka stress-aging as many people call it now gave me a little bit of time to think and reflect. I have to admit that I have found myself down the dressage path by pure mistake. I have always enjoyed jumping and I have neglected that a lot over the last 2 years so I have decided to make a bit of a crazy decision which is to have a little break from the big dressage shows and have a bit of fun eventing. The right decision? I’m not quite sure yet, but someone once told me it is not the horse who has ambition but the rider. I have spent all of this year qualifying for what should have been my busiest year to date and instead of feeling overjoyed I felt a bit – bleh. (Sorry but I cannot think of any other word to describe it – lol!) I felt like I should have been more excited and it hit home how much it was all going to cost going away constantly. I have umm’d and ahh’d on whether or not to speak honestly and open about it because I didn’t want it to come across like I have given up. I want people to know that it is ok! It is ok to make rash decisions and go and do something different, it is ok to have a goal and not achieve it and it’s certainly OK to love the horse first and the sport second. I do however want to add that I shall be back to the dressage circuit but for now we are spending our evenings going for long hacks in the sun and flouncing about the country side attempting to look like we know what we are doing and get fit – me more so than Ziva.

 

Love from

 

Ferne & Ziva x

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!