2018 has been a really strange year of brilliant highs and pretty gutting lows.
The year started with, unremarkably, me being injured. I had pretty bad whiplash and was discovering just how terrible that makes you feel – it’s not just a literal pain in the neck; it also makes you feel confused, dizzy, tired, and very grumpy!
After a while I was able to ride and even vault again, but only with a neck brace and only in walk to begin with. It was surprisingly easy and comfortable – the only thing that was truly difficult was trotting circles on the right rein side saddle, which I managed for about half a lap before admitting that the world had gone black…
The first part of the year was taken up with video competitions: three this year! I entered the RDA Dressage Anywhere qualifier and then the Championship round later in the year, ultimately coming second in my class. I also took part in the RDA Vaulting Video Competition, vaulting on the barrel to a fun song from the musical, Young Frankenstein, for first place.
The third competition was a musical ride with four of my friends at RDA. The video for this won the regional round of competition and was put forward to judging at the National Championships – where it won again! It’s the first competition I’ve done as a team at RDA and it felt lovely to be able to share the excitement and success with my friends. It was a good thing that we did well, because putting the ride together was no mean feat and took extraordinary amounts of patience on the part of our coach!
RDA competitions continued in regular ‘live’ format at the regional qualifier. This is a show in its own right but also qualifies riders for the RDA National Championships, which are held each year at Hartpury College in July. Riders compete in dressage, showjumping and Countryside Challenge (and, in some regions, carriage driving) and qualify by coming first or second and scoring over 60%.
This year I qualified in Level 4 showjumping (but only just – I fell off spectacularly when practicing!) and in two dressage tests. I also won a nice shiny trophy for having the highest score across the senior dressage classes. 13 of our 18 regular riders qualified so it was a bumper day for the group, and we were really excited for Hartpury.
Before Hartpury, though, I had the English Vaulting Championships. It would be an understatement to say that it was my worst competition ever! My compulsories in canter were abysmal, partly because I was so out of practice and partly because as soon as Dax, the horse, started to canter it was as if I’d never sat on a horse in my life. My freestyle in walk was better, but marred somewhat by Dax having a bit of a moment when a horse fly bit him! We finished in one piece and I ended up English Champion for another year, but they were performances I’d sooner everybody forgot!
At Hartpury I was competing in three classes: dressage (walk/trot/canter), showjumping (70cm) and vaulting (walk compulsories and walk freestyle). Owing to our horses being ill and injured I was riding a second (/last!) choice in the jumping, called Danny, and was bricking it. Having cartwheeled off on my previous attempt at that level, whilst riding a much steadier horse, my genuine aim for the event was not to be eliminated, especially as Danny can be rather sparky. We succeeded in my aim by jumping the least fluid clear ride in history. We even came 3rd, although admittedly there weren’t many competitors up at Level 4!
The next day I rode my dressage test in the morning which was fine – no disasters, but no particularly wonderful moments – then I went on a mission to find my vaulting horse. I had never met the horse I was going to vault on and I thought it would be helpful to do so! I was quite anxious about the vaulting because lots of people had said they were looking forward to watching me, and I didn’t want to be a dingbat and mess it up. I was looking forward to doing the actual vaulting part – that part I always love – but there were quite a few unknowns at that point and, for a bit of a control freak, I wasn’t too happy about that.
In the vaulting my compulsories went fine but I had a wobble at the beginning of my freestyle, which took a bit of time and made me forget my next moves. Ultimately it was an OK routine but I was disappointed that it hadn’t been better. When the results were finally announced I thought I was going to be sick – I love competing, but I hate waiting for results. It had been a difficult year so when I heard that I had won all I really felt was relief. I was also awarded ‘Best Turned Out’ individual vaulter which made the hours and hours spent going a bit goofy over gemstone glue fumes worthwhile. After leaving the bubble of RDA vaulting for the rest of the competition I then found out I’d come 5th in the dressage, so had another rosette to collect which was a bonus!
For the rest of the weekend I was free to catch up with friends and watch the action. The RDA Champs are like a festival with ponies – it’s such a fun and positive environment and everyone is so friendly. I was so proud of all of my friends, who all achieved loads with several being placed in the top 6 nationally and receiving their rosettes, and one winning her Championship dressage class with a huge score, and by a whopping 5%!
After Hartpury I had a holiday in France (with some useful riding lessons and one glorious hack over the low Alps, overlooking the Med), then focussed fully on the British Vaulting Championships, which in 2018 were held in Pencoed, Wales, in October. As preparation I had one competition in Cambridge which went much better than the English did. I received some of my best scores for compulsories and freestyle, so I felt I redeemed myself ever so slightly!
Unfortunately at the British I had to compete on an unknown horse again. This time, it was one with a considerable vintage: his name was Pitucelli (Pitu for short) and, with his former vaulting partner Lucy Phillips, he had been number 1 in the world rankings. Lucy, who was lungeing Pitu for me, is GB’s top vaulter; a veteran at WEG and European/World Championships and multiple British and English Champion. No pressure, then!
At the British this year we paras only did our walk freestyles (no compulsories) but we did do them twice. A couple of weeks before I had managed to dislocate a rib in training (which still hasn’t gone back in even now) and then the day before driving down to Wales I started throwing up with a tummy bug, and had to forgo everything but Lucozade for the whole shebang… as such, I wasn’t feeling particularly hale and hearty!
The first routine was a bit like Hartpury – it was OK, but not brilliant. I watched it back on video and then went for it in the second round, and did a much better job. Then I collapsed in a heap and got a bit teary – it was all very emotional but I think that’s mostly because I was so tired and so empty! After being just 0.02 up after round 1, my score for round 2 was over a whole point (i.e. 10%) higher, so I ended up in first place with a more comfortable margin, and a British Championship title for another year.
As well as competing I’ve done lots of coaching this year and I absolutely love it. I’m volunteering at a local RDA group coaching primary school-aged riders, and working towards a coaching qualification. I’ve also started coaching RDA vaulters on the barrel, and I’ve been busy with various RDA committees. It feels great to give something back to an organisation that has transformed my life.
In 2018 I started coaching at a different vaulting club to my own, so that I could train and coach equally. I’ve been made so welcome at the new club and have learned a huge amount about vaulting and equestrianism in general just by seeing some different practices and hearing different perspectives. Both this and RDA coaching have been very challenging and I’ve had to learn from some pretty embarrassing mistakes, but I think most coaches have to admit to that at some point!
As well as horsey coaching I became qualified to coach primary school gymnastics (I work in a primary school so this wasn’t a completely random decision!). Running a gymnastics club at school has been good fun and has helped me to see a different side to a lot of the children. It’s also really, really helpful to have that knowledge when I come to teach younger vaulters – and to make sure I’m doing things properly too!
2018 was a tough year for my RDA Group. One of our much-loved horses had to be euthanised over the summer; two had to be retired; and two more have been sick or lame. We weren’t able to have ridden sessions last term, which was a shame but nothing compared to how it felt to have lost horses, and to be facing losing another to liver disease.
The horses are obviously the centre of everything we do and, although there was never any question that decisions regarding them would be done solely with their welfare in mind, it hasn’t been easy for anyone – riders or volunteers.
We’re starting 2019 with a couple of new horses and high hopes. With any luck in a year’s time I’ll be letting you know about all the amazing things we accomplished in 2019!
