RingCraft Ambassador Alice Hallows gives her June blog ...
More learns, more points, and moving up the levels with confidence.
Hello everyone, hope you are well and enjoying the summer. Here at Team Hallows, June seems to have flown by and writing this blog is a great way for myself to catch up with what has happened over the course of a month. And to reflect on how much progress can be achieved in a week, let alone a whole month. As you know from the latest blog we were heading off to Nunney International in Somerset. At the beginning of every year when the event season is published there are definitely ‘save the date’ events which you aim for and everything else works around them. Nunney is a 'must do' event. I like the competition vibe it creates and I know the cross country will have appropriate lines for each partnership. For instance, it was Quiz’s first CCI3*- S but Fritz’s 3rd and the course had appropriate lines to test both of them.
Off we went on the 16th of June, trucking down to Somerset with four horses, travelling the route of the A12, M25, A30 and A303 past Stone Henge, we arrived in the afternoon ready to compete Luna Eclipse and Fernhill City Bound in the Novice the following day. Fernhill City Bound (Bertie) was not overly liked by the dressage judge so we scored 36.8, but I was pleased with him and nothing shocking happened. Onwards to the best part the jumping. Bertie tapped two rails down show jumping which was unfortunate but he was confident and I was happy with how he jumped overall. On to the cross country, which is Bertie’s forte, he stormed round and took on the a decent skinny hedge for Novice, which is the trickiest question I have asked of him so far and he pinged it so he got a well deserved pat for that.
We finished out of the placings but we are in a good position for our next event. Luna Eclipse (Luna) was a little star. We did a lovely test to score 27.3, it was clean and correct, we even got a 9 for a centre line. (Oh that rhymes!!!) Show jumping has been a weakness but this time we jumped a clear round and that secured us the top spot for the time being. This meant it was a must to be clear and inside the time cross country. I don’t think Luna quite realised what hit her when she left the start box, but it was foot on the accelerator and a very determined rider on board! Luna rose to the occasion and was terrific. Clear inside the time and… Somebody else scored a lower dressage mark and jumped clear. Another day we will have our win, but I am as pleased as punch with our second place. Luna has really come on over the last months and I cannot wait to compete her again.
With a good time on both Bertie and Luna we started off the weekend on a high. On the Saturday, I did both Vintage Graffiti’s (Fritz) and Quizical Z’s (Quiz) 3* B dressage tests, in the morning. Fritz was much improved from Houghton Hall and did a smooth, relaxed test to score 33.2. The comment from the judges was I needed to have a more uphill frame and impulsion for the higher marks which I totally agree with. Quiz is new to that particular dressage level and this showed in the half passes and just didn’t show enough of a uphill frame and flowing movement so we scored 37.4. I was irritated for about 5 minutes after both their tests as you make a plan and you want it to go well and both tests just weren’t on the button enough for me. After 5 minutes I had smile back on my face, realised it is just a dressage test and get on with my day. I do think though the 5 minutes when I am a little bit annoyed makes me realise I want to learn how to be the best I can be and when I need to dig deep to improve myself to allow my horses to be better, those 5 minutes make me determined and positive about making those changes happen. Hands up I am competitive person, but I am always aware that my horses can only do what they can do at that moment in time, and I am very lucky to ride Quiz and Fritz who I wouldn’t swap for the world.
Sunday was a good day for competing not too hot or too cold. Fritz was up first with his two jumping phases. We were second in for the show jumping and the course was a really good test for riders to understand how to execute each line and how the profile of the fences influenced the striding. He jumped really well for a clear. Off we went to the cross country warm up and we were the first partnership to leave the start box for the CCI3*- S. It was good fun to be the trail blazer everyone gets behind you, the commentator is building up the spectators whilst I navigated the water complex, and then there is a big cheer when you are galloping away, which is all part of the fun. Fritz was cooled off and hosed down back at the stables, whilst I was in the lorry bringing down the adrenaline that cross country gives you when you have jumped clear and the buzz is making your fingers shake. Breathe… Calm… Now visualise what you are going to do with Quiz in the show jumping and focus on the principles of jumping. Feeling sharpened up by the adrenaline from the cross country, I had a really positive clear round with Quiz in the show jumping. Certainly, I found myself in what sports psychologist call a ‘flow state’. Hmmm? Maybe, I need to go for a gallop before the dressage tests? Quiz completed her first CCI3*-S with a confident clear cross country and tackled questions she hasn’t seen on course before. I was delighted with how she was quick with her feet through the water and trusted me to jump a decent skinny hedge on a curving line out of the water. I didn't want to ride her any differently just because it was a new level for her so I rode with the same positivity and commitment to the fences as I usually do. I think that is the bonus of now being a established rider myself at intermediate level you can give the horses confidence through your own body language and positivity to the challenges you have to complete together. Happily, we finished Nunney with Fritz being placed 17th and Quiz 20th. I had a great time competing them and I hope my writing conveys to you how much I enjoy being an event rider and what a thrill it is to put logic, emotion and empathy together to achieve moments of sheer passion and joy. I would just like to say thank you to my parents who do live the journey with me, through the highs and lows. They are amazing and I know that it can be nerve racking this eventing lark, but still they are fully committed and understanding of what we want to accomplish which is pushing on to get to the higher levels of the sport.
Alex was busy up in Scotland for the most part of June, which was fantastic to see that many people were embracing the RingCraft format and were encouraged by his feedback and ideas. It is nearly a year that we have been working together with the my horses and the dressage scores have improved considerably. I am looking forward to Alex driving over to see us this following Monday. It is helpful that Alex can look at the dressage sheets from Nunney and I am sure he has some interesting ideas on where we go from here to get nearer to the top of the leader board from a judges point of view but most importantly from a riders point of view too. Best of both worlds as they say.
Thank you very much for reading my blog. I have a exciting new youngster joining us who I will tell you all about in the July blog. I hardly know her at all, she has only just passed the vetting. All I can say is she is an unbacked 3 year old, bay mare, from Ireland. And she doesn’t have a name, not even in her passport… Unnamed and unloved. But not for long! All the best, Alice x
