MAY 2014
JARDY CCI*
He was a star xc nearly fell flat between the tables at 5 on the slippery ground, rescued himself like true hero to jump the table on top from 3 strides and never even touched it!
Got mad later on during the xc when he missed a skinny after a drop. A fence he knows only too well by now, admittedly it was skinny skinny but he was going to jump itunitl 2 kids stood less than a metre from it ( fence judge, fence judge!) lifted their phone up to take a pic of us, took his attention atthe momentof take up and he bottled it. Was so furious as Turnip wason seriously fine form, jumping the best of his career so far with confidence and a faster pace than we have ever been before. Only 6 time faults with the run out.
The showjumping was very meaty and not helped by the tiny warm up arena that wasn't really suitable for us to warm up in.Hence he had the first fence down but jumpedthe rest of the course like a superstar including the 3 large parallels on a curve to finish. Nasty. Was a wake up call to me as we had 5 time faults, the time always seems tight in France.
Warm up class st Deauville
I don't think we could count this year as a success but was certainly alearning curve. Dressage was like going back 3 years he bucked and jumped and lashed out at my spur. Disappointing when I'd done some lovely prep work the day before. I think I tried to work him in for too long which was dumb as I know he hates that. And the atmosphere was too big for him behind the jumping arean with all the flags etc, he was quite sure we'd done dressage and were in to jump.
He did a Mr P sort of sj round, ugly but clear so really as a first outing after the winter I couldn't complain. Just his dressage, man I could knock his block off!
Gatcombe Novice 6th
First proper placing for Mr P. that isn't show jumping, what a place to get it and what a lady to receive my rosette from. Except I can't, as i riding the other dizzy ginger bloke in his dressage. It's a fix!
Was a bit disappointed that Ginger's novice here earlier had seemed more educational but for a moment there it looked like we might get our first rosette!
A dressage test I'm half pleased with but the marking is generous ,50 , so we're only just out of the top third. Clear sj in the time too, but we never did get to try the very tough xc due to the rider tragedy.
DAUNTSEY Novice
Turnip does a half decent test for him and this is surely the first time I have ever been allowed to do a test in shirt sleeves! He has a pole down sj and goes clear xc but I take him really steady as it's so hot and we had to exercise extreme patience in horrendous heat while we waited an hour and a half to sj so by the time we got to xc we'd kind of lost our mojo.
MAY 2013
Turnip gets 51.5 for his dressag e leaving him in 14th place. Might not sound that great, but it's the first test he's ever done with no extra fancy moves whatsoever. Get all emotional and have a little cry as we walk out of the arena.
March 2013
Turnip jumps a double clear to get a well earned 2 pts at long last and finish in the top half of the starting field. Progress.Phew. Dressage needs work with 61.2!! There's a surprise!
Brilliant, Fontainebleau in a week, farrier snowed in, us snowed in with 2 foot of snow for a week, what better preperation could I have asked for!
Turnip makes his debut as a showjumper, he jumps a clear at Rennes to come third in the 1m10 GP and win some dosh, then he jumps clear again at Auvers to win a bit more in the prep class. I have to say he was dead as a dodo, so I didn't make a very good job of riding him, being used to have to restrain a pogo-ing plonka into each fence, but he dealt well with my ineptitide, hooking him back, and actually jumped the fences quite well without touching a pole.
Had a pony club moment before we started when I decided it would be a good idea to show him the water features incase he deemed it necessary to jinx at them during our round. Far from looking at them , he buried his head in the bamboo plant beside fence nos 2 and flatly refused to extract himself despite my best rein hauling. I sat there red faced, incompetent and embarrased while my pony ate the arena dressing.
February 2013
Turnip hits the big ring at the auvers training show prior to going back down to Rennes for a 1m10 GP.
Turnip tries out his new buzz cut for jumping. Clipping isn't really his thing so I leave his head on but decide he looks to ridiculous so get brave with a twitch on and take off a rather rough back half of his head. That makes the Turnip angry but doesn't seem to jeapordise his jumping ability he jumps a double clear at a metre then 1m10 in the arena eventing at rennes, his first show since Pumpkin wiped out Ligniere for us.
January 2013
November 2012
He managed a fifth,so it was a good finish to his year, lucky he hadn't spied the spooky specators on the bridge over the entrance chute, that might have brought us to a standstill. That's them just spied in the photo to the left.
You might be thinking he looks a little tight in the warm up pictures, you're right he was and performed a shocking test the circus would have been proud of. He jumped double clear again though so I forgave him. He was tight in the showjumping, overawed by all the tradestands and crowds, it was lunchtime, just our luck. I knew he would be so almost forgave him for having the little nap past the gateway that gave us four penalties. Especially after he performed a near foot perfect xc very close to the time.
July 2012
"Which mask looks better mum?"
"This one or that?"
" That one Turnip, it's Carry's,
"It's a disco skirt, you prat"
JUNE 2012
All our xc practice at A le Walls is rather wasted when we visit Twesledown and Turnip gets completely eaten alive by mosquitos before we even start. I hasten to point out, the bites hadn't come out like this when I first got on him, they came up during the course of the day and I felt a bit bad I rode him at all!
It was his worst test ever he didn't really do any movements at all, but I kind of think just maybe he had a point when I later saw the state of him.
We take a trip to Aston le Walls bef0re Twesledown to practice water every which way. We don't really need the water jumps, there is so much water lying about everywhere.
Turnip practices showjumping at Weston lawns doing clear round and wins the 1m10 at Allen's Hill, even money too!
With a little help from Ted the sheep,Turnip gets some new shoes to go to his first event of the year. The BE100 plus at Nunney. Can't believe it's June and we only just got started!
Blowing a gale he manages a test that's not his worst, with a pole down and a clear xc where he gave me a super ride despite not having seen a xc fence since October!
May 2012
MARCH 2012
From hairy yak to pretty boy, much better for picking up girls or even bullocks. The sun has brought on much slobbering!
Everyone's emerging from hibernation, hairy yaks and fluffy toys.
January 2012
DECEMBER 2011
Do we look like we're having a great time seeing the lights at Champ du Boult or what, how happy do I look?
NOVEMBER 2011
Back at the beach again!This time at Deauville after a dressage competition where he did his best ever test in the first class and his absolute worst in the second; Monster. Anyway he put it all to good use as he dodged the waves later on. I don't think he has ever actually been into the sea before, I have the knack of going down to the Mont when the tides out-always!
SEPTEMBER 2011
GAVRAY AM2 GP
Turnip gets a little confidence giving run in France round a small BE100 level course with generous 1m05/1m10 sj track. He has one pole down but goes well and enjoys the day!.
AUGUST 2011
HOMME HOUSE NOVICE
Oh boy jumps going into water then jumps in the water, we haven't even practiced this EVER!
Rather a disappointing showjumping round to say the least, the pictures lie!
JULY 2011
ASTON LE WALLS
NOVICE
Turnip in flying pony mode, our first novice together looks far too huge but he manages a double clear and has quite found his stride by the end of it.
Back in France, can we do bigger jumps yet?
MAY 2011
HAMBLEDEN BE100
MARCH 2011
But I'm a cute pony and I love picnics on the beach, even if it is a bit chilly.
Down at the beach by the Mont st. Michel is one of my favourite places in the world, it's so huge and so empty. It seems the only place I can ride with my injured leg, the sand takes care of badness and I've bandaged it with layers of supports, tubigrips anf finally fleece bandages as my chaps no longer fit.
First outing of the year is at Gavray followed by the stuff he loves. XC at Dol de Bretagne.
While he might not be being particularly good at home, I can't fault his first xc outing since Broadway last year.
OCTOBER 2010
Taking a cat nap between phases to ensure he's got the energy to show off on the xc.
BROADWAY BE100
DAUNTSEY BE100
JULY 2010
NOTRE DAME D'ESTREES CSO
PURSTON MANOR BE100
JUNE 2010
GREAT TEW XC BE100
ASCOTT UNDER WYCHWOOD BE 90
MAY 2010
MOUNT BALLAN BE90
Turnip xc schooling for the first time this year as everywhere was closed in France, after a few baby jumps he gets in the swing of it and loves it.
Turnip at Auvers (Grand National du dressage) in the cycle libre premier annee in the big posh arena beside the church. He gets 59.5% and does a nice test perhaps his best yet though the mark doesn't reflect that.
Turnip jumps his first clear over a metre at the Renarderie,clever bunny we're proud of him!
We get it together jumping at the Haras du Pin. Turnip likes this venue, he has one down but it's my fault.
APRIL 2010
Turnip does his first proper test ( look no martingale!) at the Haras du Pin in the Orne. he gets 64%, good enough for a 2nd place prime and wins enough to nearly cover the entry. More to the point he behaves himself well so we can now start concentrating on getting him going properly not just hanging on for dear life!
MARCH 2010
Turnip goes to his first trial, albeit hors concours in the training class, ( hence the martingale in the dressage). However he shows a degree of muturity doing an almost sensible test, one showjump down and clear xc.
Turnip gets some practice in at home.
With a little home farriery we finally get Turnip's abcess to burst and he gets out to his first 'entrainement' dressage competition. A little hairy but he stays inside the boards and manages to perform parts of the test
APRIL 2009
Turnip tries xc at home