My first BE was back in 1997 at Powderham Castle. I was in the PC class which ran on the same day and over the same course as the British Horse Trials Association (BE before it left the BHS!) event but because the PC had its own section it ran under PC rules. To say I was clueless is an understatement! I was a typical 17 year old in that all I wanted to do was jump, dressage was something I did in draw reins. The horse was shared with my mother. I was in my teenage years and fed up with doing the winter slog so my mother had the horse over the winter for hunting and I took him over in the summer for Pony Club and other bits and bobs.
Though my flat work experience was zero, luckily I had experience of cross country thanks to hunting since a child. I had done a few hunter trials and I had also done a bit of team chasing on the horse as a 5yo so felt I was suitably prepared to go eventing.
Having read a Ginny Holgate book I knew exactly what equipment was needed and this included my Porter Boots with blue exercise bandages to match my blue sweatshirt. My body protector was a nappy style Ransome one which my mother deliberately bought too big for me when I was 12 so I could grow into it and finally at 17 it fitted. I had lovely leather boots which were bought as a birthday present and were my pride and joy and to complete the professional look, was my stop watch. I had never ridden with one cross country but they were allowed so of course I saved up long and hard and managed to afford one.
The actual day was boiling. I do not remember much about the dressage but it was probably verging on rubbish! I probably rode from my hand, was happy that everything happened in the right place and remembered the test. All this was considered a success to me! I had no idea about dressage and certainly had no intention of learning any more about it as all I was interested in was jumping!
I then made a schoolgirl error that I have never made again – I walked the cross country in my riding boots. It was hot and half way round I had blisters from boots that are not designed to be walked in!
I cannot remember the show jumping but probably had a fence down as I was clueless about this phase as well! I probably rode it like I
ride cross country and kept kicking!
Cross country – was in the days when you could wear a stop watch at Pre Novice Level. My horse was not terribly fast and I can remember mostly looking at my stop watch urging the horse on faster! I am very anti stop watches for this very reason as I spent the whole time thinking about the time, not thinking about rhythm and getting a good stride. The course did not give us any issues as my horse was ultra reliable in this phase and I got back in the time. I washed him off, barely thought about his legs and I had enjoyed myself which was all that mattered!
I did not have studs, used porter boots with bandages and an old sweater for my cross country top. I was not terribly successful but that never really bothered me as it was all about the cross country! My old PC horse is now 22 and still hunts regularly with my mother so it cannot have done him too much harm.
I gave up riding for several years and came back to the sport in 2005. The main problem is I now wanted to be competitive on my 15 year old horse and sadly the years of doing no flatwork and avoiding dressage came back to haunt me as one day we got a spectacular 52 in the dressage! It was at that point I decided to get another horse in order to be competitive and my obsession with eventing grew from there along with spending ludicrous amounts of money on it!
