The Big "E"

he (mis)adventures of our Brand Ambassador, Katie Gray and her trusty steed BK continue.  Here is the latest witty blog from their most recent outing at the HRCAV Combined Training Day hosted by the Monash Adult Riding Club.

So last weekend, full of hot air from our recent jumping success (see BK, Showjumping Champion of the World blog for details), we headed to another combined training day. Our arms were twisted by the fact that our sponsors would be there, meaning free grooms and endless champagne to toast our victory.
In retrospect, I can see a few signs the day may have been doomed. My iphone is clearly in cahoots with my etag and we zigzagged our way to the Monash ARC grounds via the least direct route possible utilizing maximum etag credit. Once arrived we nearly had a punch up with someone who was possibly having their first social outing ever and was under the impression that the prize of the day was actually a sheep station.

Anyway, we toddled over to the warm up area where I thought the paid entertainment were performing. Turned out to be a fellow competitor on a slightly fresh horse. We warmed up around a few x-country jumps, where I reassured BK that no I hadn’t lost my mind and decided to event him again. Then, just as we were about to enter the ring, it blew over!!

Katie and BK feeling confident before seeing the show jumping course...

Anyway, they managed to get the ring and markers back up with a handy placed piece of wood or 2 and some quick helpers. We punched out a decent test despite an error of course (our second for the year and, yes, we are only in February. I mean, who needs to see a halt?? Of course he can halt. I got there in the float, didn’t I?? He must have been standing on that!?!) Nevertheless we were handily placed in second. Now only a few jumps between us and an extension to our satin collection...
Then I saw the course. It was as though it was built to commemorate all of our Australian big things. Perhaps they had even borrowed them from country towns around Australia. I imagined the front page news, "North Mackay lend Big Banana to Victorian Adult Riding Club". Anyway, needless to say all of these big things had a red flag on one side and a white on the other, implying that they were intended to be jumped. Being the eternally optimistic type, I saddled up BK and entered the course. BK clearly thought we were lost in a mountain range. Rather than flog my dear friend for my obvious oversight in not training him over giant obstacles that could be used as Australian tourist attractions (plus I had insider knowledge that no sheep farms were in fact on offer), when he hesitated to launch us into space over a passable replica of the giant Murray cod, we were eliminated. Our second place became a giant E!

Junior tradies hard at work on the new jump training obstacle.

What is E for? E is for an Excellent chance to get to know the new owners of the local hardware store. E is for Educating my 4 year old daughter about the difference between the circular saw and the hammer drill (and finding out how to get said daughter's long hair out of said hammer drill). E is for knowing Exactly how far I can push my husband when he has man flu.

Anyway, no more excuses. We now have our own brick wall style jump, sort of. I mean, there is a reason I am not a sponsored mathematician. We have not yet finished the next layer of the jump due to some possible wood length miscalculations and my helpful very junior trades people are in the middle of painting it pink and purple with pictures of a wonderful likeness to our family all over it.
BK, needless to say, after a small hesitation loved his new jump and had a ball popping over what a week earlier he had thought was impossible, the real test will be when he has to jump it with pink and purple me’s all over it... maybe next ride. We have a month or so breather until we jump again, I wonder what we will be building then...

Little person was removed prior to practicing on jump.

Nailed it.