Round Up

Its been a week today we were finished with XC, and it was one of the biggest and hardest XC I've done and I know it is the biggest for Toby..so what did he think of it? To be honest i think he loved every minute and know of the fences even phased him for one minute total star. His rider well she was another matter!!!
Worst show nerves I've ever had...man did I feel like crap Saturday morning. But some of my issue may have been a stomach bug as Martha who I was sharing her LQ with was ill first two days we were there poor thing!
Not going into too much detail but dry heaves not any fun! Know I get a little neverous I had brought plenty of over the counter substances to get things sort of normal.
XC time was 12.45 so lots of time in the morning to get ready and had time to watch a load of the Advance riders go...some bad it look way too easy like Becky Holder and Will Faudre and others not so lucky..
By the time I needed to get tacked up, I actrauly felt pretty decent. Toby was full of beans as we hacked the close to a mile down to the start box at the bottom of the hill. The warm up areas was large and had a really good range of XC feneces to practice over which was great. Heather was there bang on time to help me..they were running a bit ahead so once we were ready ...off to the start box 3,2,1 and off we leap. First four fences were a range of table likke jumps well spaced out to gallop and each got a little higher and wider. The first real question was a roll top at the bottom of a mound which yu ran up and at the bottom was a very narrow but wide rolltop tooth pike with brush...no problem..got to the top of the mound and Toby had already locked on it.
A croos the lane and 1 minute...next up were two GOOD size tables on an angle with 2 strides inbetween.They were numbered sperate but we where going straight. Which we did, mike had said to come in with good canter for us to make the two strides which i did. Toby landed after the first and shortened up and then on second stride launched himself just to make the jump even bigger!! we ran up the hill to the sharks teeth and took a flyer at that fence too. next was an oxer with a solid top..I got in his face a bit too much and we got a awkward stride but he made it work and we flew up the hill to the brush box..whee..prefect stop!
Other side was a STEP hill down and then a quick up to a roll top log thing..which I took a good hoe after as next question a pretty drop fence to 5 stride to a bloody big narrow brush fence.Which when i stode on the down side of it, it was taller than me (I'm 5'5")..Toby easily jumped down and not phase at all by the brush fence got a great spot and cleared no worries!!Net was a roll top we shared with Advanced which seemed small compared to what we just jumped... Then carted me off at full gallop into the out field!! The next fence was another big table thing and was suppose to be ou set up fence before we did the massive brush box we shared with Advanced and either 7 or 6 strides to a very narrow corner with a good angle to it.
The turn to the brush box helped set up and before I could think we were clearing the corner right it the middle and making the turn back to yet another big arse table and then the coffin. The coffin was a palsade with brush at the top one stride to a ditch and then three bending line to a mushroom feeder thing..To be honest it was way easier to do than it walked.
By this time I was well hot and the air burned your throat as you filled your lounges, Toby had been doing a good amount of pulling and I think I did a brilliant job of getting him fit...to the piont he was way too fit.
I decided to make thing a little harder and angles the log hut jump and the roll top befor the climb up the hill to the brush before the water which I also angled...coming down the hill Toby was trying to gun it.
I wanted to have enough power for the water jump but didnt want to blast it.. I thought i had got him back enough and that normally water backs hem off a bit.. not Toby. Even with the BLUE dyed water and all the people and vechicles a round the water jump he locked on and we were off...in my chase literary. He jumped huge over the brush and logs into the water.
Looking now I should have been way way back in the take . But even so i managed to stay on and get back in poisition quick cicle and boom over first and second jumps in the water and we only Had one more combination and and couple more simple fences and we would be home.bounced up the bank and roll jump and flew down the other side straight of our next corner and then off for finally jumps..came through finish line with plenty of running. i was so wanting to get off him as soon as possible that forgot to unclip my air vest and puff I was all inflatted.A bunch of friends were at the finishe to help coool toby down...Yeye we finished..